Thursday, November 28, 2019

Battle of Peachtree Creek - Civil War - Atlanta Campaign

Battle of Peachtree Creek - Civil War - Atlanta Campaign Battle of Peachtree Creek - Conflict Date: The Battle of Peachtree Creek was fought July 20, 1864, during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Armies Commanders Union Major General William T. ShermanMajor General George H. Thomas21,655 men Confederate General John Bell Hood20,250 men Battle of Peachtree Creek - Background: Late July 1864 found Major General William T. Shermans forces approaching Atlanta in pursuit of General Joseph E. Johnstons Army of Tennessee. Assessing the situation, Sherman planned to push Major General George H. Thomas Army of the Cumberland across the Chattahoochee River with the goal of pinning Johnston in place. This would allow Major General James B. McPhersons Army of the Tennessee and Major General John Schofields Army of the Ohio to shift east to Decatur where they could sever the Georgia Railroad. Once done, this combined force would advance on Atlanta. Having retreated through much of northern Georgia, Johnston had earned the ire of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Concerned about his generals willingness to fight, he dispatched his military advisor, General Braxton Bragg, to Georgia to assess the situation. Arriving on July 13, Bragg began sending a series of discouraging reports north to Richmond. Three days later, Davis requested that Johnston send him details regarding his plans for defending Atlanta. Unhappy with the generals noncommittal reply, Davis resolved to relieve him and replace him with the offensively-minded Lieutenant General John Bell Hood. As orders for Johnstons relief were sent south, Shermans men began crossing the Chattahoochee. Anticipating that Union troops would attempt to cross Peachtree Creek north of the city, Johnston made plans for a counterattack. Learning of the command change on the night of July 17, Hood and Johnston telegraphed Davis and requested that it be delayed until after the coming battle. This was refused and Hood assumed command. Battle of Peachtree Creek - Hoods Plan: On July 19, Hood learned from his cavalry that McPherson and Schofield were advancing on Decatur while Thomas men marched south and were starting to cross Peachtree Creek. Recognizing that a wide gap existed between the two wings of Shermans army, he resolved to attack Thomas with the goal of driving the Army of the Cumberland back against Peachtree Creek and the Chattahoochee. Once it was destroyed, Hood would shift east to defeat McPherson and Schofield. Meeting with his generals that night, he directed the corps of Lieutenant Generals Alexander P. Stewart and William J. Hardee to deploy opposite Thomas while Major General Benjamin Cheathams corps and Major General Joseph Wheelers cavalry covered the approaches from Decatur. Battle of Peachtree Creek - A Change of Plans: Though a sound plan, Hoods intelligence proved faulty as McPherson and Schofield were in Decatur as opposed to advancing against it. As a result, late in the morning of July 20 Wheeler came under pressure from McPhersons men as the Union troops moved down the Atlanta-Decatur Road. Receiving a request for aid, Cheatham shifted his corps to the right to block McPherson and support Wheeler. This movement also required Stewart and Hardee to move to the right which delayed their attack by several hours. Ironically, this sidestep right worked to the Confederate advantage as it moved most of Hardees men beyond Thomas left flank and positioned Stewart to attack Major General Joseph Hookers mostly unentrenched XX Corps. Battle of Peachtree Creek - Opportunity Missed: Advancing around 4:00 PM, Hardees men quickly ran into trouble. While Major General William Bates division on the Confederate right became lost in the Peachtree Creek bottomlands, Major General W.H.T. Walkers men assaulted Union troops led by Brigadier General John Newton. In a series of piecemeal attacks, Walkers men were repeatedly repulsed by Newtons division. On Hardees left, Cheathams Division, led by Brigadier General George Maney, made little headway against Newtons right. Further west, Stewarts corps slammed into Hookers men who were caught without entrenchments and not fully deployed. Though pressing the attack, the divisions of Major Generals William Loring and Edward Walthall lacked the strength to break through XX Corps. Though Hookers corps began strengthening their position, Stewart was unwilling to surrender the initiative. Contacting Hardee, he requested that new efforts be made on the Confederate right. Responding, Hardee directed Major General Patrick Cleburne to advance against the Union line. While Cleburnes men were pressing forward to prepare their attack, Hardee received word from Hood that Wheelers situation to the east had become desperate. As a result, Cleburnes assault was cancelled and his division marched to Wheelers aid. With this action, the fighting along Peachtree Creek came to an end. Battle of Peachtree Creek - Aftermath: In the fighting at Peachtree Creek, Hood suffered 2,500 killed and wounded while Thomas incurred around 1,900. Operating with McPherson and Schofield, Sherman did not learn of the battle until midnight. In the wake of the fighting, Hood and Stewart expressed disappointment with Hardees performance feeling that had his corps fought as hard Loring and Walthall the day would have been won. Though more aggressive than his predecessor, Hood had nothing to show for his losses. Quickly recovering, he began planning to strike at Shermans other flank. Shifting troops east, Hood attacked Sherman two days later at the Battle of Atlanta. Though another Confederate defeat, it resulted in the death of McPherson. Selected Sources Historynet: Battle of Peachtree CreekNorth Georgia: Battle of Peachtree CreekCWSAC Battle Summaries: Battle of Peachtree Creek

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Is medical coding the career for you

Is medical coding the career for you Are you on the hunt for a new career in a growing industry? If so, then consider medical coding. This rewarding field can offer a wide variety of potential opportunities for employment and can be a satisfying profession for those with the right skills, mindset, and aptitude. Plus, it’s a career on the rise- according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it’s slated to grow faster than average through the next eight years. Let’s learn more about what it’s like to be a medical coder and how you can get started.According to the AAPC website, â€Å"Medical coding is the transformation of healthcare diagnosis, procedures, medical services, and equipment into universal medical alphanumeric codes. The diagnoses and procedure codes are taken from medical record documentation, such as transcription of physician’s notes, laboratory and radiologic results, etc.†Basically, medical coders oversee all the codes that are used during the often-complex medical billing process. This is no simple task: qualified coders should have a thorough knowledge of anatomy and medical terminology and be familiar with several different coding systems (including CPT ®, HCPCS Level II, and ICD-10-CM). On top of that, coders should know which codes are accepted by which insurance plans and how to be compliant while coding.The first steps toward becoming a medical coder include ensuring that you meet the educational requirements to secure a position in the field, which can vary depending on the field, discipline, and work environment you choose to pursue.According to the AAPC, the medical coding professionals should obtain the Certified Professional Coder (CPC ®) credential. While earning a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree can strengthen a medical coder’s career, it’s not a set requirement. What is necessary is to have a solid foundation of anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology, which you will learn and master thr ough earning the CPC ® credential. â€Å"It’s recommended for serious coders to complete a medical coding course of study and pass an exam to designate him or her as a CPC ®. Employers know CPCs ® are individuals who can perform medical coding tasks with the utmost proficiency and excellence,† according to the official site.So, what would a typical day as a medical coder look like? You’d likely be working in the billing office in a focused healthcare setting, which can range from a hospital to a therapeutic or treatment center, doctor’s office, outpatient facility, nursing home, or similar facility, and will be coding patient files- an essential task in the field- to ensure appropriate and accurate billing. In sum, your coding will help document each patient’s treatment process from beginning to end, in an effort to secure reimbursement for all services rendered during each visit.Still interested in pursuing a career as a medical coder? If so , then consider the helpful information provided here as your launching pad to help you plan your first steps on this exciting career journey. You can build on this information with the wealth of resources and information available online, and before long you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goal.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Portfolio of Public Relations Campaigns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

Portfolio of Public Relations Campaigns - Essay Example Stopober is just the beginning. It gave participants a deadline to quit smoking, targeting 28 days or a month for less chances of relapse.   Galloway (2012) reports that permanent cessation of smoking is ensured the longer the smoker persists in quitting.   Within four weeks, the risk of relapse is very high, but when the smoker hurdles it, it becomes much easier, with the risk of the relapse becoming low after twelve weeks.   The current campaign takes off from the enormous success of Stoptober and aims to maintain the positive outcomes it derived and go beyond it by spreading awareness to more people about the dangers of the smoking and to urge more smokers to stop.   That way, better health is achieved for everyone.3.0   The PR Campaign  Spreading awareness would entail the help of family and friends of the smokers as well as powerful multimedia messages. Testimonials of both successful quitters as well as those who contracted devastating illnesses due to smoking will address the targeted population of smokers so they themselves can decide for themselves what to do.   It is much easier to commit to something one decides on for himself instead of merely being pressured to do so.   3.1 NudgeThe Stoptober campaign used a strategy known as ‘nudge’ (Thaler & Sunstein, 2008).   Simply put, it is a strategy to get people to change their behaviour towards a different one that would be more beneficial.... These participants had access to a variety of support which includes multi-media reminders and motivators, expert advise, support materials, a mobile phone application and daily text messages to monitor their progress. 2.0 Vision of Stoptober Stopober is just the beginning. It gave participants a deadline to quit smoking, targeting 28 days or a month for less chances of relapse. Galloway (2012) reports that permanent cessation of smoking is ensured the longer the smoker persists in quitting. Within four weeks, the risk of relapse is very high, but when the smoker hurdles it, it becomes much easier, with the risk of relapse becoming low after twelve weeks. The current campaign takes off from the enormous success of Stoptober and aims to maintain the positive outcomes it derived and go beyond it by spreading awareness to more people about the dangers of smoking and to urge more smokers to stop. That way, better health is achieved for everyone. 3.0 The PR Campaign Spreading awareness wo uld entail the help of family and friends of the smokers as well as powerful multimedia messages. Testimonials of both successful quitters as well as those who contracted devastating illnesses due to smoking will address the targeted population of smokers so they themselves can decide for themselves what to do. It is much easier to commit to something one decides on for himself instead of merely being pressured to do so. 3.1 Nudge The Stoptober campaign used a strategy known as ‘nudge’ (Thaler & Sunstein, 2008). Simply put, it is a strategy to get people to change their behaviour towards a different one that would be more beneficial. John, Smith & Stoker (2009) explain that people are offered a ‘choice