The Buzz 11.16.17

WHO’S IN TOWN?

“Which is better? Number one, or number two?” Anyone who’s spent time in an optometrist’s chair knows the vexing dilemma of choosing which set of lenses in the phoropter – that’s the funny-looking mask-type machine with all the knobs and doohickies (a technical term) – looks clearer than the other. What is clear: Optometrists need a lot of training to take care of patients’ eyes. Which is why eye doctors from all over the state are in town this week for the California Optometric Association Monterey Symposium, featuring continuing education classes and vendor exhibits on the latest research and products. Classes include topics such as viral eye diseases, laser procedures for the management of glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and macular degeneration, among others.

Thu-Sun Nov. 16-19. Monterey Marriott, 350 Calle Principal. $600-$700/unlimited continuing education; $35-$45 plus $50 registration fee/education by the hour. coavision.org.

FREE SPEECH

News outlets spend plenty of time reporting on diversity (or lack thereof) in various industries. The American Society of News Editors’ annual newspaper diversity survey is meant to take stock of how the media business itself is doing. This year’s results, released in October (and viewable at asne.org), show that on average, women make up 39 percent of newsroom employees, and minorities comprise 16.6 percent. (They’re doing better in web-only publications, where women represent 47.8 percent of the workforce, and minorities make up 24.3 percent.)

The only local outlet included in the survey is the Salinas Californian, where 100 percent of leadership roles are filled by white men, but the total staff reflects better-than-average diversity: It’s 50/50 on white and nonwhite employees, and 67 percent of employees are women, according to the ASNE findings.

GOOD WEEK / BAD WEEK

GOOD:

Three Monterey County hospitals are continuing their streak of A grades from a national safety rating organization. The nonprofit Leapfrog Group issues the ratings in an effort to improve the quality and safety of health care. Since fall of 2014, Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System has received all As, for a total of seven in a row. Natividad Medical Center also got an A, its fourth since spring of 2016. Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula scored its second A in a row. Leapfrog analyzes data from 2,600 U.S. hospitals, looking at factors such as cleanliness, staff responsiveness, infection rates and surgical mistakes. Steven Cabrales, CHOMP’s vice president of medical affairs, said in a statement that this year the hospital focused on measures to promote safety, including daily safety huddles, hand-washing compliance and the “Good Catch” program, which identifies opportunities to prevent errors.

BAD:

This time last year, the Monterey holiday tradition of Ice Skating by the Bay was launching for another holiday season of open air skating fun at Custom House Plaza. This year there’s coal in the city’s stocking: The temporary rink was cancelled after cracks were discovered in the plaza’s bricks in mid-October. The plaza is part of theCalifornia State Parks system, but the city is helping assess the problem, says Interim Public Works Director Steve Wittry. When the plaza was built, concrete was poured over the existing ground surface, and bricks were laid on top. The earth below may have settled, causing the concrete to crack – parks officials plan to drill into the plaza for testing. The cause of the cracking remains unknown: “Who’s to say what it was?” Wittry says, although they have ruled out city infrastructure related to the nearby tunnel. There’s been continued stress and use since it was built in the 1970s.