A different storm: The Gulf Coast may know hurricanes, but this year the region of 60 million people could find itself unprepared and at ground zero for a different type of storm: a mosquito-borne Zika epidemic. USA Today reports a look at the region’s urban hubs, small towns and rural outposts shows a patchwork of preparedness. Cities such as Houston have robust plans in place, while smaller towns, such as Corpus Christi, Texas, struggle with fewer resources. The Gulf Coast’s steamy climate, abundant mosquitoes and international airports create an environment ripe for the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has spread to 37 countries and territories in the Americas. The disease causes devastating birth defects and is linked to paralysis and other serious complications. Read the full story.
New focus: Baton Rouge-based Albemarle Corp. has announced the company is discontinuing its hexabromocyclododecane-based flame retardant to focus on supplying GreenCrest polymeric fire safety solutions to customers. In a news release, the company says GreenCrest is commercially available in both powder and compacted grades for used in extended and extruded polystyrene foam applications. Albemarle first started supplying GreenCrest to the market in 2013. “We are leveraging our unique expertise in compaction technology and our technical service capabilities to transition our customers to GreenCrest, which is a more sustainable alternative,” says Troy DeSoto, the company’s vice president of bromine specialties product management. Read the full release.
Getting connected: Vision Communications, a division of Gonzale-based EATEL, will provide data access and telemedicine for the Lady of the Sea General Hospital, a rural, critical-access hospital located in Cut Off. According to a news release, the hospital says its IT manager realized staff and patients needed faster access to information to maintain its level of services after a dozen computers experienced network bottlenecks when dialing up via ISDN. “Some of our network-related services were taking hours or even days to complete,” says IT Manager Perry Gisclair. Vision Communication will provide broadband, WAN, voice over IP, camera security services, patient and visitor-based WIFI and patient room entertainment. Broadband and WAN allows the hospital to enhance offerings for telecardiology, teleradiology and telestroke services.
