Media Coverage

Media articles featuring INFORMS members in the news.

Most Recent Media Coverage

Topic
Report: Vaccine Distribution Abuse Results From Lax Monitoring

Report: Vaccine Distribution Abuse Results From Lax Monitoring

Watauga Democrat, February 17, 2021

On a recent Saturday morning, Peggy Hoon got behind the wheel of her 2011 Toyota RAV4 and made the 300-mile round trip to Charlotte from her Raleigh home. After weeks of waiting on hold or hearing about COVID-19 vaccination events only after they’d filled up, the 65-year-old Wake County resident finally got a shot. She considers herself lucky and worries about equity issues that leave other seniors unable to find doses of the precious vaccine. State officials say the primary barrier to rolling out the vaccines has been a lack of supply. But the N.C. Watchdog Reporting Network found that in some cases, health workers are giving doses to people who do not yet qualify, according to guidelines from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

NC State Professors, Students Make Contributions to COVID-19 Research

NC State Professors, Students Make Contributions to COVID-19 Research

Technician, February 17, 2021

From last spring to the current semester, NC State professors and graduate and undergraduate student researchers have been applying their skills and knowledge to further our understanding of COVID-19. Robert Handfield, the Bank of America University Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain Management in Poole College of Management, has utilized his work on the digital transformation of supply chains and the procurement of buyer-seller relationships, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. “When COVID struck, I was asked by a colleague…to serve as a pro bono expert to the joint acquisition task force,” Handfield said. “This was set up to help the nation try to identify sources of PPE, [or] personal protective equipment, N-95 masks, gowns, gloves, etc.”

Houston's Weather Closed COVID Vaccine Sites. Here's What to Know About Rescheduling.

Houston's Weather Closed COVID Vaccine Sites. Here's What to Know About Rescheduling.

LMT Online, February 16, 2021

Don’t expect a jump in COVID-19 vaccination rates this week, as Houston’s hospitals and public health sites shut down their operations due to winter weather and slick, icy roads. Federal distributors postponed the delivery of more than 407,000 first doses of COVID-19 vaccines and 333,000 second doses to Texas due to the Arctic vortex that engulfed much of the country in snow, ice and freezing temperatures over Presidents Day weekend. At earliest, vaccine shipments will arrive on Wednesday and deliveries to vaccination sites around the state will depend on local conditions, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Good Question: Why Did the Vaccine Timeline Change for Those With Underlying Conditions?

Good Question: Why Did the Vaccine Timeline Change for Those With Underlying Conditions?

WBTV, February 16, 2021

We’ve been getting a lot of Good Questions about the vaccine. This question comes from Becky: “When the vaccine first came out, people with underlying issues were in Group 1b, now we are in Group 4. Why did that change and do we have an estimated timeframe as to when we will get to get them?” That timeline did change. Last month, North Carolina officials announced that the rollout groups would change. They said it was for the sake of simplicity. That meant expanding the vaccine to anyone age 65 and up. But also, reorganizing the rollout groups. The change bumped people with underlying issues down to Group 4.

The state has said it’s trying to align with the CDC guidance.

Those Most Likely to Get COVID Are Last in Line for Vaccines

Those Most Likely to Get COVID Are Last in Line for Vaccines

Wired, February 2, 2021

Since December, about 31 million doses of Covid vaccines have been administered in the US. President Biden has committed to distributing 150 million more doses within his first 100 days in office, but new cases continue to mount. January was the deadliest month of the pandemic so far, as scientists say two new, potentially more deadly strains of the virus emerged. As states move to vaccinate people as quickly as they can, early data suggests stark racial disparities in who is getting the vaccine. Coronavirus ravaged low-income, Black, Latinx, and indigenous communities throughout 2020, but in many states, vaccines are going to wealthier, white patients.

Media Contact

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INFORMS
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443-757-3578

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Artificial Intelligence

Why 23andMe’s Genetic Data Could Be a ‘Gold Mine’ for AI Companies

Why 23andMe’s Genetic Data Could Be a ‘Gold Mine’ for AI Companies

TIME, March 26, 2025

The genetic testing company 23andMe, which holds the genetic data of 15 million people, declared bankruptcy on Sunday night after years of financial struggles. This means that all of the extremely personal user data could be up for sale—and that vast trove of genetic data could draw interest from AI companies looking to train their data sets, experts say.

Healthcare

Want to reduce the cost of healthcare? Start with our billing practices.

Want to reduce the cost of healthcare? Start with our billing practices.

The Hill, March 11, 2025

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as the new secretary of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s de facto healthcare czar. He will have influence over numerous highly visible agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, among others. Given that healthcare is something that touches everyone’s life, his footprint of influence will be expansive. 

We all benefit from and are hurt by health insurance claim denials

We all benefit from and are hurt by health insurance claim denials

Atlanta Journal Constitution, January 23, 2025

Health insurance has become necessary, with large and unpredictable health care costs always looming before each of us. Unfortunately, the majority of people have experienced problems when using their health insurance to pay for their medical care. Health insurance serves as the buffer between patients and the medical care system, using population pooling to mitigate the risk exposure on any one individual.

Supply Chain

Experts warn logistics industry stakeholders to make contingency plans

Experts warn logistics industry stakeholders to make contingency plans

Seafood Source, March 10, 2025

In their March 2025 forecasts, shipping and logistics experts are warning those who rely on the industry to expect continued disruption, and in order to survive a chaotic landscape, they are advising businesses to spend money conservatively, work with trusted partners, and make comprehensive contingency plans.

Climate