Media Coverage

Media articles featuring INFORMS members in the news.

Most Recent Media Coverage

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US Shifts to Speed COVID Shots as Cases and Deaths Rise

US Shifts to Speed COVID Shots as Cases and Deaths Rise

WRAL, January 12, 2021

Barely a month into a mass vaccination campaign to stop the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration unexpectedly shifted gears Tuesday to speed the delivery of shots. The move came after widespread concern over a slow start even as coronavirus cases and deaths reach new highs. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced a series of major changes to increase supply of vaccines and expand the age groups eligible as well as locations where people can get shots. Lee County resident Al Gainey has been trying to get answers about when he, and his family will be vaccinated.

Why Holding Second Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines in Reserve is the Wrong Strategy

Why Holding Second Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines in Reserve is the Wrong Strategy

USA Today, January 12, 2021

As of Monday about 9 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, which is far below the goal of vaccinating 20 million people by the end of 2020. The slow vaccine rollout is occurring at the same time the United States is enduring record levels of infections and deaths. To accelerate vaccinations, some have proposed to delay the timing of the second dose. Critics of this approach argue that it lacks clinical evidence and may weaken the public’s confidence in vaccine effectiveness.

COVID-19 Vaccines, New Infections Are Pushing SC Toward Herd Immunity  by Fall, Experts Say

COVID-19 Vaccines, New Infections Are Pushing SC Toward Herd Immunity by Fall, Experts Say

The Post and Courier, January 12, 2021

One way or another, millions more South Carolinians need to acquire immunity from the coronavirus before the disease is at bay. The goal is herd immunity, and it is a moving target. Jane Kelly, assistant state epidemiologist with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, said last week that community spread of the disease should stop once 70 percent of the population has acquired immunity. That’s herd immunity. But, she said, public health experts must set the bar higher — up to 85 percent — in places where infections are rampant.

Vaccine Roll-Out a Long Haul for Alamance County

Vaccine Roll-Out a Long Haul for Alamance County

The Times News, January 12, 2021

“It’s a marathon not a sprint,” said Alamance County Health Director Tony Lo Giudice talking about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Lo Giudice was candid about the obstacles the Health Department faces in getting close to 170,000 Alamance County residents inoculated against the coronavirus – inoculating the public from unrealistic expectations. Right now the biggest one is the meager 975 doses per week the state is allocating to Alamance County. “There is still a trickle of vaccine,” said Julie Swann, head of the Industrial Systems Engineering Department at N.C. State and an expert in how health systems operate, “and high expectations.”

Last Mile Limits U.S. Vaccine Rollout: Media

Last Mile Limits U.S. Vaccine Rollout: Media

Ecns.cn, January 12, 2021

The sluggish rollout of COVID-19 vaccines across the United States highlights the challenges of a decentralized distribution plan that relies on states and localities to handle the complicated last-mile logistics of getting shots into people's arms, reported The Wall Street Journal on Monday. More than 22 million doses had been distributed to states and other jurisdictions as of Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while 6.7 million people had received their first shot by that point. The figures were short of the U.S. goal of 20 million vaccinations by the end of 2020, and communities and states were still reporting bottlenecks this month as they managed their inoculation programs, said the Journal.

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Artificial Intelligence

Study finds ChatGPT mirrors human decision biases in half the tests

Study finds ChatGPT mirrors human decision biases in half the tests

Celebrity Gig, April 2, 2025

Can we really trust AI to make better decisions than humans? A new study says … not always. Researchers have discovered that OpenAI’s ChatGPT, one of the most advanced and popular AI models, makes the same kinds of decision-making mistakes as humans in some situations—showing biases like overconfidence of hot-hand (gambler’s) fallacy—yet acting inhuman in others (e.g., not suffering from base-rate neglect or sunk cost fallacies).

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

LM Podcast Series: Looking at the state of the supply chain with Rob Handfield

LM Podcast Series: Looking at the state of the supply chain with Rob Handfield

Logistics Management/, April 22, 2025

During this podcast Handfield addressed various topics, including: the current state of the supply chain; steps and actions shippers should consider related to tariffs; how the supply chain is viewed; the need for supply chain resiliency; and supply chain risk mangement planning, among others. 

Tariff fight continues between U.S. and China

Tariff fight continues between U.S. and China

FOX News, April 18, 2025

Oklahoma State University's Sunderesh Heragu joins LiveNOW's Austin Westfall to discuss the evolving economic landscape after President Trump implemented tariffs on some of our biggest trade partners. Most tariffs have been halted for now -- but not with China. Beijing and the White House have levied steep tariffs on each other. Trump announced that tariffs on China would reach 145 percent. In response, China imposed 125 percent tariffs on U.S.-imported goods.

Climate