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Why do students join student chapters? What do they hope to gain from joining them? The Louisiana State University (LSU) chapter of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) conducted a research project that addresses these questions. The SAA-LSU chapter surveyed LIS students and recent graduates from the 61 ALA accredited LIS programs in the United States and Canada. The survey consisted of 31 multiple-choice questions and one open-ended question asking for students' thoughts about why they joined, or didn't join, the student chapter of the professional association of their chosen specialization--archives, public, academic, special, and/or school libraries. It also addressed what they hoped to get from their membership. The goal of this research project was to gain an understanding of how to recruit new students into student chapters as well as how to provide a more enriching experience for those who join.

The current study sought to assess the progress and effectiveness of a partnership program between a university and two high school drumming ensembles. A total of 32 students enrolled in world drumming courses in two urban high schools (n[subscript 1] = 16, n[subscript 2] = 16) participated in the study. An assessment tool was developed and administered before and after a 1-week residency of a professional music group that specialized in Brazilian music. Participant responses indicated a statistically significant difference in students' value perceptions as well as their willingness to recommend the world drumming class to other students. Although students enrolled in the younger world drumming group had higher score gains, students in the older group reported higher scores overall. Analysis of qualitative data indicated that students who participated for a longer period of time in the partnership were more proficient when articulating in writing why they value Brazilian music and its relationships to their own musical traditions. (Contains 2 figures and 4 tables.)

In the United States (US), heart failure (HF) is the leading medical condition resulting in hospital admission. Despite advances in treatment, the number of HF deaths has continued to increase. At Carolinas Medical Center (CMC), more than 950 annual HF admissions provided an opportunity to examine morbidity, mortality, and readmission rates. Within the facility there exist two HF disease management programs treating more than 1500 patients annually. Through a systematic approach to identify the root causes of morbid and less severe complications, the facility addressed process improvement steps to positively impact HF treatment. Included in these strategies was a link to the outpatient continuum of care created for the HF patient. An examination of the HF program revealed the care to be fragmented, both organizationally and physically. A majority of readmissions could be prevented through closer patient follow-up and more aggressive therapy. Intensive education for staff about the disease management process, medication interventions, smoking cessation, and nutrition counseling was lacking. An interdisciplinary committee, with strong administrative support, was established to evaluate the current program and recommend changes. Delivery of patient care was changed to an integrated care management system model identifying the root causes of the most prevalent operational and clinical deficits. Process improvement steps were immediately implemented. The 30-day readmission rate (all causes) decreased from 18% to 6.1%, the readmission rate for HF decreasedfrom 7.3% to 1.7%, mortality declined by 25%, and morbid complications decreased by 35%. Evaluation of processes and clinical outcomes are ongoing in order to develop strategies for even greater improvement within the HF program.