Page 45 - BusinessWest July 25, 2022

Healthcare Heroes Nominations
Through July 30: In the spring of 2017, the Health- care News and its sister publication, BusinessWest, created a new and exciting recognition program called Healthcare Heroes. It was launched with the theory that there are heroes working all across this region’s wide, deep, and all-important healthcare sector, and that there was no shortage of fascinating stories to tell and individuals and groups to honor. That theory has certainly been validated. Nomina- tions for the class of 2022 are due July 30, and we encourage you to get involved and help recognize someone you consider to be a hero in Western Mass. in one (or more) of seven categories. For details on each category and information on how to nominate someone, visit businesswest.com/healthcare-heroes/ nominations.
Hoophall Hangouts
All Summer: The Naismith Memorial Basketball
Hall of Fame has announced the return of Hoophall Hangouts, which will replace “60 Days of Summer,” the museum’s annual summer program featuring family-oriented fun. Running through Aug. 31, the Hall of Fame will host various appearances from bas- ketball players, personalities, and Hall of Famers. On Aug. 12, Bob Hurley Sr. (Hall of Fame class of 2010) will accompany his son, Dan Hurley, head coach of
UConn’s men’s basketball team, for a special father/ son appearance. Throughout the summer, museum- goers will also have the opportunity to hear from class of 2022 inductees Tim Hardaway, Bob Huggins, and George Karl, as well as Hall of Famers Grant Hill from the class of 2018 and Jay Wright from the class of 2021. Head coach Frank Martin from UMass will also be making an appearance. Hoophall Hangouts appearances are free of charge to museum guests; however, some appearances will have select VIP opportunities. Hoophall Hangouts will be scheduled throughout the summer and will occur at 1 p.m. For more information, visit www.hoophall.com/hoo- phallhangouts or follow @hoophall on Twitter, Face- book, and Instagram.
MOSSO Celebrates John Williams
July 21: MOSSO, the Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, will celebrate the film music of John Williams at 7:30 p.m. in Springfield Symphony Hall. Under the direction of Maestro Kevin Rhodes, MOSSO will perform excerpts from Williams’ scores to ET, Schindler’s List, Superman, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, and more. Some popular classics, including Rossini’s “Overture to The Barber of Seville,” Mas- senet’s “Meditation from Thaïs,” and Stravinsky’s “Firebird Suite” will open the program. Rhodes was music director and conductor of the Springfield
computing enable computational power, visibility, scale, and speed. Industrial 5G deployment may also expand in 2022 along with advances in technology and use cases.
4. Rising cybersecurity threats are leading the industry to new levels of preparedness. High-profile cyberattacks across industries and governments
in the past year have elevated cybersecurity as a risk-management essential for most executives and boards. Surging threats during the pandemic added to business risk for manufacturers in the crosshairs for ransomware.
An expanding attack surface from the connection of operational technology (OT), information tech- nology (IT), and external networks requires more controls. Legacy systems and technology weren’t pur- pose-fit for today’s sophisticated network challenges. Now, remote-work vulnerabilities leave manufactur- ers even more susceptible to breaches.
Manufacturers should look not only at their cyberdefenses, but also at the resiliency of their busi- ness in the event of a cyberattack. Cybercriminals can cause harm beyond intellectual-property theft and financial losses, using malware that now ties in AI and cryptocurrencies. They can also shut down oper- ations and disrupt entire supplier networks, compro- mising safety as well as productivity. A patchwork of regulations for different industries could be consoli- dated under the current administration’s ‘whole-of- nation’ approach to protect critical infrastructure. The potential for additional oversight is likely to
Symphony Orchestra for 20 seasons before the pan- demic. He returned to Springfield to conduct his musicians last October in front of a packed house at Symphony Hall, featuring many musical highlights from his tenure as their music director. Tickets for the concert, a MOSSO benefit, are priced at $60, $45, $25, and $10, and are on sale at springfieldsym-
Agenda
phonymusicians.com. MOSSO sponsors include BusinessWest and the Healthcare News, the Repub- lican/MassLive, WWLP-22News and the CW Spring- field, the Sheraton Springfield at Monarch Place, New England Public Media, and the Bolduc Schus- ter Foundation. MOSSO is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, which is not a subsidiary of nor affili- ated with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra Inc.
Friday Night Summer Concerts
July 22 to Aug. 12: The Amherst Business Improve- ment District announced the lineup for the second annual Friday Night Summer Concert Series on the
Agenda
Continued on page 48
prompt more industrials to rethink preparedness for crisis response.
5. Manufacturers are likely to bring more resources and rigor to advancing sustainability. The fast rise of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors is redefining and elevating sustainabil- ity in manufacturing as never before. Cost of capital can be tied to ratings on ESG, making it a priority for organizational financial health and competitiveness. Expectations for reporting on diversity, equity, and inclusion metrics in manufacturing will likely contin- ue to rise. Board diversity, while progressing slowly, is also showing some momentum. To attract talent and appeal to workforce expectations, most manufactur- ers are making ESG efforts more visible.
Depending on a manufacturer’s end markets, environmental accountability is increasingly a focus. To develop and deliver against net-zero or carbon- neutral goals, more organizations are dedicating or redesigning sustainability roles and initiatives and quantifying efforts and results around energy con- sumption. And the fast-evolving ESG landscape may require close monitoring in 2022 for manufacturers.
Many organizations are complying voluntarily within a complex network of reporting regulations, ratings, and disclosure frameworks. But regulators globally are also moving toward requiring disclosure for more non-financial metrics. Proactive approaches may help manufacturers stay ahead of the change and create competitive advantage. u
Trends
Root causes for extended U.S. supply-chain instability may include
overreliance on low inventories, rationalization of suppliers, and hollowing out of domestic capabil- ity. Supply-chain strategies in 2022 are expected to be multi-pronged. Digital supply networks and data analytics can be powerful enablers for more flexible, multi-tiered responses to disruptions.
3. Acceleration in digital technology adoption could bring operational efficiencies to scale. Manu- facturers looking to capture growth and protect long- term profitability should embrace digital capabilities from corporate functions to the factory floor. Smart factories, including greenfield and brownfield invest- ments for many manufacturers, are viewed as one of the keys to driving competitiveness.
More organizations are making progress and see- ing results from more connected, reliable, efficient, and predictive processes at the plant. Emerging and evolving use cases can continue to scale up from iso- lated in-house technology projects to full production lines or factories, given the right mix of vision and execution.
U.S. manufacturers have room to run with advanced manufacturing compared to many com- petitors globally. Advanced global ‘lighthouse’ facto- ries showcase the art of the possible in bringing smart manufacturing to scale. Investment in robots, cobots, and artificial intelligence can continue to transform operations. Foundational technologies such as cloud
Continued from page 36
Law
Continued from page 23
payments, or similar charges, for such coverage. It also requires MassHealth to cover abortion and abortion-related care and ensures enrollees are not charged a cost-sharing amount for pre- natal care, childbirth, postpartum care, abortion, or abortion-related care.
The bill also allows individuals engaged in the provision, facilitation,
of reproductive and gen- healthcare to enroll in
der-affirming care having passed both branches of the Legislature, a confer- ence committee will be appointed to resolve differences between the bill’s two versions.
“I was proud to vote yes on compre- hensive legislation to strengthen repro- ductive and gender-affirming protec- tions in Massachusetts,” state Sen.
Jo Comerford said. “Safe, legal, and
affordable reproductive and gender- affirming healthcare are public-health necessities. I’m grateful to Senate Presi- dent Spilka, Senator Cindy Friedman, and Senate colleagues for leading a robust response to the national assault on reproductive and trans rights, and I look forward to beginning work on the Senate Reproductive Health Working Group with a strong focus on equity.” u
BusinessWest
DEPARTMENTS
JULY 25, 2022 45
or promotion
der-affirming
the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Address Confidentiality Program. This action will increase the safety of those who may face threats or violence out- side of the workplace in their personal lives or at their residences.
With a version of a bill expanding protections for reproductive and gen-