Daily Business Report-June 9, 2016
Carrizo Gorge Trestles. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Restored Desert Railroad to Link
Tijuana Factories to U.S. Rail Centers
By City News Service
U.S. and Mexican transportation and business officials are scheduled to announce a binational agreement today that will clear the way for rebuilding a 70-mile stretch of railway in the southeastern San Diego County desert.
When the project between Campo and Imperial County is completed, the Desert Line will connect factories in Tijuana — known as maquiladoras — to U.S. rail facilities. Work has long been delayed because of questions of financing and security, since 40 miles of the line extend into Mexico.
San Diego officials contend that $6 billion in economic activity is lost annually because of delays faced by trucks trying to cross the border into this country.
According to the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, restoring the rail line will ease congestion, reduce air pollution, promote commerce and create jobs on both sides of the border.
The Metropolitan Transit System, which owns the railway, plans to announce the deal Thursday, along with the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, Pacific Imperial Railroad and Baja California Railroad.
________________________________________________
AMN Healthcare Acquires
Peak Health Solutions
San Diego-based AMN Healthcare announced the acquisition of Peak Health Solutions, a Health Information Management services company, providing remote medical coding and consulting solutions to hospitals and physician medical groups nationwide.
“The addition of Peak Health Solutions will expand our workforce solutions and enable AMN to offer our clients services in accurately coding diagnosis and procedure codes, which is critical to clinical quality reporting and the financial health of healthcare organizations,” said Susan Salka, president and CEO of AMN Healthcare.
Peak Health Solutions is currently generating annual revenue of approximately $33 million. The acquisition is expected to be immediately added to AMN’s earnings per share.
California Life Sciences Industry
Creates Jobs for More Than 280,000
California’s life sciences industry is one of the leading employers in the state, creating jobs for over 280,000 people, according to a joint life sciences industry workforce trends report by the Biocom Institute and the California Life Sciences Institute.
“Disruptive” discoveries and the dynamic and cyclical nature of the industry are creating a demand for new skills and talent to drive the life sciences’ unparalleled innovation,” the report states.
The report analyzes three data sets from 2015 and the first quarter of 2016, including interviews with over 30 leading life sciences employers across the state, survey responses from close to 250 human resource and hiring managers, and over 16,000 life science job postings in California.
“In order for our industry to continue as an economic engine for the state of California, we need to understand its evolving talent needs and how best to meet them,” said Liisa Bozinovic, executive director of the Biocom Institute. “In short, as our industry continues to create jobs, it is critical that we have people prepared to step into those jobs.”
Cubic to Demonstrate New
Traffic Management System
Cubic Transportation Systems, a business unit of Cubic Corporation, said it will offer the first U.S. demonstration of NextTraffic, its new traffic management system using Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform on June 13.
NextTraffic has the potential to improve traffic patterns, reduce congestion, contribute to economic growth and revolutionize city planning, all while benefiting the quality of transportation around the city, according to company officials.
According to Cubic, NextTraffic supports system-wide data collection, processing and sharing of information to travelers and cities with a modern, financially flexible solution that can work with the customer’s existing infrastructure and solutions through the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.
The demonstration will be at the ITS America conference at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose.
Carlsbad OKs Police Body-Worn Cameras
By City News Service
Following a final vote of confidence from city leaders, the Carlsbad Police Department on Wednesday began completing arrangements to fully equip the agency’s sworn personnel with uniform-worn cameras.
The City Council endorsed the program Tuesday, clearing the way for the recording devices to be in use by officers patrolling the coastal North County community as soon as possible, likely by August or September, officials said.
“Technology has already transformed our lives, and that extends to how law enforcement does its job,” Police Chief Neil Gallucci said. “Body-worn cameras not only assist in the collection of evidence, but they can also enhance public trust, which is critical to keeping Carlsbad safe and secure.”
Prior to putting the equipment into everyday use, department officials will complete a policy guiding officers on when to turn on the cameras, when not to use them, who can access the resulting footage and when, and how the collected data will be stored.
The department is reviewing national information, the experiences of other local agencies utilizing the equipment and input from the district attorney’s office to draft the regulations, which will be available for public review on the city’s website before the devices go into use, said Police Capt. Mickey Williams, manager of the project.
Sustainability Courses from UC San Diego
Extension Receive U.S. Green Building Council OK
As the boom in energy efficient commercial and residential construction continues, demand for green building professionals also continues to rise. In fact, jobs that require LEED Accreditation grew 46 percent in 2014, according to the U.S. Green Building Council.
Through a recent designation as a U.S. Green Building Council education provider, UC San Diego Extension is helping to accommodate that employment growth through several course, many offered in an online format that are part of its Sustainable Business Practices and Facilities Management Certificate programs.
The USGBC sets the standards for the green building industry in the United States and abroad through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System certification program.
“We are excited to work with the USGBC to meet the education needs of this growing sector and to help these professionals not only enhance their knowledge but also to advance in their careers,” said Laura Fandino, director of environment and sustainability at UC San Diego Extension.
