I felt that I needed to point out that it appears that Holly Dolezalek and others have failed to keep up with the times. In your recent article "Outta Here: Are You Ready for the Baby Boomers to Retire?" [September], there is a reference to the fact that in 2010 the oldest of the boomers reach 65. While that fact is true, what many overlook is that full retirement age has risen for this group to 66. Many years ago, our Congress, in their great wisdom, felt it prudent to keep the system sound by extending the date one could draw his due. Be it only one year, but those who follow behind the boomers need to check at what age they may have to work until before full benefits are awarded.

Oh, by the way, congressional benefits did not change. 'Nuf said.
Charles Knapp
Senior business service analyst
EDS Customer Support Group
Montgomery, Ala.



Best practices is without question a great way to help improve the quality of healthcare, not to mention reduce costs due to mistakes ["Training Rx'es," July]. However, healthcare needs to go significantly further in benchmarking. My wife, a doctor of audiology with 23 years in healthcare, says, "The difference between airline crews and healthcare staffs is the airline crew has a very personal incentive to get it right."

The problem with healthcare is there is no emphasis on focused teamwork or customer service. It's a good start to look at the Ritz-Carlton methodology of the daily lineup, but if healthcare really wants to get it right—both from a quality performance standpoint and a customer service standpoint—they should start looking at Southwest Airlines and JetBlue.
Paul Pease
Sales trainer/businessconsultant/author
Hermosa Beach, Calif.



Team-building articles in recent Training magazines are an awesome read, featuring creative challenges such as trust falls, 30-second commercials, rugged survival encampments and even the Drum Café synchronization ["Make Music, Build Teams," September]. But there continues to be a glaring omission in these shiny programs.

Training magazine articles do not address the jinx that blindsides today's training presenters, myself included.What's that hex?

Featured motivational programs show enthusiastic participants rising on their feet, jumping with joy, fervently clapping, drum pounding and gyrating to music.Must be hell for the increasing numbers of wheelchaired, caned, crutched and partially limbed staff in today's workplaces.

Careful selection of training participants is no longer a legally defensible exclusion of staff with mobility, sensory or even psychological impairments. Yes, Training magazine now needs to include ADA accommodation techniques in its "how-to" articles, photographs and even its awards.


Donald E. White, CHSP, CHCM
Director of safety and security, Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute
Falls Church, Va.