The advent of mobile technology has generated widespread changes for the way information is stored and shared in all facets of daily life. Tablet technology, specifically the iPad, continues to push the limit and is beginning to revolutionize the operations of education and healthcare institutions.

Kent Hospital, located in Warwick, Rhode Island, seeks to serve the Rhode Island community to its fullest potential by implementing iPad technology within the hospital. This technology allows  for instant access to information, such as patient records and insurance information,  the ability to share data and images with patients and family, at the bedside and in examining rooms, and secure wireless remote access; essentially completely streamlining hospital procedures. Bucci Insurance Group wishes to support Kent Hospital in their efforts mission to improve their service.

Many hospitals have embarked on the task of fully digitizing, and making available electronically, its patient records. The potential for electronic medical records (EMRs) to streamline hospital procedures, lower costs and improve patient care has been recognized for more than a decade, but many organizations have struggled with making these records securely available at the point of care, with caregiver adoption issues, and with budgeting. iPads allow healthcare providers overcome these obstacles and efficiently care for patients.

The tablet market is rapidly growing larger , industry analysts predict  nearly 45 million to ship in 2011, more than double 2010′s total of 17 million. According to American Medical News, Kaweaka Delta Health Care District in Visalia, Calif., owns more than 70 iPads and more than 60 doctors use their own. They are used to look at x-rays and electrocardiogram results, and for home health care workers to access monitoring programs it plans to have more than 300 iPads in use within a few months.

Travel is one of life’s great joys. But even the most carefully planned trip can be complicated by unforeseen events. Whether it’s lost luggage, canceled flights, or a medical emergency, an unexpected mishap can turn a relaxing vacation into a taxing experience. Travel insurance can assist in preventing some of the headaches caused by vacation mishaps. Travel insurance policies vary widely. Generally, they cover nonrefundable travel costs, such as airfare, hotel, or tour expenses, if you are forced to cancel or delay the trip, but only if it is for a specific list of reasons. It is important to read your policy to know what situations are covered. Some companies may let you pay extra to have a “cancel for any reason” policy. Some policies also may cover reimbursement for lodging, food, and other expenses if you become stranded, as well as medical emergencies, damage to baggage and other personal property, or death that occurs during the trip. Here are some tips to avoid minor vacation upsets:

• Do not carry large amounts of cash
• Use ATMs only during daylight hours
• Leave copies of trip information with a friend or family member at home
• Keep credit cards, cash, passport, and plane tickets separate
• Carry a “dummy” wallet in your back pocket
• Have your mail delivery stopped while on vacation
• Do not assume your personal documents are safe in your room
• Do not hang purses on the back of bathroom stall doors
• Leave your regular checkbook at home
• Only carry credit cards that you will need on vacation
• Use common sense when traveling

Even if your staycationing in Rhode Island this year beware of your surroundings and hidden costs involved in any outing. Bucci Insurance Group wishes you a happy traveling experience.

Hosni Mubarak’s resignation as president of Egypt on Friday and military takeover has brought a measure of stability to the nation, but uncertainty about the future and potential flashpoints throughout the region have insurers casting a wary eye on political risk coverage.

In an e-mail, Elizabeth Stephens with Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group noted: “Instability and unpredictability in Egypt is a deterrent for underwriters. A protracted government change and a radical departure in governance will worry markets in the context of foreign investment, particularly in the oil and gas sectors where the insurance market risk in this area is in the billions.”

She said the banking system is in some disarray, but overall there is “no real sense of catastrophic loss arising yet.”

After the political unrest in Egypt is beginning to level out, with the President resignation, the military established firm control, announcing that a military council would take over governing the nation until elections could be held. All indications point to a plan for a relatively quick period of military control before elections.

“The [insurance] markets are watching with a great deal of caution still,” observed Stephen Kay, U.S. practice leader for Political Risk & Structured Credit for Marsh. “Mubarak stepping down caused a great deal of euphoria, but there is still a great amount of uncertainty about what will follow next.”

The primary exposure will be political violence and business interruption, Mr. Lavelle said, observing that the major source of any claims will come out of Cairo, where most of the violence and protests took place.

It is still too early to know what that might add up to, he said, explaining that there is a 30- to 60-day period after the incident has occurred before a claim can be filed, depending on the largely manuscript policies. In the insurance world as a whole, the losses are not expected to be major.

“It is too early to tell what the impact will be,” he said.

Mr. Kay said that for any new Western business seeking to start in the region, it will be difficult to get political risk coverage at the moment as insurers “wait and see” what is happening. “It has been a fast-changing and fast-moving situation.”

Driver distractions or inattentive driving play a part in one out of every four motor vehicle crashes. That is more than 1.5 million collisions a year and 4,300 crashes daily, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Text messaging, changing radio stations, even turning around to talk to passengers can prove deadly, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). Not only can a crash cause physical and mental trauma, but it also can put a dent in your wallet by increasing your auto insurance costs.

A Bucci employee was driving in today and actually saw someone reading the newspaper while driving. Your car is not your living room, driving a car requires your undivided attention. n January 2010, the National Safety Council (NSC) released a report estimating that at least 1.6 million crashes (28 percent of all crashes) are caused each year in the U.S. by drivers talking on cellphones (1.4 million crashes) and texting (200,000 crashes). The estimate is based on data of driver cellphone use from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and research that quantifies the risks using cellphones and texting while driving.

Rhode Island recently passed a bill making it illegal to text while driving, in support of the nationwide campaign “Drive Now, Text Later.” Some of the carelessness often lies within the fact that drivers are self absorbed, they are unaware of the implications f their actions on others. If your textting causes you to swerve into another car, you have not only endangered your own life, but the life of another.

Before you text and drive, or read and drive consider how important it really is compared to the importance of your safety and the safety of others.

It has been just over a month since we have made our New Years resolutions, have you given up on yours or are you sticking to your guns? Whether your resolution was one of the top ten like spending more time with friends & family, getting fit, quitting smoking or if it was something more personal slipping up doesn’t mean you have to give up.

It is not too late to get back on track, rule number one stop beating your self up. When making life adjustments you are bound to slip up here and there, don’t let one mistake run you off course. If you do make a mistake evaluate why you may have made it, which will help you avoid making it again. The best way to stick with a tough goal is enlisting the support of your family and friends. Avoid the word only, even if you “only” walked 3 out of 7 days in the week you still got out there! Hopefully we inspired you to get back on track, and if your resolution was to save money in 2011 be sure to stay tuned for Monday’s blog post about ways your insurance may be saving you money without you even realizing!

Some of us at Bucci have actually stuck with ours! We want to hear about your resolutions and if you have been faithful so tweet back or comment on our Facebook page.

Has your commute been even more unpleasant than usual due to inclement weather in recent days and weeks? Your not alone, nearly 100 million people and 1/3 of the nation were affected by the Groundhog Day storm. Rhode Island snow totals ranged from 5 to 10 inches. According to the Rhode Island State Police over 20 accidents were reported between Tuesday and Wednesday alone.

Car trouble is not the only concern when storms of this magnitude hit. With forecasters predicting another significant winter weather event for Saturday, RI Emergency Management officials are warning that roof collapse incidents may increase. To date, a number of building structures have collapsed in Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts. The progressive accumulation of snow and ice on flat roofed structures as a result of the rain, sleet, and snowstorms of the past two weeks, has been identified as the main contributing factor for these collapses. Winter related damage is the third largest cause of property damage.

Here are some tips to protect you, your car, and your home from this winter weather:

1. Drive according to road conditions

2. Protect your vehicle from extreme cold.

3. Keep vehicle fluid levels topped off. Check your vehicle’s oil, radiator fluid, transmission fluid, and windshield washer solvent.

4. Add a bottle of gas line anti-freeze to your gas tank to prevent gas from freezing.

5. Make sure tires are properly inflated.

6. Keep your cell phone with you and keep it charged.

7. Winterize your home.

8. Check chimney or furnace vents, water heater, dryer and washer vents to keep them free from snow and ice.

9. Use caution when removing snow and ice from your roof.

10. Keep heating vents clean and unobstructed.

Pay attention to winter weather advisories, stay warm!

Hi! My name is Rachel Lawton, the new social media intern for Bucci Insurance Group. I am a senior public relations major, graphic design minor at Roger Williams University. I have a passion for PR, writing, and social media. Being involved is also something I enjoy; as a result I have served as PRSSA President for two consecutive years and become a co-founder of Sustained Dialogue Campus Network at RWU.Over the years I have developed a zeal for traveling. About a year ago I had the privilege of studying abroad in Australia. This experience provided me with insight into other cultures and an appreciation for the world at large, which I have been able to apply to both my personal and professional life. After graduation I would love a job , but would enjoy working for a global PR agency or in-house for a global company.

As an avid user of social media personally, it came as an exciting opportunity to take on the responsibility of social media intern at Bucci Insurance Group. With prior experience in corporate social media I am eager to begin to effectively use social media to generate awareness and reach out to current and prospective customers of Bucci Insurance, fellow Rhode Islanders, and those who have a vested interest in the industry and community. I look forward to developing mutually beneficial relationships via social media.

Some of the exciting things we have planned in the months to come are a jingle and commercial competition, which will allow media users of any age to submit the best Bucci Insurance jingle or commercial for a chance to win some great prizes! We will be establishing the Wednesday Wonder on facebook and Twitter asking users to tweet and comment back about a particular topic. Bucci Insurance Group is also hosting their annual social media and internet marketing event March 24^th, be sure to mark your calendars! There are many great social media changes t0 come so keep an eye out for my tweets, comments, and blog posts!

Tropical storm Colin may be one of our first reminders that hurricane season is on the way. With that in mind, it is important that business owners have a disaster recovery plan. When a storm hits and property, inventory, and supplies are damaged it is necessary to have the right type and amount of coverage. When all bases are covered recovery from a disaster isn’t as painful.

According to I.I.I. small to mid-sized business purchase a package typically known as the BOP (Business Owner’s Policy) that is created for businesses that generally face the same kind and degree of risk. Here are some of the things the policy includes:

Property insurance for buildings and contents owned by the company: Types of coverages available include: undamaged stock protection, which covers undamaged items that can no longer be marketed because of damage to related goods; data or records protection, which covers loss of data or company records that were destroyed and will take time and cost money to reproduce; computer virus protection, off-premises property protection, which extends your property coverage to include protection at other locations such as trade shows, fairs, installations, exhibits, or any place where your company is doing business with company-owned equipment; and intangible coverage, which includes patents, copyrights and trademarks.

Business interruption insurance (Business income insurance (BI)): covers the loss of income resulting from a hurricane or other disaster that disrupts business operations during a period of restoration. BI pays continuing business expenses as well as profits. While the standard BI policy limits the period of restoration to 30 days, this period can be extended to 360 days with an endorsement.

BI coverage can include extra expense insurance, which covers all necessary expenses incurred during the restoration period. Usually, there is a deductible either in a flat dollar amount or as a waiting time. Waiting time deductibles are at least 24 hours, meaning that payments do not begin until the business has been disrupted for one day.

Liability protection covers your company’s legal responsibility for the harm it may cause to others as a result of things that you and your employees do or fail to do in your business operations that may cause bodily injury or property damage due to defective products, faulty installations and errors in services provided.

I.I.I. wants to remind you that BOPs do NOT cover professional liability, auto insurance, workers compensation or health and disability insurance. You will need separate insurance policies to cover professional services, vehicles and your employees.
For more information about business owners insurance please visit the Bucci Insurance website or give us a call- we would love to help you!

It may not be news to you that the Pawtucket DMV branch will be closing and is soon to be replaced with a branch in Cranston.  But here are some things you may need to know:

• The Pawtucket branch will officially be closed to the public August 19^th
• The new DMV headquarters, located at the Forand Building on 600 New London Avenue in Cranston will officially be open at 8:30am on August 25^th.
• Throughout the process all other DMV branches will maintain the current schedule. To find DMV locations and hours please follow the link.
• Online and mail-in transactions will be accepted and processed during the move and AAA locations will continue to accept and process DMV transactions for AAA customers.
• Road tests appointments will be honored during this time. Customers with road exams schedules in Pawtucket through Friday August 6^th should go to the existing site in Pawtucket. Those with an appointment in Pawtucket after August 10^th must go to the new Melrose St. facility in Providence.

Important: Written exams for permits, licenses, and commercial drivers’ licenses (which are only given at the Pawtucket branch) will not be available from August 19^th to August 24^th. It is important that you plan to take your test either before or after those set dates.

IN ADDITION:

The Rhode Island Mall branch will permanently close on August 7^th and to accommodate, the Wakefield branch will be expanding their days of operation to four days a week (8:30am- 3:30pm Monday, Wednesday-Friday) starting August 11^th.

The good news:

• Wakefield branch has recently made major renovations
• Waiting area has increased to 2,000 square feet
• Seating capacity has jumped from 65 to 155 seats
• New windows and air conditioning units have been installed
• Brighter, more comfortable waiting area

What a fabulous night! Bucci Insurance Group’s first ever social media event went above and beyond expectations. The night began with a great team of people from Astonish Results helping to make sure everything was set up perfectly in the University South banquet room at the Airport Radisson Hotel. Lighting, sound, and seating were all in check when the guests started arriving at 5:45p.m. Guests socialized around the cheese and cracker table with their glass of wine until the introduction was made at 6:15 by intern Khiara LaBrie. The night was quickly put into motion from a brief overview by the President of Bucci Insurance, Anthony Bucci, and an inspirational video on the Revolution of Social Media. The guests were immediately drawn in by a phenomenal speaker, Tim Sawyer, president of Astonish Results. His speech, while entertaining, was chalk full of great advice and knowledge on how we as a community can build our businesses by working together and taking advantage of the power of social media. Sawyers words of advice were followed by Rhode Island Director of Economic Development Keith Stokes who shared his thoughts on the value of internet marketing and meeting consumers needs on the web to help grow your business. The presentation was finally wrapped up by abc6 anchor, Andrew Gobeil. He spoke of his perspective on how social media and internet marketing is changing the world and how we can use that to our advantage to make more money for our business.

At the conclusion of the three fantastic speakers, Tim Sawyer put in his last few words: “if you like what you see, tell somebody!”

All in all, the event ended up a huge success. With a great turn out, great speakers, and great feedback- we knew it was a job well done.

From Bucci Insurance Group, thank you to all of those that attended. We hope you enjoyed the night as much as we did!