Post-test escape to NYC Part I

I just spent a scorching weekend in New York City.   The trip had just slightly more forethought than the other trips I make out of town. 

Ask me how I am and I say "I'm blessed by Jah"

Today we have an exam on Immunology, Neoplasia, and Cancer.
Last night to prepare for the battle ahead I baked cookies while listening to Reggae.

Isn't that what everyone does before an exam? Well they should.

I woke up this morning and found a links to research that where presented at the American College of Physicians annual meeting in Toronto last week.  They were talking about a paper titled EHR-Based Quality Measurement and Reporting—Critical for Meaningful Use and Health Care Improvement.  I am for this.  It's funny, early this week I had a long conversation with a physician about the problems of current EHR systems and they are often more of a burden than a blessing.

I was surprised to hear how slowly the technology is advancing.  I actually don't believe the technology is not advancing.  I suspect that hospitals and people who pay for introducing technology in the health care sector are the ones who are moving slowly and for many good reasons.

• Why experiment on patients if there is little data showing even a marginal benefit
• Resources are limited
• Do physicians, on the whole, want this?
• Do physicians really know what they want?

I imagine a platform that:

• is late baby-boomer friendly (most doctors and patients fit in this category)
• has enough flexiblity and advanced features to be useful/exciting to Gen X and Gen Y physicians and researcher
• is based on a standard that is portable & easily interoperable with existing EMR & EHR systems
• has an advanced, intuitive and attractive GUI (graphical user interface) like Windows 7 or OS X
• is strongly supported and endorsed by public and private insurers

We have to over come the fact that physicians are often cautious when it comes to disrupting the way they practice.  They like research to back any changes they make.  The market for EHR software is smaller than the market operating systems or graphic design software.  We won't see the best and brightest clawing over one another to fix this problem.  Good and even great ideas may not make their way into hospitals for the reasons stated above.  Another reason may be that hospitals don't like to work with one another.  Since there won't be equal penetration of the sector and people don't talk with one another we can not solely rely on market forces to pick a winner. We also need to offer incentive for widespread adoption of proven technologies as well as  widespread education of the future user.

So where do I want to get into this and try to make a difference?
There are many places to enter:

• design a better platform
• push for widespread adoption of a standard way to store the EHR data
• design education programs to get docs on board
• do research to see if there is potential for harm by NOT having EHR

I woke up this morning glad to see the shining sun.  There are problems that need solutions.  I say to myself "Study hard, get the degree and don't worry".

Home is whenever I'm with you

Welcome to my study break!

This week has been quite eventful. Many thanks to FK for inviting me to the New England Conservatory performance.  It was really cool hearing world music played on contemporary western instruments.  How do I mean?  Imagine a Thai bell piece played with sax, trumpet, and a dismantled drum set.  Think playing a Ghanaian lute piece with a violin.  The musicians where young (teens to twenties) and very talented.  Great work!

They opened the performance with a sound bite from Duke Ellington's performance of Afro-Eurasian Eclipse.  The use of the term "Oriental" for describing people is antiquated.  None the less it is an interesting sound bite. If you listen to the entire song you kind of get a taste of what the kids at NEC did that night.  It was that but with a very contemporary edge.




I've been in study mode because I have an exam on Friday.  I'd really like to do well.  Partly because I know I can but mostly because I'd like some wiggle room or buffer if you will when I start doing all my May traveling.  On the itinerary: NYC, Philly, Toronto, and DC.  Yup every weekend I will be off to some other city.   Updates to follow.

Lastly, I am looking forward to one thing popping up in my in-box. Grant me patience.



This song came out late 2009. It really got me thinking about home and how to make it where I am. Thought question: Who makes home for you?

Busting through the brick wall?

This morning I was in the mood for productivity.  It is a rare feeling believe me.  School work was done but the gears in my head where spinning like mad on other things.

I was feeling vegetarian-ish today so decided to design the Sunday menu this week accordingly.  I headed to Hi-Lo Market for some cheap groceries, then to Harvest for the specialty things.

Quinoa, corn and black bean

Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Honey glaze + Edamame Salad

After grocery shopping I stopped in at Fiore's Italian Bakery where I bumped in to a doctor who led one of my tutorials in the Fall.  I ordered a light roast coffee and a vegan coffee cake.  As I sipped the hot drink I was overcome with nostalgia.  Images of Ethiopia and awkwardly translated pleasantries preceded a warm feeling of fond memories of warm mornings on an Oakland balcony.  Sadness came after that.  That is all done now.  Regrettably, I've placed hundred and thousands of miles between me and who and what I love.  I felt the urge to write.  I wrote a letter that would never get sent, I wanted catharsis.  It is only temporarily granted. 

For three years this song played in crystal clear, high fidelity:



I inverted the coffee cup, swallowing the last of the memories.  Thanking the woman behind the counter, I walked out the door into the humid Sunday afternoon air.  More after the jump

Sunny Saturday and Boston

Saturday morning I woke to a clear blue sky, warm sun and the sounds of of NOLA (New Orleans, LA) jazz going down the street outside our flat.  It sounded like a funeral procession.  As the music started to fade I heard what sounded like marchers in protest.  I was very confused.  I race out to my front balcony and see this:

After the jump, the rest of the day

FABRIC Video is up!

Catching up, slowly...

So my last post was today but on things from Monday.  This week is a catch up week. All I have to do is continue to juggle my ongoing obligations and deflect new ones and I will be great!

This is me juggling all my obligations.  There was a time when I would make fun of K for being infatuated with cats...I don't know how much worse it can get than this.  This is all the cuteness in this post.  I promise. Keep reading