Friday, November 2, 2007
The Dangers of Cheer
As I am sitting and eating my subway sandwich during Morgan's practice, I see Victoria fall. She falls in the same stunt that Morgan fell in a few weeks ago. She landed on her outstretched arm just like Morgan did. She was brought out of the stunt early just as Morgan was. Morgan came running off the floor and said, "Mommy, Victoria's arm has a big dent in it." I looked around and saw that her mom wasn't there (I wasn't there when Morgan fell and her mom was). Victoria did have her grandmother there, so she drove Victoria with Mara and Allison holding her arm in the backseat. I followed with little Alexis and Morgan. We went to After Hours Urgent Care. They took good care of her, but they wouldn't let all of us stay with her (imagine that??). So, I took Mara and Allison back to the gym, and Morgan and I headed home. I felt so badly for Victoria. Morgan and Victoria had their tonsils out at the same time by the same doctor, and now they have similar arm injuries from the same stunt. Crazy. Victoria, we hope it heals quickly! Maybe the stunt will get changed now - I hope. It just doesn't seem to be a good stunt for them.
Digital Medical Office of the Future
After the AAP show, I have been thinking a lot about the booth. It was really nice to see them organize an exhibit to get physicians excited about the possibilities. It seems that I mainly hear complaining from providers - it costs too much, it takes time to learn, my staff doesn't want to change, etc, etc, etc. It is strange to me to have to convince providers that using an EHR will help them. I was amazed at the comments from the show. Many of those providers have had little exposure to electronic medical records.
The pediatric challenge starts off with importing a CCR. I think this is something that could really change healthcare for the better. If providers would exchange these, they can reduce errors, create a seamless transfer for the patient, and reduce data entry. How cool is that?
I was talking to some friends who used to work at Misys. We were talking about the bad press Misys is getting. It seems they can't get a break. I am not sure what Mr. Histalk's relationship is to Misys, but he sure does hit the nail on the head. Some classic lines by Mr. Histalk in the last week.
When talking about the Misys Connect Opensource - I would be at least a tiny bit impressed if the company open sourced something that might actually increase EMR adoption, like one of its stable of poorly selling EMR applications. This is like someone claiming to be an open source evangelist because they loaded Firefox onto their Vista/Office PC.
Sad that the Connect strategy was the supposed future of Misys Healthcare just a few months ago and now the related accoutrements have been donated like a rusted out Chevette.
Free isn't good enough if it doesn't work well.
The iMedica deal wasn't announced as exclusive. To a prospect, does Misys add value or subtract from it as opposed to just buying from iMedica in the first place?
The Misys salespeople finally get something to sell, but their fingers must be crossed hoping that prospects will forget that what was once a scorned competitor is now the solution that Misys recommends instead of the ones it developed.
OUCH...
I don't really have much to add. As usual, Mr. Histalk seems to have hit the nail on the head.
I do wonder if the same person who named the PM Tiger named the iMedica product by Misys MyWay...sounds more like a Burger King Hamburger than an EMR. Or maybe it was the same person who came up with the creative Misys EMR name.
The pediatric challenge starts off with importing a CCR. I think this is something that could really change healthcare for the better. If providers would exchange these, they can reduce errors, create a seamless transfer for the patient, and reduce data entry. How cool is that?
I was talking to some friends who used to work at Misys. We were talking about the bad press Misys is getting. It seems they can't get a break. I am not sure what Mr. Histalk's relationship is to Misys, but he sure does hit the nail on the head. Some classic lines by Mr. Histalk in the last week.
When talking about the Misys Connect Opensource - I would be at least a tiny bit impressed if the company open sourced something that might actually increase EMR adoption, like one of its stable of poorly selling EMR applications. This is like someone claiming to be an open source evangelist because they loaded Firefox onto their Vista/Office PC.
Sad that the Connect strategy was the supposed future of Misys Healthcare just a few months ago and now the related accoutrements have been donated like a rusted out Chevette.
Free isn't good enough if it doesn't work well.
The iMedica deal wasn't announced as exclusive. To a prospect, does Misys add value or subtract from it as opposed to just buying from iMedica in the first place?
The Misys salespeople finally get something to sell, but their fingers must be crossed hoping that prospects will forget that what was once a scorned competitor is now the solution that Misys recommends instead of the ones it developed.
OUCH...
I don't really have much to add. As usual, Mr. Histalk seems to have hit the nail on the head.
I do wonder if the same person who named the PM Tiger named the iMedica product by Misys MyWay...sounds more like a Burger King Hamburger than an EMR. Or maybe it was the same person who came up with the creative Misys EMR name.
Halloween!
We had visitors in the office today, so I didn't feel comfortable wearing my hippie outfit. I brought it to work, but I didn't ever put it on. However, there were several great costumes at work. It is fun to see everyone get into a holiday and have fun.
After work, I rushed out of the office so I could take Morgan trick or treating. The gym was closed, so she rode the bus home (Mike was there). She wore her Samantha gown to school for the book character, but she decided to be a cheerleader with her friends Victoria and Alexis for trick or treating. Mike brought Morgan to me since traffic was awful, and he went to Brandon to see the kids. We went through two neighborhoods with a huge group. It was a lot of fun to have so many people to go with.
Morgan got 140 pieces of candy AND a stuffed animal. Several people gave out full size or even KING size candy. Who does such a thing? Morgan thought it was awesome. My mom said that next year we could take all of Morgan's millions of stuffed animals and hand them out. Not a bad idea at all...
After work, I rushed out of the office so I could take Morgan trick or treating. The gym was closed, so she rode the bus home (Mike was there). She wore her Samantha gown to school for the book character, but she decided to be a cheerleader with her friends Victoria and Alexis for trick or treating. Mike brought Morgan to me since traffic was awful, and he went to Brandon to see the kids. We went through two neighborhoods with a huge group. It was a lot of fun to have so many people to go with.
Morgan got 140 pieces of candy AND a stuffed animal. Several people gave out full size or even KING size candy. Who does such a thing? Morgan thought it was awesome. My mom said that next year we could take all of Morgan's millions of stuffed animals and hand them out. Not a bad idea at all...
Tampa Arrival
Oh, what a nice airport. I love the Tampa airport. Nicely designed. Easy to get around in. Boy, SFO needs their help. We get our luggage (it all made it on each of the legs and we were generally on time for each flight - AMAZING!). Krishan and I rode together, and we were in the economy lot. We get on the bus and get to the car. Krishan teaches me the Dale Mabry way from the airport. Nice to know.
Mike's doctor's appt is already in progress when I am driving down Dale Mabry. He says he is still int he waiting room. I rush to the office, drop Krishan off, and head back to the doctor's office. I doubt I can make it in time, but I try. Amazingly enough, Mike calls as I pull in the parking lot to tell me that he had just gotten into a room. I get to the room, and the doctor comes in less than 5 mins later. Amazing. He goes over the great results that his bone marrow was normal. We discuss next steps. Mike will see an ID doc next. And the fun continues.
Morgan, Mike, and I head to Los Vallartas for dinner after cheerleading. Morgan didn't even complain, and I didn't either. What a treat for Mike! :) I help Morgan with her homework by writing sentences for Morgan to then underline the subject and predicate. When does that splint come off???
I am exhausted, but I can't fall asleep. Must be on that CA time. Finally get to sleep only to have morning arrive 2 minutes later. Not fair at all.
Mike's doctor's appt is already in progress when I am driving down Dale Mabry. He says he is still int he waiting room. I rush to the office, drop Krishan off, and head back to the doctor's office. I doubt I can make it in time, but I try. Amazingly enough, Mike calls as I pull in the parking lot to tell me that he had just gotten into a room. I get to the room, and the doctor comes in less than 5 mins later. Amazing. He goes over the great results that his bone marrow was normal. We discuss next steps. Mike will see an ID doc next. And the fun continues.
Morgan, Mike, and I head to Los Vallartas for dinner after cheerleading. Morgan didn't even complain, and I didn't either. What a treat for Mike! :) I help Morgan with her homework by writing sentences for Morgan to then underline the subject and predicate. When does that splint come off???
I am exhausted, but I can't fall asleep. Must be on that CA time. Finally get to sleep only to have morning arrive 2 minutes later. Not fair at all.
Last Booth Day
We check out of the hotel in the morning, and Krishan, Miguel, and I eat at Mel's Diner on the way. I had my standard bagel with a little margerine for 6 points. Score! The day flies by, and we have a ball showing off our cool stuff. We were amazingly busy every single day, including today. At the end of the show, we are ready to rip this thing down and get out of there! We loved the show, but there is always a great feeling about finishing. My feet feel like a Bull has been standing on them for a while (and stomping I think), so I am very happy to take the shoes off. We frantically pack our equipment, and wait on the boxes. Thankfully, they come pretty quickly. We get everything packed and on the crate. Krishan and I notice that there is an awful lot of stuff to carry onto the plane. Nobody else seems to mind. Oh well.
We leave to go to the Pickwick to get our bags. Travis, Mark, Miguel, and I change clothes. Ahhh....jeans....We go to get the car. After what seems like 7 years, we finally get the car paid for and he moves it 3 inches forward and tells us we can get in. Travis loves that kind of stuff and starts making silly comments. I think the parking guy is still confused. We pack the car to the max and head out. I think we are getting to go to the Fisherman's Whart to get a bread bowl and soup. I was WRONG. So, then I think, Chinatown. WRONG. So, we head to the airport (through a little detour through the hood of San Fran. We even saw a dead guy after he was smacked by a car while riding a bike. Scary stuff. The hotel bellman had told me that there were a lot of restaurants past the airport at the next exit. So, we go there. Poor Mark then gets to do at least 10 U turns while everyone argues about where to go. Finally, we eat at In and Out Burger. Krishan is thrilled since he is a vegetarian. We finally head to the airport. Of course, we each have to take 4 things in order to get the stuff through the 23 mile trip from the rental car place to the ticket counter. I think I dropped my boxes 12 times. We finally check in. I am SO thankful that Sharon has moved me from a middle seat to an aise. Thanks Krishan for making that call! :) I end up with an entire row. Not sure how I got that lucky. I was asleep before the plane left at 10:30 CA time. I slept fitfully, but I did sleep most of the way to Atlanta. We arrived at 3:00 CA time (6:00 Atlanta time). We had a 2 hour delay in Atl. We left there at 8 and arrived in Tampa at 9:30am. FUN!
We leave to go to the Pickwick to get our bags. Travis, Mark, Miguel, and I change clothes. Ahhh....jeans....We go to get the car. After what seems like 7 years, we finally get the car paid for and he moves it 3 inches forward and tells us we can get in. Travis loves that kind of stuff and starts making silly comments. I think the parking guy is still confused. We pack the car to the max and head out. I think we are getting to go to the Fisherman's Whart to get a bread bowl and soup. I was WRONG. So, then I think, Chinatown. WRONG. So, we head to the airport (through a little detour through the hood of San Fran. We even saw a dead guy after he was smacked by a car while riding a bike. Scary stuff. The hotel bellman had told me that there were a lot of restaurants past the airport at the next exit. So, we go there. Poor Mark then gets to do at least 10 U turns while everyone argues about where to go. Finally, we eat at In and Out Burger. Krishan is thrilled since he is a vegetarian. We finally head to the airport. Of course, we each have to take 4 things in order to get the stuff through the 23 mile trip from the rental car place to the ticket counter. I think I dropped my boxes 12 times. We finally check in. I am SO thankful that Sharon has moved me from a middle seat to an aise. Thanks Krishan for making that call! :) I end up with an entire row. Not sure how I got that lucky. I was asleep before the plane left at 10:30 CA time. I slept fitfully, but I did sleep most of the way to Atlanta. We arrived at 3:00 CA time (6:00 Atlanta time). We had a 2 hour delay in Atl. We left there at 8 and arrived in Tampa at 9:30am. FUN!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Black Sunday
I am pretty sure that someone beat me over the head with a bag of rocks. Ok, OK, maybe it was the rum I drank. Ouch. That hurts. Do I really have to work a booth today? Oh the stupid moves I make. Mike is way too cheerful as he says it is time to go. He is driving us to the city. He tries to push his crazy California energy drink on me, but I stay strong and just have water and diet coke. I had forgotten how pretty the view is from their house. The picture above is from their backyard. Wow.
We get to the city, and Mike lets Mark and I go upstairs to put our stuff away. We get Miguel (Krishan is too busy talking to India to pay us any attention). We go to the Marriott to eat breakfast. I am so hungover that I don't even care about points. I just want food, water, and diet coke. Food, water, and diet coke. I have taken Advil. It is helping, but it isn't helping enough. I have eggs, bacon (wow this is good bacon), a little bit of grease also known as hashbrowns, and some of an english muffin. YUM. Hits the spot. Feeling a little better. OK, standing ruined the getting better part. Oh well. Lisa and some masked man with a phone attached to his ear joined us briefly downstairs as we were leaving. We walked the 2 blocks back to the good ol Pickwick.
I still need to shower, so Mark, Krishan, and Miguel head to the convention center with Mike. I decide that maybe a shower will help. While it does feel good to brush my teeth and shower, I still feel awful. Oh well, no time for whiners. So, I get dressed in the oh so cute Bond sweater and head to the trade show (I am so thankful that Lisa didn't make me wear the black dress). We get to show Mike around the booth. He likes it. :)
I must have explained 100 times during the day why Microsoft is on the booth. Microsoft sponsored the Digital Medical Office of the Future so that they can promote internet safety. They want pediatritions to talk to their patients and their parents about internet safety. The statistics they cited were pretty scary. Way too many kids give their information away online in chats and websites. I have talked to the kids about this often, but it was a great reminder to stay on it. Why in the world did they make the exhibit hall stay open for 8 hours? I am pretty sure that it is cruelty to humans. :) The day is amazing though, and we have a ton of fun showing off Clinician and all the futuristic gizmos. Krishan liked the microscope for telemedicine the best. I liked the SureSight the best. Many people liked the vein viewer the best. I heard a lot of doctors who were amazed by the Dragon Naturally Speaking. Very cool.
That night, Mark took Lisa to the airport, and Travis, Krishan, and I went to dinner with Microsoft. They were very cool, and we had a great time. I love meeting cool people.
We get to the city, and Mike lets Mark and I go upstairs to put our stuff away. We get Miguel (Krishan is too busy talking to India to pay us any attention). We go to the Marriott to eat breakfast. I am so hungover that I don't even care about points. I just want food, water, and diet coke. Food, water, and diet coke. I have taken Advil. It is helping, but it isn't helping enough. I have eggs, bacon (wow this is good bacon), a little bit of grease also known as hashbrowns, and some of an english muffin. YUM. Hits the spot. Feeling a little better. OK, standing ruined the getting better part. Oh well. Lisa and some masked man with a phone attached to his ear joined us briefly downstairs as we were leaving. We walked the 2 blocks back to the good ol Pickwick.
I still need to shower, so Mark, Krishan, and Miguel head to the convention center with Mike. I decide that maybe a shower will help. While it does feel good to brush my teeth and shower, I still feel awful. Oh well, no time for whiners. So, I get dressed in the oh so cute Bond sweater and head to the trade show (I am so thankful that Lisa didn't make me wear the black dress). We get to show Mike around the booth. He likes it. :)
I must have explained 100 times during the day why Microsoft is on the booth. Microsoft sponsored the Digital Medical Office of the Future so that they can promote internet safety. They want pediatritions to talk to their patients and their parents about internet safety. The statistics they cited were pretty scary. Way too many kids give their information away online in chats and websites. I have talked to the kids about this often, but it was a great reminder to stay on it. Why in the world did they make the exhibit hall stay open for 8 hours? I am pretty sure that it is cruelty to humans. :) The day is amazing though, and we have a ton of fun showing off Clinician and all the futuristic gizmos. Krishan liked the microscope for telemedicine the best. I liked the SureSight the best. Many people liked the vein viewer the best. I heard a lot of doctors who were amazed by the Dragon Naturally Speaking. Very cool.
That night, Mark took Lisa to the airport, and Travis, Krishan, and I went to dinner with Microsoft. They were very cool, and we had a great time. I love meeting cool people.
Saturday Night - THE Halloween Party
Our feet are killing us as we walk out of the convention center. Nothing like a good trade show to make the dogs hurt. I feel a little badly as we are splitting with our Bondites to go to the McFall-Sorenson Halloween Bash. I am so excited that I quickly forget this anxiety. We walk back to the Pickwick Hotel (only about 2 blocks), and we decide to change into the costumes BEFORE leaving for Bart. We do decide that maybe the wigs are a bit much, so we take those. After packing half of my suitcase and an outfit of Mark's into my computer bag, we leave the hotel for our adventure. Mike has told us to take the Pittsburgh Train to the Walnut Creek station. From there, we will take a cab. Hmmm...first step, where is the BART station? We ask the bellman. He tells us to go right for one block and to look for escalators. Sounds easy enough.
Immediately, I am wishing that I hadn't worn the costume. I feel very dorky. But, we must persevere for a party. We find the escalator (Mark drools over some very weird looking stuff at street vendor tables - I am thinking he is just a little too into this hippie thing). We look it up and find out that the BART is $4.25 each way. So, Mark puts $10 into the machine and gets an $8.50 ticket. We are so proud. Then, this weird couple starts making these weird sexual comments, and I tell Mark to give them some change so they will leave us alone. I am so relieves when they leave. I am wondering if we are the first people to dress as we are while pulling a nice computer case on wheels behind us. :) So, we put the ticket in the turn style machine. Denied! So, we try again. Denied! Please see cashier. Defeated, we walk to the booth. She laughs at us for trying to use one ticket for two people. Oops. I wanted to tell her that we use cars every day, but I just apologized instead. So, she is actually very nice and gives us some written pass to use. Crisis averted. Next!
We go downstairs to get on the train. We keep laughing as people keep asking us if we are going to a Halloween party. If? IF? Too funny. All of the sudden they are saying all of these weird things like 4 car train for Millbrae in 4 minutes. 4 car train for Fremont is 7 minutes. Never do they say Pittsburgh. Never do I see a sign for Pittsburgh. I am starting to freak a little. So, I see a girl with a year's worth of eye liner on, and I ask her. She says she is also waiting for the Pittsburgh train and that it will be coming in 14 minutes. Not exactly what I wanted to hear (the 14 min), but I am happy to know we are in the right place. Finally, the train arrives. We rush on (apparently for no reason as the 10 car train had plenty of room). We sit and enjoy the ride. It is actually pretty cool, and we enjoy eavesdropping on these teenagers who are sitting near us. Mark says that he is glad that I didn't have BART as a teen. I have NO idea what in the world he is talking about as I have ALWAYS been an angel. OK, OK, maybe not ALWAYS. (don't want lightning to strike). I do laugh as this girl says, "My mom thinks she understands me but she has NO idea." Ok, that MIGHT have been something I would have said as a teen (definitely not as an adult. Funny how much you realize how great your parents as you grow up).
We get off the BART and look for the exit. We follow this obvious pro down an elevator. Whew. Cabs. We MADE IT! :) We get a very, very cool cab driver who takes us to Mike and Debs. We are looking for their house in the dark. We pull into the driveway, and Mike comes running out in his full pirate outfit. The cab driver says, "I think we found it!"
The house looks amazing. Deb has done a fabulous job decorating. There are cobwebs, scary people hanging, and even an fog machine!!! Of course, the girls wanted the fog machine to run all the time, and the boys wanted it to only run every few minutes. Hee Hee...I got to see the "elbow spot" where Mike broke his elbow. His friends are very cool. Greg and Lisa remember me from my trip there long ago (although Lisa keeps saying that I wore a plaid dress last time - surely not). They are just as much fun as I remembered. I met lots of people that I hear about all the time - some of whom I had met and some of whom I had not. There was a salt and pepper couple, bat woman (Tracy who I had met in San Diego), a Lincoln Navigator, a friend you can count on (a shirt with numbers on it), legos (they actually fit together!), male and female pirates, a doctor and nurse, and many more! They had a very cool game where you had to guess the drink. I loved it a bit too much (well at least that is what my head said the next day). The food was awesome. They even had mini burgers with a bottle of catsup, mustard, and mayo all mixed into one bottle! Smart! They had shrimp, sushi, hummus, sausage, and other yummy things. Once the music started, it was even more fun. I kept trying to get Mike to do the moonwalk. He wouldn't even do it. He did do some fun moves though. I had a great time hearing everyone talk about Mark and how much he looks like Mike. Way too cool. Thanks Mike and Deb!!!
Immediately, I am wishing that I hadn't worn the costume. I feel very dorky. But, we must persevere for a party. We find the escalator (Mark drools over some very weird looking stuff at street vendor tables - I am thinking he is just a little too into this hippie thing). We look it up and find out that the BART is $4.25 each way. So, Mark puts $10 into the machine and gets an $8.50 ticket. We are so proud. Then, this weird couple starts making these weird sexual comments, and I tell Mark to give them some change so they will leave us alone. I am so relieves when they leave. I am wondering if we are the first people to dress as we are while pulling a nice computer case on wheels behind us. :) So, we put the ticket in the turn style machine. Denied! So, we try again. Denied! Please see cashier. Defeated, we walk to the booth. She laughs at us for trying to use one ticket for two people. Oops. I wanted to tell her that we use cars every day, but I just apologized instead. So, she is actually very nice and gives us some written pass to use. Crisis averted. Next!
We go downstairs to get on the train. We keep laughing as people keep asking us if we are going to a Halloween party. If? IF? Too funny. All of the sudden they are saying all of these weird things like 4 car train for Millbrae in 4 minutes. 4 car train for Fremont is 7 minutes. Never do they say Pittsburgh. Never do I see a sign for Pittsburgh. I am starting to freak a little. So, I see a girl with a year's worth of eye liner on, and I ask her. She says she is also waiting for the Pittsburgh train and that it will be coming in 14 minutes. Not exactly what I wanted to hear (the 14 min), but I am happy to know we are in the right place. Finally, the train arrives. We rush on (apparently for no reason as the 10 car train had plenty of room). We sit and enjoy the ride. It is actually pretty cool, and we enjoy eavesdropping on these teenagers who are sitting near us. Mark says that he is glad that I didn't have BART as a teen. I have NO idea what in the world he is talking about as I have ALWAYS been an angel. OK, OK, maybe not ALWAYS. (don't want lightning to strike). I do laugh as this girl says, "My mom thinks she understands me but she has NO idea." Ok, that MIGHT have been something I would have said as a teen (definitely not as an adult. Funny how much you realize how great your parents as you grow up).
We get off the BART and look for the exit. We follow this obvious pro down an elevator. Whew. Cabs. We MADE IT! :) We get a very, very cool cab driver who takes us to Mike and Debs. We are looking for their house in the dark. We pull into the driveway, and Mike comes running out in his full pirate outfit. The cab driver says, "I think we found it!"
The house looks amazing. Deb has done a fabulous job decorating. There are cobwebs, scary people hanging, and even an fog machine!!! Of course, the girls wanted the fog machine to run all the time, and the boys wanted it to only run every few minutes. Hee Hee...I got to see the "elbow spot" where Mike broke his elbow. His friends are very cool. Greg and Lisa remember me from my trip there long ago (although Lisa keeps saying that I wore a plaid dress last time - surely not). They are just as much fun as I remembered. I met lots of people that I hear about all the time - some of whom I had met and some of whom I had not. There was a salt and pepper couple, bat woman (Tracy who I had met in San Diego), a Lincoln Navigator, a friend you can count on (a shirt with numbers on it), legos (they actually fit together!), male and female pirates, a doctor and nurse, and many more! They had a very cool game where you had to guess the drink. I loved it a bit too much (well at least that is what my head said the next day). The food was awesome. They even had mini burgers with a bottle of catsup, mustard, and mayo all mixed into one bottle! Smart! They had shrimp, sushi, hummus, sausage, and other yummy things. Once the music started, it was even more fun. I kept trying to get Mike to do the moonwalk. He wouldn't even do it. He did do some fun moves though. I had a great time hearing everyone talk about Mark and how much he looks like Mike. Way too cool. Thanks Mike and Deb!!!
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