The growing cohort of Fellows of The American College of Medical Informatimusicology, who proudly add FACMImimi to their list of credentials, continue to demonstrate eminence in the field. Two recent examples:
Dr. Francis Collins, MD, PhD, FACMImimi (Fellow #29, inducted 12 April 2012) celebrated our federal HHS workforce in song: "It Takes You, HHS"
Dr. CT Lin, MD, FACP, FACMImimi (Fellow #114, inducted 4 December 2017) heralded the launch of a new ePrescribing for Controlled Substances platform at his hospital where he is CMIO. He blogged about the song.
Okay, this isn't strictly Medical Informatimusicology, but as President and Founder of The College, I can pretty much post shameless self-promotions as I see fit. Anyone who thinks otherwise can start their own College...
If you've spoken to me about creativity sometime over the last eight years or so, you may have heard me mention this "play with music" I've been noodling on since 2009 (or since I was born, depending on how you count). After lots of dreaming, but not a lot of action, it's finally becoming a real thing.
Miss Isabella Rainsong and Her Traveling Companion: A One-Guitar Show
Brown Paper Tickets: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3184030 All of the proceeds are going to The UUCC Minister’s fund, which helps needy folks in Howard County with things like food, rent, transportation, medical needs, etc.
Short background: In 2009, I was asked by a neighbor to write the music for a musical being put on by Art Stream, an inclusive theater troupe that includes adults with various disabilities – Down’s Syndrome, autism, etc. They put on two original shows every year and rehearse year round, but wanted to try a musical for the first time. I ended up being in the show, "It's a Wonderful Pie", playing an itinerant musician who played guitar on stage for the songs in the show. It struck me odd that this homeless-looking guy had such a beautiful Taylor guitar. I thought about the backstory of the character and how he came to have such an amazing instrument. The notion festered for a while and I finally wrote the script about five years ago, tweaking it occasionally, but never having a plan about how to turn it into something real – it was always a “someday when I have more time” sort of thing.
Then last winter, my neighborhood business book club was reading The One Thing: a book about the myth of multitasking but also about finding the efforts that you’re passionate about but that need a plan to be fully realized. We went around the room talking about that “one thing” that was in us but wasn’t getting out. I talked about this play. Right there, the group made it their mission to cajole me into making it happen. They insisted that I set a date to perform it – for them. Last August, I did a workshop version of the play in my home for about a dozen people from the book club and the neighborhood – complete with a lightning storm and other effects. It was far from perfect, but was good enough to show that it had some legs. Some members of my Unitarian congregation in Columbia saw it too and they asked me to do a full two-act production of the show there – tickets and all. We eventually set a date for this January.
There is never a good time to do an extracurricular project like this. I’ve tried to give myself enough of a runway to memorize the 55 minutes of monologue that go with the dozen original songs in the show I’ve written over the last 20 years. Memorizing lines in my 50s is a very different experience from doing it in my youth! But it’s coming together and I expect that this show will be good enough not to be embarrassing, though I don’t expect any agents to come calling about the national tour…
If you want to see a "commercial" for the show, you can get a little taste here:
Here's a quick video I shot the day after the workshop performance -- showing the tech I put together to make the show work.
I will post more about the show on my personal blog.
The American College of Medical Informatimusicology
is pleased to present the World Premiere of
digituRN
dig·i·tuRN \'dij·i·tÉ™rn\ tr verb:
to transform the nursing profession
through the application of informatics
and digital innovation.
Written, performed, produced and edited by Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA, FACMImimi
President and Founder of The American College of Medical Informatimusicology. www.ACMImimi.org
The healing touch
Words of compassion
An understanding ear
It all seems so old fashioned
The rules are changing as we
Jump into this digital game
(We're digituRNing)
Wait a minute
Our path is timeless
More than ever now
We need human kindness
The flow is changing
But the calling is still the same
Let's repaint the patient picture
And surround it with a digital frame
(We're digituRNing)
We need more healing
And human interaction
The system's reeling
It's time to spring to action
We can't go back to the
Prison of paper chains
Just imagine what can happen
When we multiply our digital gains
(We're digituRNing)
When you let the data go
You won't believe your eyes
As you push it to the flow
The data liquifies
Filling the gaps
Making sure you're aware
Avoiding errors and traps
And driving quality care
Nursing informatics has the
Power to burn and when you
Crank it to eleven you digituRN
Turn, turn, turn... digituRN
(We're digituRNing)
One last notion
Our history's just beginning
It's all in motion
We've got the big wheels spinning
There's just no telling where
DigituRNing takes the flow
Just put the patient first
And we'll keep digituRNing as we go
Just put the patient first
And we'll keep digituRNing into tomorrow
Turn, turn, turn... digituRN
(We're digituRNing)
(c)2017 The American College of Medical Informatimusicology
Creative Commons License 4.0
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
As many of you know, we all suffered a profound loss on August 13th, 2016 when patient advocate, former fed, and magical unicorn Jess Jacobs left us at age 29. On Saturday, about 35 of us gathered near DC to grieve together and celebrate her life. I shared this song.
Yesterday, our tribe of vocal sojourners and patient advocates lost one of its brightest lights. Jess Jacobs passed away after a long, amazingly chronicled ordeal with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) among other complex medical issues. Jess, ever beaming (I'm not kidding - even when she was in the middle of yet another medical ordeal - she radiated positivity and joy), took great pains to describe the indignities of being a cog in the healthcare machine.
The family has asked that donations be made in Jess's memory to The Waking Gallery. You can make donations through GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/h2dsdwe4
Sitting on my desk, writing from my heart, so much thoughts in my mind thus leading to the term - "Lifeaholic" defined as an addiction to life. When I first started this blog my entry was about my addiction to chocolates and now as I enter into my blogging cycle again I intend to take it on a different note and that is about the phenomenon of waking up each day, breathing and appreciating simple things - the term called life. You see it has gone into a whole new angle in me ever since I fought for it and survived it and now for even just a little bit a chance to share the lessons it has taught me. As they say lessons are cycles repeated in our lives and will never stop unless we learn the message that goes with it. Therefore I confess to the following:
Authenticity. A life well lived begins with appreciating your true and authentic self and admittedly this is a Herculean task, it takes time but the process in the end always pays off. To break free from what others would think and live life on our own terms I would say is the key to breaking free and it definitely feels good. No definition can ever embody what your true self is except for the one you set for yourself.
Courage. Fears can be real.. so real that it feels like being scooped up in a black hole but to embrace it is divine. We become more free every time we step out of our comfort zone. I have learned that the greatest danger in life is taking no risks at all. Admittedly still a lesson I have yet to learn in some occasions.
Kindness. No matter what religion one belongs to it all boils down to kindness. Each day as we meet new people or even old friends take it as an opportunity to be able to contribute and make the world a better place to live in. No preacher here but yes I must say it makes a big good difference.
Value. Living a life is doing what you value the most. What motivates you? What makes you happy? What gives you energy? What brings an immense smile on your face whenever you envision it? One of the greatest key in living a life with purpose is doing what matters to you the most. Pursue it with passion and the rest shall follow.
Influence. Choose them well. Know them well and most of all never allow it or them to get the better half of you. Discern well.
Choices. Deciding on making one is already a choice in itself. No color aside from black and white in this aspect, no gray area. When I am personally faced with a choice be it difficult or not one thing leads me into walking towards that one road and that is the path that gives me inner peace. No regrets no looking back.
Love. Never lose sight of it and never lose your heart for it. All things may fade but only love remains.
And as I end just a gentle reminder to always stand up for something bigger than yourself. Believe that we exist and we are here for a purpose, a special reason - a mission. Live a beautiful life on your own terms and by all means be successful on your own terms too, not as how society would dictate to you. Bless your path.
"Go as far as you can see. When you get there, you'll be able to see farther."- Thomas Carlyle
On Monday, August 17th, 2015 I begin a new chapter as Program Director for the new Integrated Care Network initiative at CRISP, Maryland's health information exchange. We will be providing data to healthcare providers to enhance their care coordination efforts and providing additional care coordination tools to some of those providers who don't already have these capabilities in place.
To mark the transition, I decided to make a video of this spoken word piece I wrote in 2012 (originally entitled "A Man among Millions") for my last day consulting for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT while I was working at Deloitte Consulting. This piece explains why I am so passionate about making health information exchange work for all of us.
I am grateful for the opportunity to make a difference with an amazing team of collaborators and look forward to providing updates on our progress over the coming months and years.
Flow
tick tock
check the clock
it's moving faster
relentless in its quest
to stop us in our tracks
tick tock
can you hear it?
faster than my beating heart
thumping with anxiety
checking over my shoulder
for the reaper
he's on a bender
hell-bent on the hunt
to sniff down and snuff out
those I love
tick tock
time won't stop
or take a break or hesitate
to cut us off at the knees
yet here we stand
for what we believe
can make a difference
if we only make it flow
today we stand for flow --
for what we know is essential to the health
of this thing we call a healthcare system
we stand for flow
for overcoming the inertia of standing still
pushing information out
transforming it from solid state to liquid gold
letting it go where it needs to go
flowing into the chasm that separates us
from the quality we pay for but don't receive
flowing so that the liquid data
cascade and echo
creating ripples of insight
that concatenate to engulf us
in tsunamis of knowledge
and so we implement electronic health records
organizing into exchanges
to make flow a reality
in local circumstances
taking chances with taxpayer dollars
that we could never afford
on our own accord
trying to fix on a massive scale
the brokenness of our system
that we in our confessed complacency
have grown to see as normal
millions --
nameless, faceless
suffering under the burden
of a system uninspired
to go the extra mile --
are saying enough
I have a name
I have a voice
I have a face
I take a stand
here I stand
just one example
of a man among millions
with a family lost in this maze
with a father who died
from cancer of his phantom prostate
that had been removed twenty years before
no PSAs for twenty years
why test for something long removed?
maybe because there's a chance it's not all gone
maybe the answer is there
hidden among the data
to know the answer to the question
of whether it would have made a difference
a life or death difference
this one simple test
here I stand
just one example
of a man among millions
with a family lost in this maze
with a mother slowly losing her way
keeping the memories of her youth
but misplacing those formed an hour ago
her children
long away from their hometown
trying to connect the dots of her care
by remote control
"help! I've fallen and I can't get up"
doesn't traverse time zones
so we rely on old technology of phone and fax
which isn't up to the task
as she rides
from assisted living
to hospital
to rehab
and back again
while her medical records struggle
to keep up the pace
here I stand
just one example
of a man among millions
with a family lost in this maze
with a son who enjoys good health
but has already faced the surgeon's scalpel
at an age too young for his memory to recall
exactly why he has that scar on his back
or how his kidneys lack the full capacity
others take for granted
how will he know
when he comes of age
what this means for him
his records passed down
from his elders
like an oral history
told around a campfire
after a hunt for mastodons
here I stand
just one example
of a man among millions
with a family lost in this maze
with a wife who bravely faces
cancer number four
in thirty-two years
who alone carries the burden
of coordinating care
among the dozens and dozens
of providers who focus on
the particular part of her they understand
who alone carries the records
from place to place
from year to year
from diagnosis to diagnosis
hoping she can keep it all straight
so at the very least they do no harm
here I stand
one of the lucky ones
with coverage
with knowledge
with friends
who stands helpless
to make the system work
for those who are the world to him
here I stand
speaking to my heroes
who possess amazing superpowers
to bend maze corners
into straight corridors
and transform the flow
from a trickle
to a torrent
I don't presume to know what drives you
what compels you to forego
another fifteen minutes sleep
and return to the battle
to do the heavy lifting
to add another line of code
to write another line of policy
to create another decision support rule
to make one more connection
to solve one more problem
to make it flow
but if you need a story to motivate
to steel your resolve to press on
mine is here and free for the taking
better still
forget my story
and tell your own
shout it from the rooftops
or whisper it only to yourself
but keep that image
sharply focused in your mind
to give you the inspiration
to do the work
so we all can be
one among the millions
who survive
no, who thrive
who sail
ACMImimi Fellow Regina Holliday's blog post today talks about her setting up a virtual "tip jar" on Gittip (www.gittip.com). I read through all of the materials on Gittip -- how their company works and what they are doing -- and think it represents another exciting direction in new economy thinking.
I signed up to give Regina $0.73 per week on Gittip and ask that all of you think about doing the same. That's only $39.96 a year when you throw in the bank fees that Gittip charges ($2 over the course of the year). If your life has been changed for the better by Regina's work and mission like mine has, please sign up to give Regina a weekly boost in her income. Show you mean it by giving something with $0.73 at the end. If everyone with a Walking Gallery jacket tips Regina $0.73 a week, she will receive over $11,000 a year to supplement her income from speaking/painting/Regina-being. It's not enough to live on and raise two boys, but it's something. Let's support Regina!
For what it's worth, I've designated ACMImimi as my own cause on Gittip. I have never received any personal income from the videos and music I've made for the cause of bringing health information to people through music and have invested hundreds of hours and many dollars over the years to bring these works to you. If you have a burning desire to support these efforts, consider doing so through Gittip. It will let me know that people value this contribution to the field and will motivate me to invest more time into making them and creating new, more ambitious works. You'll find me on Gittip at https://www.gittip.com/rossmartin.
Tonight we say goodnight to an amazing establishment in Silver Spring, El Nopalito Grill -- home to the Wednesday night Songwriters Association of Washington open mic night for more than 100 shows.
I had to say goodbye the way that a singer/songwriter does - with a new song for the occasion (with apologies to Luceille and her author). It's been a busy time in the world of medical imformatimusicology and informatics too, so I haven't been going very often over the last few months and I've felt it. It's therapy for me -- some people go bowling, some do yoga -- I play open mics. I listen too. And tonight was a great evening of music from across the spectrum. We had over 20 performers, so it was just two songs or 10 minutes. And it was great, just great.
El Nopalito lost its lease or something like that, so next week we will be starting at a new venue. But tonight we celebrate El Nopalito and their amazing staff and chefs. You will be missed. Here is a song dedicated to them and to the fine songwriters I've had the privilege of hearing and playing for.
We Picked a Fine Time to Leave El Nopalito
At a Tennessee truck stop about three a.m.
I was feelin’ real down and alone
When in walked a lady who looked so familiar
Just like a young woman I’d known
I said, “Howdy-do” and she sang, “Same t’you”
Her melody turned on a light
I said, “Years ago, did you go out to El Nopalito
For that open mic on Wednesday nights?”
I asked her to sit and I gave her a hit
From my bottle of Jack Daniel’s Black
We talked of a time that was many years gone
The memories sure took us back
Back to the stage and a fine bygone age
When songs were performed by our gang
We toasted that crew and the tunes that they knew
And these are the words that we sang
CHORUS:
We picked a fine time to leave El Nopalito
I sure loved their chiles and combo burritos
We heard some good songs
And we heard some bad songs
Then we sang, “Adios, muy amigos”
We picked a fine time to leave El Nopalito
Reminicin’ ’til dawn over coffee and yawns
We sang songs until we went hoarse
We swapped juicy stories of yesteryear glories
Who hooked up and who got divorced
We recounted past scenes like when George and Arlene
Used to belt rockabilly full blast
Those nights were the peak of the workaday week
I guess it was too good to last
REPEAT CHORUS
Dell sold the shop and he took to bar hoppin’
Tradin’ a song for a beer
Chris went on a mission to blend drums and fishin’
Larry’s been missin’ for years
Buck Stone and Murray made it big in a hurry
Jeff’s now a YouTube phenom
And Scott and his honey run a posh nudist col’ny
For senile hippies on Guam
REPEAT CHORUS
Our heads were both hurtin’ and we both knew for certain
It was high time to call it a wrap
My spirit revived, I felt strangely alive
But more likely I’d go home to nap
I gave her a hug and I felt that old tug
To go find me some new open mics
Sure, it’ll be great, but it won’t compensate
For the magic we shared Wednesday nights
REPEAT CHORUS
For El Nopalito Grill on the occasion of their last open mic, January 8th, 2014
