The life of a world-renown Medical Informatimusicologist is both rewarding and exhausting. In his commitment to reaching all peoples within reach of the World Wide Web with memorable, educational and entertaining musical works that focus on the advancement of health information technology, applied informatics and real change in our healthcare system, our President and Founder, Dr. Ross D. Martin, has often been called on short notice to create a musical work that can further these goals.
Ideally, these are purely original works, such as the vaunted HITECH Interoperetta and The Meaningful Use Rap. But there are times the call of duty come so rapidly that there is no opportunity to pen original music and Dr. Martin must instead rely on prior art, adapting a familiar tune to send a new message. The advantage of quick results has its cost - one must honor the intellectual property rights of those artists who worked hard to create iconic, memorable tunes.
In this context, ACMiMiMi is pleased to announce the world premiere of E-N-C-R-Y-P-T, based on the 1965 lyric and music written by Otis Redding and the cover version made famous by Aretha Franklin. It is being performed live today at the 2011 ONC Annual Meeting in Washington, DC by the incomparable Veronda Wright, a former ONCer.
Lyrics are posted below and are free to distribute under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike license. But the performance will not be posted online by ONC to avoid copyright infringement (non-commercial, public performance of a parody passed muster of the legal eagles at HHS). I have created a karaoke soundtrack for the song, so if you would like to perform it somewhere, please send me an email.
Thanks to Joy Pritts, Chief Privacy Officer at ONC, and Laura Rosas from Joy's office for the opportunity to create this work.
To the tune of R-E-S-P-E-C-T (Aretha Franklin version)
Lyrics by Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA
Original song by Otis Redding in 1965
©2011 American College of Medical Informatimusicology
Lyrics shared under Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution/Share-Alike license
(oo) What you got
(oo) Somebody wants it
(oo) What you need
(oo) Somebody has it
(oo) All I'm asking
(oo) Is for a little protection
(just a little bit)
Protection
(just a little bit)
For my information
(just a little bit)
I'm saying
(just a little bit)
I ain't gonna hold you
Back from your business
I ain't gonna slow you down
But you gotta listen
'Cause all I'm asking
Is for a little protection now
(just a little bit)
I'm saying
(just a little bit)
For my information
(just a little bit)
I'm saying
(just a little bit)
I'm about to give you
All my data
And all I'm asking
In return, Doctah
Is make sure it's encrypted
When you send it far from home
(send it, send it, send it, send it)
Yeah, Doctah
(send it, send it, send it, send)
Encrypt it, Doctah
(encrypt, just a-lock it up)
When you send it far from home
(just a-lock it up)
E-N-C-R-Y-P-T
Keep my data safe for me
E-N-C-R-Y-P-T
Respect my privacy
Oh
(move it right, hold it tight,
move it right, hold it tight)
A little encryption
(move it right, hold it tight,
move it right, hold it tight)
Whoa, Doctah
(just a-lock it up)
A little encryption
(just a-lock it up)
When you send it far from home
(just a-lock it up)
It’s easy
(just a-lock it up)
So please don’t do me wrong
(just a-lock it up)
Yeah, Doctah
(just a-lock it up)
E-N-C-R-Y-P-T
Respect my privacy
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Rainbow Button Initiative
A new milestone in Medical Informatimusicology history has been reached with the release of The Rainbow Button Initiative video from the September 2011 Health 2.0 conference in San Francisco. Dr. Ross D. Martin, ACMI's President and Founder, aka, Dr. HITECH, has been immortalized in the form of a Muppet.
As monumental as this Muppetational moment may be, it is but a small part of a much larger event, a movement really. The Rainbow Button Initiative, which has been an active topic of discussion in the blogosphere, seeks to put patients in control of their own information by acknowledging that we all have different interests and needs when it comes to accessing data. Some want privacy; others want to share; still others want full control. There's a button for that (or should be)--so says TRBI.
The lovely and talented Regina Holliday rallied the (thespian and puppeteer) troupes to create a staged performance that included Dr. HITECH's Muppetastic appearance as he led the cast in "The Rainbow Button Initiative Rap".
Gregg Masters, CEO of Xanate Media, captured it all on film and produced the video above.
Lyrics below. Stay tuned for an MP3 of the rap!
The Rainbow Button Iniative Rap
DR. HITECH
Yo, Home!
Dr. HITECH's in the house!
Been hearin' all this chattah
'bout what everybody sees
Is the way to access data
Like they're all dif'rent needs
I gotta tell ya all that even though
They're all important this I know
They're players in the same show
They're colors of one rainbow
If ya all can work together
I can guarantee
Includin' patients in
HIE is the key
Sayin' that the doctor knows
Best ain't enough
We gotta give the people some
Control of their stuff
So we are going for launch
Hit the button to initiate
This grass roots movement
Bustin’ outta' the gate
Our message is powerful
And positive
It's the Rainbow Button
Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
Now tell us your perspective
And we'll show it's all connected
Break it down
VETERAN (Blue Button)
I been to far-off lands
Tryin' to do what's right
I had dreams and plans
When I got caught in a firefight
Now back in the states
I'm a wounded warrior
All my doctors are great
But sometimes I ain't sure
Exactly how to keep it straight
Or know just how to navigate
All my meds and lab results
And how they relate
But now I push the Blue Button
And it's all there to see
Just a click of the mouse
And it all comes to me
And it's not just for this vet
Heck, that ain't nuttin'
Just see what stuff *you* get
When you hit the Blue Button
ALL
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
CELEBRITY (Red Button)
Yes, I am a famous actress and
I love that I'm adored
But when I go to see my therapist
I want to be ignored
The paparazzi put me in a
Compromising state when they
Caught me slipping out of rehab
Through the back gate
Now the tabloids all are speculating
Maybe I'm expecting
They say from a fling during
A movie I was making
Now they're fishing for my records
And hiring detectives
For clues to see if I might be
A mommy-to-be
And so to keep my privacy
I've got these two hunks next to me
To wipe away the memory
Of every doc I go to see
It's true -- on occasion
My boys can be aggressive
Then my docs forget their names
Or where they live and that's excessive
But now I have a button
In my favorite color -- red!
So instead of wiping brain cells
I encrypt the chart instead
I press the Red Button--Poof!
My record--you can't find it!
It's all still there, but who knows where
The data have been blinded!
ALL
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
EARTH MOTHER (Green Button)
I'm a natural giver
Always willing to share
I got data to deliver
To make better care
Giver starts with G
And so does green
I push the green button
So my data can be seen
Some people need protection
Wanna keep it in control
I dig that predilection
But I need to be bold
If some piece of information
Can assist in the creation
Of a cure for somethin' devastatin'
I'm not one for hesitatin'
Serve it up! Shout it out!
Post it where there'll be no doubt
So researchers everywhere
Can find the data to compare
And test a new invention
That's exactly my intention
When I push the green button
My records get out there
ALL
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
DIRECTOR (White Button)
I'm the writer and director
Of a one-man show
It's all about me
If you really want to know
I'm always on location
'Nother day another town
When I need a medication
My Doc is not around
So I find a local PCP
Who doesn't know my history
Without my information
I'm at risk of devastation
From receiving wrong prescriptions
Or an error of omission
But I have a secret weapon
It's a little White Button
I send her my history
Medications, allergies
In a CCD
So she'll know me
I'm directly in control
And I love my role
As the center of it all
I'm having a ball!
ALL
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
DR. HITECH
These are just a few colors
And the needs they explain
There's a whole lotta others
That got similar pain
Like the parents tryin’ to get their kids
Signed up for band
They gotta have vaccination
Records in hand
And how many out there have
A mom or a dad
Livin' far away
And then their health goes bad
Good luck gettin' any clue
What's goin' on there
Seems we need a Gray Button
To help with elder care
Outta doubt there are others
We ain't thought of yet
There's room in the rainbow
For whatever we get in…
ALL
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow button Initiative...
As monumental as this Muppetational moment may be, it is but a small part of a much larger event, a movement really. The Rainbow Button Initiative, which has been an active topic of discussion in the blogosphere, seeks to put patients in control of their own information by acknowledging that we all have different interests and needs when it comes to accessing data. Some want privacy; others want to share; still others want full control. There's a button for that (or should be)--so says TRBI.
The lovely and talented Regina Holliday rallied the (thespian and puppeteer) troupes to create a staged performance that included Dr. HITECH's Muppetastic appearance as he led the cast in "The Rainbow Button Initiative Rap".
Gregg Masters, CEO of Xanate Media, captured it all on film and produced the video above.
Lyrics below. Stay tuned for an MP3 of the rap!
The Rainbow Button Iniative Rap
DR. HITECH
Yo, Home!
Dr. HITECH's in the house!
Been hearin' all this chattah
'bout what everybody sees
Is the way to access data
Like they're all dif'rent needs
I gotta tell ya all that even though
They're all important this I know
They're players in the same show
They're colors of one rainbow
If ya all can work together
I can guarantee
Includin' patients in
HIE is the key
Sayin' that the doctor knows
Best ain't enough
We gotta give the people some
Control of their stuff
So we are going for launch
Hit the button to initiate
This grass roots movement
Bustin’ outta' the gate
Our message is powerful
And positive
It's the Rainbow Button
Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
Now tell us your perspective
And we'll show it's all connected
Break it down
VETERAN (Blue Button)
I been to far-off lands
Tryin' to do what's right
I had dreams and plans
When I got caught in a firefight
Now back in the states
I'm a wounded warrior
All my doctors are great
But sometimes I ain't sure
Exactly how to keep it straight
Or know just how to navigate
All my meds and lab results
And how they relate
But now I push the Blue Button
And it's all there to see
Just a click of the mouse
And it all comes to me
And it's not just for this vet
Heck, that ain't nuttin'
Just see what stuff *you* get
When you hit the Blue Button
ALL
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
CELEBRITY (Red Button)
Yes, I am a famous actress and
I love that I'm adored
But when I go to see my therapist
I want to be ignored
The paparazzi put me in a
Compromising state when they
Caught me slipping out of rehab
Through the back gate
Now the tabloids all are speculating
Maybe I'm expecting
They say from a fling during
A movie I was making
Now they're fishing for my records
And hiring detectives
For clues to see if I might be
A mommy-to-be
And so to keep my privacy
I've got these two hunks next to me
To wipe away the memory
Of every doc I go to see
It's true -- on occasion
My boys can be aggressive
Then my docs forget their names
Or where they live and that's excessive
But now I have a button
In my favorite color -- red!
So instead of wiping brain cells
I encrypt the chart instead
I press the Red Button--Poof!
My record--you can't find it!
It's all still there, but who knows where
The data have been blinded!
ALL
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
EARTH MOTHER (Green Button)
I'm a natural giver
Always willing to share
I got data to deliver
To make better care
Giver starts with G
And so does green
I push the green button
So my data can be seen
Some people need protection
Wanna keep it in control
I dig that predilection
But I need to be bold
If some piece of information
Can assist in the creation
Of a cure for somethin' devastatin'
I'm not one for hesitatin'
Serve it up! Shout it out!
Post it where there'll be no doubt
So researchers everywhere
Can find the data to compare
And test a new invention
That's exactly my intention
When I push the green button
My records get out there
ALL
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
DIRECTOR (White Button)
I'm the writer and director
Of a one-man show
It's all about me
If you really want to know
I'm always on location
'Nother day another town
When I need a medication
My Doc is not around
So I find a local PCP
Who doesn't know my history
Without my information
I'm at risk of devastation
From receiving wrong prescriptions
Or an error of omission
But I have a secret weapon
It's a little White Button
I send her my history
Medications, allergies
In a CCD
So she'll know me
I'm directly in control
And I love my role
As the center of it all
I'm having a ball!
ALL
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
DR. HITECH
These are just a few colors
And the needs they explain
There's a whole lotta others
That got similar pain
Like the parents tryin’ to get their kids
Signed up for band
They gotta have vaccination
Records in hand
And how many out there have
A mom or a dad
Livin' far away
And then their health goes bad
Good luck gettin' any clue
What's goin' on there
Seems we need a Gray Button
To help with elder care
Outta doubt there are others
We ain't thought of yet
There's room in the rainbow
For whatever we get in…
ALL
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow button Initiative...
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Remembering 9/10 and the Days that Followed
On this day of remembrance, only the most unaffected among us can help but reflect on where they were and how time in our minds has forever been cleaved into two parts: before the morning of September 11th, 2001 and after.
Like everyone old enough to retain a memory of that day, I have very distinct memories of where I was (on the Metro North train heading to Grand Central Station) and how the day unfolded. (I was lucky and never made it into the City).
As indelible are the memories of that day--making it home after a time to the juxtaposition of my then six-month old beamish boy Taylor and the images that repeated on the television screen--what I think of more is the night before the world changed.
My friend Peter Frishauf invited me to see Les Paul perform with his trio at one of his weekly gigs at the Iridium. I had to go uptown from 42nd street and got caught in an flash downpour that made every cab in Manhattan vanish, leaving me to walk about 10 blocks. My umbrella was no match against the torrent, the rain bouncing up from the ground to leave me completely drenched. But even that was a treat as it gave me an excuse to trade my sopping wet dress shirt for a Les Paul t-shirt.
The show was remarkable in so many ways - Les' obviously arthritic hands couldn't play some of the furious riffs of his former years, but his gift for music was still undeniable. Even more, the field of musical gravity that pulled talent from the furthest reaches into his orbit. More than one famous rocker was in the audience that night, there to pay him homage, which he repaid by handing over his guitar and letting them sit in. Suddenly this big, bearded rock star turns into a little boy who has just been handed Superman's cape by the Man of Steel himself and told to try it on for size. I thought he might cry. Instead, he played it with reverence and skill--like the little drummer boy, repaying a gift he had been given with every ounce of his being.
It was an exhilarating, cathartic experience. One that provided profoundly needed perspective for what followed.
My strongest memories of what followed are from the Friday of that first week--my first day back at work in Manhattan. No one worked, really. We all spent time making sure that everyone was okay and keeping mindful of the continuing uncertainty of when and where the other shoe would drop. Grand Central Station had dramatically changed. Before 9/11, it represented to me the left ventricle of the world, where hundreds of thousands of people of all colors, shapes and dress traversed each day, pulsed with energy that seemed to flow from sheer momentum to the farthest corners of the world. Now it was a terrorist target, crawling with heavily armed police and soldiers and surrounded by large military trucks to protect it against bombs or chemical attack.
Since there wasn't much in the way of real work to do, I decided to venture out to see how close I get to ground zero on foot. I had been to the World Trade Center many times, taking my nephew to the observation deck just a month before and attending a two-day conference at the Windows of the World about a month before that. But I had didn't have any true perspective on how close it was from my daily grind.
So I started walking south. The first thing that struck me was how the character of New Yorkers had fundamentally changed. These people notorious for being abrupt and avoiding eye contact with strangers, were purposefully looking directly into one anothers' eyes. "Are you okay? Really, are you? I'm here for you" were the unspoken words exchanged.
Walking through Greenwich Village and Washington Square was perhaps the most surreal part of the journey. The candlelight vigil that had spontaneously formed that first night in the square had grown into an organic memorial of remembrance. And the Village, known more for its only-in-the-Big-Apple unique form of rebelliousness that was distinctly American but hardly patriotic, was shrouded in more American flags than I could possibly count.
But my first true sign that we would rise from the ashes of this tragedy came at the end of my journey: Houston Street, where a makeshift plywood barrier had been erected that kept all but those involved in the rescue and recovery efforts. There was a carnival of humanity--people milling about slowly, some still clearly in shock, others moving more purposefully. Within this milieu was an unmistakable sign of hope--just three days after this day of unimaginable horror, enterprising merchants had already created buttons and t-shirts commemorating the day. My favorite was one had been created in such haste that the grammar wasn't even correct: "I Survive the Attack" it read.
On further reflection, though, I decided that the use of the present tense was more reflective of our true condition. We do survive the attack and continue to persevere as Americans and as world citizens. Even now, as the long-term repercussions of that fateful day continue to make casualties of our economy, our soldiers and our psyches, we endure.
After 9/11, I wrote "United, We Stand"--one of my Infinite Poetry pieces--as a reflection on the day. You can find a hastily constructed video and recording of the song that I wrote several years later on YouTube. It says simply:
...United, we stand
Standing, we rise
Rising, we soar
Soaring, we're free
Free, we unite
United, we stand...
Beginning as it ends, it is designed to continue on in a virtuous cycle that reflects our better selves as Americans. It is this aspect of the American spirit that I continue to strive to emulate. Even in the face of challenge and even decline, we can remain true to what has made us a great nation and people--our unity, our perseverance, and the freedoms we enjoy, which make it all possible.
Spending that night before the world changed with good friends, a soaked shirt, and Les Paul, continues to inspire me to live my life in a manner honoring the spirit of that night and I am ever grateful to have had that special moment.
Like everyone old enough to retain a memory of that day, I have very distinct memories of where I was (on the Metro North train heading to Grand Central Station) and how the day unfolded. (I was lucky and never made it into the City).
As indelible are the memories of that day--making it home after a time to the juxtaposition of my then six-month old beamish boy Taylor and the images that repeated on the television screen--what I think of more is the night before the world changed.
My friend Peter Frishauf invited me to see Les Paul perform with his trio at one of his weekly gigs at the Iridium. I had to go uptown from 42nd street and got caught in an flash downpour that made every cab in Manhattan vanish, leaving me to walk about 10 blocks. My umbrella was no match against the torrent, the rain bouncing up from the ground to leave me completely drenched. But even that was a treat as it gave me an excuse to trade my sopping wet dress shirt for a Les Paul t-shirt.
The show was remarkable in so many ways - Les' obviously arthritic hands couldn't play some of the furious riffs of his former years, but his gift for music was still undeniable. Even more, the field of musical gravity that pulled talent from the furthest reaches into his orbit. More than one famous rocker was in the audience that night, there to pay him homage, which he repaid by handing over his guitar and letting them sit in. Suddenly this big, bearded rock star turns into a little boy who has just been handed Superman's cape by the Man of Steel himself and told to try it on for size. I thought he might cry. Instead, he played it with reverence and skill--like the little drummer boy, repaying a gift he had been given with every ounce of his being.
It was an exhilarating, cathartic experience. One that provided profoundly needed perspective for what followed.
My strongest memories of what followed are from the Friday of that first week--my first day back at work in Manhattan. No one worked, really. We all spent time making sure that everyone was okay and keeping mindful of the continuing uncertainty of when and where the other shoe would drop. Grand Central Station had dramatically changed. Before 9/11, it represented to me the left ventricle of the world, where hundreds of thousands of people of all colors, shapes and dress traversed each day, pulsed with energy that seemed to flow from sheer momentum to the farthest corners of the world. Now it was a terrorist target, crawling with heavily armed police and soldiers and surrounded by large military trucks to protect it against bombs or chemical attack.
Since there wasn't much in the way of real work to do, I decided to venture out to see how close I get to ground zero on foot. I had been to the World Trade Center many times, taking my nephew to the observation deck just a month before and attending a two-day conference at the Windows of the World about a month before that. But I had didn't have any true perspective on how close it was from my daily grind.
So I started walking south. The first thing that struck me was how the character of New Yorkers had fundamentally changed. These people notorious for being abrupt and avoiding eye contact with strangers, were purposefully looking directly into one anothers' eyes. "Are you okay? Really, are you? I'm here for you" were the unspoken words exchanged.
Walking through Greenwich Village and Washington Square was perhaps the most surreal part of the journey. The candlelight vigil that had spontaneously formed that first night in the square had grown into an organic memorial of remembrance. And the Village, known more for its only-in-the-Big-Apple unique form of rebelliousness that was distinctly American but hardly patriotic, was shrouded in more American flags than I could possibly count.
But my first true sign that we would rise from the ashes of this tragedy came at the end of my journey: Houston Street, where a makeshift plywood barrier had been erected that kept all but those involved in the rescue and recovery efforts. There was a carnival of humanity--people milling about slowly, some still clearly in shock, others moving more purposefully. Within this milieu was an unmistakable sign of hope--just three days after this day of unimaginable horror, enterprising merchants had already created buttons and t-shirts commemorating the day. My favorite was one had been created in such haste that the grammar wasn't even correct: "I Survive the Attack" it read.
On further reflection, though, I decided that the use of the present tense was more reflective of our true condition. We do survive the attack and continue to persevere as Americans and as world citizens. Even now, as the long-term repercussions of that fateful day continue to make casualties of our economy, our soldiers and our psyches, we endure.
After 9/11, I wrote "United, We Stand"--one of my Infinite Poetry pieces--as a reflection on the day. You can find a hastily constructed video and recording of the song that I wrote several years later on YouTube. It says simply:
...United, we stand
Standing, we rise
Rising, we soar
Soaring, we're free
Free, we unite
United, we stand...
Beginning as it ends, it is designed to continue on in a virtuous cycle that reflects our better selves as Americans. It is this aspect of the American spirit that I continue to strive to emulate. Even in the face of challenge and even decline, we can remain true to what has made us a great nation and people--our unity, our perseverance, and the freedoms we enjoy, which make it all possible.
Spending that night before the world changed with good friends, a soaked shirt, and Les Paul, continues to inspire me to live my life in a manner honoring the spirit of that night and I am ever grateful to have had that special moment.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Not Today
Here's a demo recording of a new song for all of you folks out there who are a little burnt out from working on HITECH, HIT, HIE, EHRs, MU, and all those other exhausting acronyms that have taken over our lives for the last couple of years. It's all important, but don't forget to take care of yourselves and the people around you...
Hit the snooze button, honey
Doesn't matter rain or sunny
I don't care if the sky is blue or green
Got no doubt we could find
A dozen reasons to grind
Another work-a-day day through the mission machine
We never lack for excuses
For the race we run
We hit the track and take our bruises
But we never get done
Our agenda's on a bender
It's demanding our surrender
And declaring that there's no other way
But even if it's true I say
Not today, not today, not today
Drop that newspaper, baby
It'll make us both crazy
Tryin' to follow all the tragedy and politics
Sure, we need a good solution
For tsunamis and pollution
Still, they're gonna have to wait another day for a fix
Right now my only worry
Is the whistlin' pot
Tellin' me it's time to brew
My baby somethin' hot
But when the sun finally is slippin'
Into somethin' more befittin'
For walk along the beach by the bay
We'll give some time to findin' a way
But not today, no, baby, not today
'Cause today we're gettin' down to
What we never get around to
Our to-dos will be infused with
Lots of time for me 'n' you
We can't wait another day
Or watch the hours waste away
So hurry up and turn it down without delay
So turn the tube off, my love
'Cause we've had more than enough
Of all that stuff they call reality on TV
The only thing I know for real
Is your Buddha smile
And the way you make me feel
When it shines a while
Though I suppose in some scenario
You could decide it's time to go
And as you turn to walk away
I'll turn you back gently to say
Not today
No baby not today
Not today, not tomorrow
Don’t you never, ever go away
No baby not today
© 2011 Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA
4/30/2011
Hit the snooze button, honey
Doesn't matter rain or sunny
I don't care if the sky is blue or green
Got no doubt we could find
A dozen reasons to grind
Another work-a-day day through the mission machine
We never lack for excuses
For the race we run
We hit the track and take our bruises
But we never get done
Our agenda's on a bender
It's demanding our surrender
And declaring that there's no other way
But even if it's true I say
Not today, not today, not today
Drop that newspaper, baby
It'll make us both crazy
Tryin' to follow all the tragedy and politics
Sure, we need a good solution
For tsunamis and pollution
Still, they're gonna have to wait another day for a fix
Right now my only worry
Is the whistlin' pot
Tellin' me it's time to brew
My baby somethin' hot
But when the sun finally is slippin'
Into somethin' more befittin'
For walk along the beach by the bay
We'll give some time to findin' a way
But not today, no, baby, not today
'Cause today we're gettin' down to
What we never get around to
Our to-dos will be infused with
Lots of time for me 'n' you
We can't wait another day
Or watch the hours waste away
So hurry up and turn it down without delay
So turn the tube off, my love
'Cause we've had more than enough
Of all that stuff they call reality on TV
The only thing I know for real
Is your Buddha smile
And the way you make me feel
When it shines a while
Though I suppose in some scenario
You could decide it's time to go
And as you turn to walk away
I'll turn you back gently to say
Not today
No baby not today
Not today, not tomorrow
Don’t you never, ever go away
No baby not today
© 2011 Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA
4/30/2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
NCPDP Telecom Island
Our esteemed President and Founder, Dr. Ross D. Martin, was recently called upon to provide his informatimusicology services for the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP). You may recall that one of Dr. Martin's earliest informatimusicology works was a song for NCPDP's 30th anniversary, "The Legend of Bob the DERF." This time, Charlie Oltman of Target Corporation was to receive the Benjamin D. Ward Distinguished Member Award. He wanted a song about the NCPDP Telecommunications Standard to work into his acceptance speech and had drafted some words to the tune of the theme song for Gilligan's Island.
Dr. Martin was far too busy for such an engagement, but wanted to help his venerated colleague. They agreed to an exchange wherein Mr. Oltman would make a donation to Dr. Martin's new pet project, Launch: An Emerging Artist Fellowship (more on this in a later post) in exchange for Dr. Martin editing and recording the song for NCPDP's Annual Conference award ceremony.
Here are the lyrics and the MP3 for "Telecom Island" published for posterity. Those unfamiliar with the esoteric content will simply have to join NCPDP for enlightment.
"Telecom Island"
(With apologies to Gilligan and Friends)
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale
Of a telecom journey
That started out with UCF’s
At N-C-P-D-P
At N-C-P-D-P
3.2 had a mighty run
Then 5.1 endured
As hundreds joined in all the fun
For a another HIPAA tour
Then HIPAA started getting rough
Our tiny DERFs got tossed
If not for the members and the fearless staff
Our standards would be lost
Our standards would be lost
Our Council set its sites on making sense of HIPAA II
Like Benjamin D Ward, to
Our mission we stayed true
Our mission we stayed true
In no time we had made the move
To version D-dot-Oh
Now we prepare for HIPAA III
We'll see how far we go
Remember this one rule
If you should let your cell phone ring
You'll have to tell a joke or dance
Or worse you'll have to sing
Or worse you'll have to sing
So join the fun four times a year
To get the chance to see
Our President
Her yeoman Staff
The Co-Chairs and the Board
The Task Group Leads
And the rest
Here at N-C-P-D-P
Dr. Martin was far too busy for such an engagement, but wanted to help his venerated colleague. They agreed to an exchange wherein Mr. Oltman would make a donation to Dr. Martin's new pet project, Launch: An Emerging Artist Fellowship (more on this in a later post) in exchange for Dr. Martin editing and recording the song for NCPDP's Annual Conference award ceremony.
Here are the lyrics and the MP3 for "Telecom Island" published for posterity. Those unfamiliar with the esoteric content will simply have to join NCPDP for enlightment.
"Telecom Island"
(With apologies to Gilligan and Friends)
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale
Of a telecom journey
That started out with UCF’s
At N-C-P-D-P
At N-C-P-D-P
3.2 had a mighty run
Then 5.1 endured
As hundreds joined in all the fun
For a another HIPAA tour
Then HIPAA started getting rough
Our tiny DERFs got tossed
If not for the members and the fearless staff
Our standards would be lost
Our standards would be lost
Our Council set its sites on making sense of HIPAA II
Like Benjamin D Ward, to
Our mission we stayed true
Our mission we stayed true
In no time we had made the move
To version D-dot-Oh
Now we prepare for HIPAA III
We'll see how far we go
Remember this one rule
If you should let your cell phone ring
You'll have to tell a joke or dance
Or worse you'll have to sing
Or worse you'll have to sing
So join the fun four times a year
To get the chance to see
Our President
Her yeoman Staff
The Co-Chairs and the Board
The Task Group Leads
And the rest
Here at N-C-P-D-P
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The Meaningful Yoose Rap Music Video - World Premiere
The American College of Medical Informatimusicology
Proudly Presents
The Meaningful Yoose Rap
Written and Performed by Dr. HITECH
You can also see the Rap in HD on Vimeo:
Trying to figure out what eligible providers have to do to receive incentive payments from CMS for the meaningful use of electronic health records? Everything you need to get started is right here, delivered in under three minutes.
Just like the HITECH Interoperetta, The Meaningful Yoose Rap is shared under the Creative Commons Attribution, Share-Alike license, which means that you are free to post or present this video without charge, but we ask that you keep the credits intact. And do let us know if you present it at a large meeting or publish it on the web.
Please share this video with others and post comments on the Informatimusicology blog, YouTube or Vimeo, "like" it on Facebook, give it stars... whatever you can do to spread it around.
Deepest thanks to the dedicated and talented friends and colleagues who volunteered many evening and weekend hours to make The Meaningful Yoose Rap possible, especially filmmaker Ishu Krishna who brilliantly directed, edited and co-produced this video. The production team included Stuart Trouton, Kareem Abdelsadek, Ryan Kim and Chris Wacek. Malik Bradford brought the soundtrack to life with his audio engineering wizardry. Son T (aka, RobotBoy2001) and wife Kym offered acting talents and patience. Back-up rappers included Cara Campbell, Kaushal Dadhania, Janelle Hu, Missy Hyatt, Liesa Jenkins, Robert Reitz and Jas Singh.
Thanks to Gail Hinte who said, "Someone should do a rap on meaningful use to that 'Pants on the Ground' tune!" and to Andrew Weniger who responded, "I know the guy who's crazy enough to do it."
Mr. HIStalk and Inga provided the venue to debut it at the 2010 HIStalk reception at HIMSS. Dr. David Blumenthal, upon seeing a live performance of the "Final (Rule) Cut" version, commented, "That would be great to see on YouTube," which was enough encouragement to spend the time getting it done and gathering the folks who could help make it happen.
Though many hands were involved in making this video possible, the opinions expressed within are solely the responsibility of the author, our esteemed President, Founder and Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatimusicology, Dr. Ross D. Martin, aka Dr. HITECH.
Now let's put the patient first and do some Meaningful Yoose!
Still More Fun
Want to rap along? Lyrics are available here. We will post a karaoke version MP3 sometime soon, so start practicing!
Becoming the world's leading medical informatimusicologist doesn't happen overnight. Dr. Martin has been writing and performing HIT songs for years, starting with The Legend of Bob the DERF for NCPDP in 2004, followed soon thereafter by The MedBiq Song for MedBiquitous, The Patient is Waiting for HL7, and The X12 Song for, you guessed it, X12 (still need to post that one).
Want to know more about Dr. Martin? His neglected website is at http://www.rossmartinmd.com/.
The Meaningful Yoose Rap - The Final (Rule) Cut Lyrics
CMS published the final rule on incentive payments for the meaningful use of electronic health records after the debut of The Meaningful Yoose Rap at the 2010 HIStalk reception at HIMSS, which required an update of the rap's lyrics. The new version swaps out the standards used to achieve meaningful use with the fifteen core objectives required of eligible providers.
Say Yo!
Yo!
C'mon say Yo!
Yo!
Now say H-I-T
H-I-T
C'mon say H-I-T
H-I-T
Yo, all you doctors won't you lend me an ear
While this wannabe hip-hopper sez what's goin' on here
Just take a look at the HITECH Act
It says EHR and you say, "Tell me somethin' new, Jack!
EHRs have been around for a while
They cost an arm and a leg and then they cramp your style"
You do a double-take... "Yo, Home, now how can this be?
It says Uncle Sam is lookin' to give some money to me!"
And so I'm here to tell you that this message is for real
But there's just one way to make it into this deal
Goin' paperless ain't nothin' if you ain't got the juice
You got to interoperate and show some Meaningful Yoose
Two-oh-eleven's when the money starts to flow
So you bettah listen up to hear the things you need to know
You need an EHR that does interoperability
And gets a thumbs-up from a certifying entity
They'll put it through the paces to make sure it'll jive
With all the bits, bytes and regs then it's time for you to drive
If you do what I'm sayin', you won't be chasin' a wild goose
You'll be on your way to showin' Meaningful Yoose
Meaningful Yoose, Meaningful Yoose
Here's what you need to know for doin' Meaningful Yoose
Ya' got fifteen objectives ya'll required to do
I'll rap 'em out for ya' then you'll add a few
Order Entry, test HIE, office visit summaries
E-prescribin', interactions, medications, allergies
Diagnosis, demographics, vital signs, smokin' status
Give patients record access, don't let the hackers attack us
Quality report, decision support
That's the core then from the menu ten choose five more for
Meaningful Yoose, Meaningful Yoose
Takin' care of patients doin' Meaningful Yoose
By now you're prob'ly thinkin', "Man, somethin' ain't right
This dude ain't got the moves and his rappin' ain't tight"
You got that one straight... I may not be too cool
But this message is important, so I'm willing to play the fool
Now tip your hats to the cats from the ONC
They're the ones under the gun to set the stimulus dough free
Startin' state HIEs and makin' Beacons from Communities
Fundin' SHARP and training and RECs
All the money's movin' out so there will be no excuse
For not puttin' patients first and doin' Meaningful Yoose
So get hip to what I'm sayin'... cut the power loose
And get your forty-four Gs for doin' Meaningful Yoose
Get your forty-four Gs or more for Meaningful Yoose
Put the patient first and do some Meaningful Yoose
Say Yo!
Yo!
C'mon say Yo!
Yo!
Now say H-I-T
H-I-T
C'mon say H-I-T
H-I-T
Yo, all you doctors won't you lend me an ear
While this wannabe hip-hopper sez what's goin' on here
Just take a look at the HITECH Act
It says EHR and you say, "Tell me somethin' new, Jack!
EHRs have been around for a while
They cost an arm and a leg and then they cramp your style"
You do a double-take... "Yo, Home, now how can this be?
It says Uncle Sam is lookin' to give some money to me!"
And so I'm here to tell you that this message is for real
But there's just one way to make it into this deal
Goin' paperless ain't nothin' if you ain't got the juice
You got to interoperate and show some Meaningful Yoose
Two-oh-eleven's when the money starts to flow
So you bettah listen up to hear the things you need to know
You need an EHR that does interoperability
And gets a thumbs-up from a certifying entity
They'll put it through the paces to make sure it'll jive
With all the bits, bytes and regs then it's time for you to drive
If you do what I'm sayin', you won't be chasin' a wild goose
You'll be on your way to showin' Meaningful Yoose
Meaningful Yoose, Meaningful Yoose
Here's what you need to know for doin' Meaningful Yoose
Ya' got fifteen objectives ya'll required to do
I'll rap 'em out for ya' then you'll add a few
Order Entry, test HIE, office visit summaries
E-prescribin', interactions, medications, allergies
Diagnosis, demographics, vital signs, smokin' status
Give patients record access, don't let the hackers attack us
Quality report, decision support
That's the core then from the menu ten choose five more for
Meaningful Yoose, Meaningful Yoose
Takin' care of patients doin' Meaningful Yoose
By now you're prob'ly thinkin', "Man, somethin' ain't right
This dude ain't got the moves and his rappin' ain't tight"
You got that one straight... I may not be too cool
But this message is important, so I'm willing to play the fool
Now tip your hats to the cats from the ONC
They're the ones under the gun to set the stimulus dough free
Startin' state HIEs and makin' Beacons from Communities
Fundin' SHARP and training and RECs
All the money's movin' out so there will be no excuse
For not puttin' patients first and doin' Meaningful Yoose
So get hip to what I'm sayin'... cut the power loose
And get your forty-four Gs for doin' Meaningful Yoose
Get your forty-four Gs or more for Meaningful Yoose
Put the patient first and do some Meaningful Yoose
Friday, February 18, 2011
IBM Announces Next Deep Challenge for Watson...
Building upon their recent success dominating world champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter in the Jeopardy! IBM Challenge, scientists at IBM are ready for an even more ambitious challenge for Watson: becoming the next American Idol. They are targeting the 2014 season for Watson’s entrĂ©e into the world of musical divas and showmen.
Especially now that Simon Cowell is out of the picture, Dr. David Ferrucci believes Watson will have no trouble getting through first-round auditions. Cowell's illogical comments (such as, “I’m not trying to be rude, but you are absolutely dreadful and should never sing in public again.”) often caused Watson’s processors to freeze up. IBM scientists were also unwilling to risk Watson having a catastrophic meltdown, based upon analysis and emulation of the behaviors of contestants from prior seasons. Says one internal source who did not wish to be named, “We are pretty sure Watson has figured out the launch codes for at least two nuclear world powers and we don't feel comfortable with how he might react."
Once through the auditions, the IBM figures he will sail through Hollywood Week. "At least he won’t forget the words,” says Wlodek Zadrozny from the Algorithms team.
They also believe there is a place for synthetic vocals in pop music today. Andy Aaron, who lead's Watson's speech team, says, "We've hired will.i.am as a consultant to figure out how he makes his voice do that cool, computery voice thing and mimic that." Apparently, IBMers have not discovered Anteres Auto-Tune.
Once they make it to the viewer voting rounds, they expect the whole thing to be a slam dunk. "How do you think Clay Aiken made it so far?" says marketing lead David Shepler. We hacked into the cell phones of every employee of Accenture and robo-called right up until the last week--we didn't want it to look too obvious. After all, we nerds have to stick together."
No word yet on whether they will be changing Watson’s avatar presence such as adding robotics, facial expressions and sudden outbursts of emotion or irrational exuberance. “Reuben Studdard pretty much just stood there and he won, so we don’t see the problem,” says Ferrucci.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Dr. Blumenthal Discusses Registration for EHR Incentive Programs
Operators are now standing by for eligible providers to sign up for meaningful use incentive dollars. It could use a rhythm track, but it's big enough news to make it onto the Informatimusicology blog. Learn more at:
and
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