| My first husband was a volunteer fireman. He spent many years with the local department ... |
|
|
|
| Posted by Robin Bellamy at | | | |
|
Hi, my name is Robin and I'm an ebay addict.
I admit that I am powerless ... |
|
|
|
| Posted by Robin Bellamy at | | | |
|
Is that what HMO stands for? It lately seems to me that "Health Management" and "Organization" shouldn't be grouped together--it's kind of an oxymoron. I have several doctors, and with one of them, my chiropractor, my file had become rather unweildy. Ive been going at least once a week for nearly a year, as rehabilitation from my car wreck. So the doctor instructed one of his staff to reduce my file. She did, and in the process nearly threw away many records that I may have needed access too in the future.
My general practitioner, who sees my whole Canadian branch of the family, has several shelving units full of stuffed files on all her clients. She works with four other doctors in the center, who each have at least as many folders. While this might be a boon to the shelving and file folder companies, I think it does the patients AND the staff a disservice.
Recently I found a practice management software system I'm recommending to both these doctors, and thought I would pass it along here in case any of you think your health team could use some organizational help. The company who sells the software (and provides training and support services) is called VirMedice and is based out of Arizona. They offer software called NexGen EMR and NexGen EPM which is simple to use and install on the office computers. The software is preloaded with templates according to the specialty of the doctor (if desired) and puts all patient information--from prescriptions to billing--in one database. That database is then held online (very securely coded) so it can easily be accessesed not only by office staff in the office, but staff from working from home or linked referral doctors.
This is phenomenal software. When you enter a new medication for a patient, it alerts the doctor to any possible conflicts with other medications. It has disease management capabilities--when your doctor has made a diagnosis and enters it into the software, standard tests and treatment options automatically appear so that your doctor doesn't miss anything. Labwork can be ordered with just a few clicks of a mouse, and repeat prescriptions are just as easy. All this in addition to the regular things office software should have--like appointment scheduling, charting, and billing. There are even patient education modules so the doctor has all the things he or she needs for the patient literally right at the fingertips. It doesn't have to be completely paperless either--there is always an option to print anything stored. Additionally, since the records are stored offsite on the server, if there would ever be a fire the records are not lost.
One of the best features, in my opinion, is something they call "remote patient care". This is a function that lets the chart be downloaded onto a portable computer device--a laptop, a handheld, etc--for use in making hospital rounds or working from home. You aren't tied to the office and you don't have to carry around the big files. More importantly, your doctor doesn't have to keep everything in memory! Doctors see a lot of patients--who can expect them to have accurate memory of the ones visited in the hospital? Along with that feature is something called "moblie solutions" which means that any authorized agency/doctor can immediately access and update the file via an internet connection. Notes made by a specialist are immediately available rather than waiting for them to be transcribed and faxed or mailed. This software can fax, too, as it is capable of generating whatever document is needed and faxing it to any number. There is even a voice recognition option--doctors can speak directly to the computer which will type thier words into the file. What a time saver! Could save money too--the doctor wouldn't have to pay someone to transcribe.
My doctors need this. I suspect yours do too. Write down this link and take it with you to the next visit to your physician: www.virmedice.com
This blog has a sponsor. For more information on sponsorship please email me at robin at triedit dot net. |
|
|
|
| Posted by Robin Bellamy at | | | |
|
Ive been teaching/helping people trace thier family roots for decades. It's something I find interesting--almost obsessive.
But recently Ive been coaching a friend through her research because she wants to prove her Native American heritage.
Lots of people have similar goals for thier research. Some want to "prove" they descend from a Revolutionary soldier--either as a matter of pride or for registry with the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). In the first case, I see that pride is ok--but in the second--and in that of my friend--it seems a little racist. Or something-ist.
Why should some groups of people have special priveledges? Why should your bloodline decide if you are "entitled"?
Holding a "Native" card means lots of things--from discounts to land incentives and more. Being a member of the DAR can get you scholarships for education. Proving eligibility into "Founders of Ohio" or "Sons of the Confederacy" is supposed to give you some sort of social leg up over your "peers"--all based on who had sex sometimes hundreds of years ago rather than who you are and what you contribute to society.
Royalty is a great example. How is one automatically fit to rule just by bloodline?
But it goes further than that. Are you "white" just because only one of your grandparents was black? If so, is there a benefit to that? And vice versa of course--Ive known people who have been rejected in the black community because only one of thier ancestors were black. Seems to me there's no good purpose in that.
I think Im going to add discussion of this to my genealogy teaching. While I do believe that it's important to know your family history, I think it should be a matter of pride rather than entitlement. |
|
|
|
| Posted by Robin Bellamy at | | | |
|
| We finally did it. We finally replaced the wrecked Camry. Actually we replaced the old ... |
|
|
|
| Posted by Robin Bellamy at | | | |
|
| I learned about grocery shopping with coupons practically from birth. My mom can squeeze a ... |
|
|
|
| Posted by Robin Bellamy at | | | |
|
| As many of you know, I totalled our 2000 Camry enroute to Louisville last May. ... |
|
|
|
| Posted by Robin Bellamy at | | | |
|
My 7 year old is not a morning person. Not by a long shot. But I think this unique gift may save the day. In fact I may just got order one as soon as I'm done yapping about it.
The boy doesn't hear his alarm clock. It just doesnt register. Or on the odd occasion that he does hear it he already knows, at age 7, how to hit the snooze button. Today I found an Flying Alarm Clock. How cute is that? He loves planes so this will appeal to him on that level but it will also get his lazy butt out of bed to turn it off. How many of us need something like this to really motivate us?
Here's a video of what it does:
How cool is that? The only way you can get it to shut off is to put the propeller back onto the base. And that noise on the video is the actual sound this thing makes. I can think of nothing more annoying.
These people are geniuses. And masochists. I can't decide whether to send Flying Alarm Clocks to friends and family or to my worst enemies! It's only about $25 so maybe I'll send them to everyone *grin* We'll see who is still speaking to me afterwards!
Seriously though, this website is a great resource for unusual gifts . My sister would love the pink tool kit they offer. And for her husband a beer glass that holds five cans of beer! There's no end to the fun and interesting stuff they have there. They also have a wide selection of informational dvd's--lots of "how to" stuff. They take all major credit cards, you can order via an 800 number and talk to real live people when you do. They ship worldwide and send out the order within 24 hours of recieving it.
It's only February, but I think I'll start my Christmas shopping at vat19 !
*thanks to all the sponsors of Robin's Blog Blather! |
|
|
|
| Posted by Robin Bellamy at | | | |
|
Ok I didnt sign up for this.
When I married and moved to Canada I was prepared for SOME snow and SOME cold. To be honest, the cold hasn't really been such a big issue. We have an underground garage and I don't really go anywhere where Im walking in the cold for very long. Plus my daughter Rachel crocheted me an extra long and extra wide scarf--in my favorite color--and I can wrap it in such a way that I don't need a hat. I detest hats. So the cold, while I complain some about it, isnt really an issue.
But the SNOW~ holy cow. Last year we got nearly nothing, and I was perfectly ok with that. Now we've got more snow than we did in the 1990's when the mayor called out the army to help. Ive seen some decent snow storms. There was a blizzard in Parkersburg, WV in....81? 82? and my engine froze solid and we had some good snow. I was stuck in a radio station with one other person because nobody else could get in to run things. So he and I took turns sleeping on the floor and eating from the vending machine. But by Monday morning things were navigable again and although my engine still hadn't thawed I could walk the couple of miles home.
The other major snowstorm I remember was in Havelock, NC of all places. Was really a freak storm as they NEVER get snow down there. It's only 20 minutes from the ocean! It snowed maybe 6 or 8 inches, completely covering parked cars and thigh deep to my toddlers. They have no snow removal capabilities in eastern NC so it took awhile to get over that one. Plus it was just a couple of days before Christmas so "santa" was really going to have to be creative for stocking stuffers...
Once it snowed waist deep to my youngster in West Virginia. She jumped off the porch into the snow and couldnt move. That was entertaining.
But this snow in Toronto...oh my...how to describe it. First of all, it comes and comes and comes this year. Two or three good storms a week--minimum two inches. It's a good day when we "only" get two inches. A couple of weeks ago when this started, the plows were keeping up. Eventually, though, the piles of snow alongside the road and sidewalks got to be 5 feet high. Dangerous driving because you couldnt see oncoming traffic if you were turning. Additionally, Toronto is very urban--there's simply no place to shovel snow to. So they removed it to dump trucks and found several fields around the city to dump the snow into. One of those spots is vacant land along side the railroad tracks across the street from my apartment building.
The first night they started piling snow there I didnt know what was going on. I kept being awakened by BANG and beep beep beep and diesel engine noise. Finally the third or fourth time I got up I managed to locate the sounds outside my office window. Sleep was ok after that because I knew what the sounds were. Plus it stopped after a day or two. For about a week.
Now it's back again because the snow continues to fall. We've had so much Ive lost count. In one day (Feb 7, just two weeks ago) we had 40 cm in one day. And there have been at least three MAJOR snow events since then. And it's snowing today as well. Only a couple of centimenters so far (it's about 10am now) so they arent even bothering to plow yet. They don't start that til 5cm have fallen (about two inches) Add to that temperatures that are either -14C (about 6 F) or 2 (about 33 F) so it thaws and freezes--sometimes in a matter of a couple of hours. As of last week, Toronto had recieved 130 cm of snow in 2008--that's about 52 inches or 4 feet--through Feb 12. We've had at least three MAJOR snowfalls (10 cm or more) since then. Standing, undisturbed snow in a field is about 5 feet deep--and that is after some thawing and rain last week.
But my gripe is really about this ski hill they are building across the street. They have formed a circle in the field with the heavy equipment in the middle and only one entrance/exit. The snow hills are at least 4 stories high. In many places you can no longer see the trees. And they are working 24 hours, seven days a well. BANG, beep beep beep beep BANG, rev rev...on and on and on.
I wanna go home. Im going snow crazy! |
|
|
|
| Posted by Robin Bellamy at | | | |
|
Way too long since I blogged. You see, Ive been suffering from a bit of ... |
|
|
|
| Posted by Robin Bellamy at | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
