Robin's Blog Blather

Dead folks, weird stuff and other oddities
AMBER ALERT
With permission from the family of this 14 year old girl, I'm posting her
picture here and asking that anyone who may have information regarding her
whereabouts to please email me immediately with details. She was last seen
in the Calgary area.

*photo removed*
 
 
She was last seen in Calgary ten days ago. This family is a personal friend
of a friend of mine. If you see her, please contact the police and drop me a
note and I will get the info to the family immediately.
 
Thanks. And please post this everywhere you think it might help. Include my
email if you want to -- robin@triedit.net


UPDATE--- This child has been found and returned to her family. Thank you to everyone who sent prayers or support. If you have hotlinked this photo or have it on your own site/forums, the family asks that you remove her photo.

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Posted by Robin Bellamy at 6/26/2008 11:41 AM | View Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Healthcare Rant
My car insurance people sent me to see a doctor called a physiatrist.  This is ...
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Posted by Robin Bellamy at 6/6/2008 3:36 PM | View Comments (34) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Firefighter training
My first husband was a volunteer fireman.  He spent many years with the local department ...
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Posted by Robin Bellamy at 4/24/2008 6:39 PM | View Comments (163) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (1)
Confession
Hi, my name is Robin and I'm an ebay addict.

I admit that I am powerless ...
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Posted by Robin Bellamy at 4/24/2008 3:08 PM | View Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Health Management Organization
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.

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Posted by Robin Bellamy at 4/24/2008 11:52 AM | View Comments (55) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Proving Heritage
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.

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Posted by Robin Bellamy at 4/19/2008 4:22 PM | View Comments (7) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
It is done
We finally did it.  We finally replaced the wrecked Camry.  Actually we replaced the old ...
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Posted by Robin Bellamy at 4/1/2008 1:15 PM | View Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
I'm Cheap
I learned about grocery shopping with coupons practically from birth.  My mom can squeeze a ...
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Posted by Robin Bellamy at 3/30/2008 10:06 PM | View Comments (36) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
The New Car
As many of you know, I totalled our 2000 Camry enroute to Louisville last May.  ...
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Posted by Robin Bellamy at 3/30/2008 9:56 PM | View Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
I have to have one of these
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!

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Posted by Robin Bellamy at 2/22/2008 11:08 AM | View Comments (2) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
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