TCR’s Center for Advanced Research on Emerging Healthcare Technologies Presents Invited Systems Track Presentation

“Impacts of Meaningful Use and What’s Next: The Next Generation Accountable Care Organization Model”

Abstract–In 2009, with the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), the federal government authorized twenty-one billion dollars to launch the Meaningful Use program. The goal was to encourage healthcare providers to use electronic health record systems, and thereby facilitate electronic information sharing among healthcare providers, patients, and clinical data registries. The Meaningful Use program succeeded in promoting adoption of electronic health record systems – at considerable cost and with mixed results. In April 2015, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) was signed into law by President Obama. Under provisions of MACRA, Medicare reimbursements to health care providers will be based on demonstrable improvements in patient outcomes and reduced health costs, and not for the use of electronic health record systems per se. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced the Meaningful Use program will end in 2016 and will be supplanted by other initiatives, such as the Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model. Accountable Care Organizations are composed of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers and suppliers that voluntarily collaborate to offer coordinated, quality care at lower cost to Medicare patients. This paper discusses impacts of Meaningful Use and why meeting its goals presents formidable challenges. To comply with Meaningful Use, Medicare providers must use a certified EHR system. However, the certification process omits many key considerations critical to operational success, and does not suffice as evidence the EHR system is suitable for a particular clinical setting. Innovative, holistic solutions are needed to improve EHR interoperability, usability, and support for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance.

This paper is available in its entirety on IEEE Xplore.

 

I’m a senior currently applying for jobs and it’s hard. I decided to go to school with hopes of a better life and a high paying job, but there’s a good chance that I will work in a field I didn’t study.

I was talking to a friend who lives in Madrid and he asked me why I was paying so much money for an education when I’m not sure that I’ll even work in that field. He told me that in Spain, you choose between two routes at an early age (think sophomore year): technical skills education, or standard education which includes going on to university. Most people take the first route because that’s how you get the job here and waste less time.

I also want to add that the jobs here have a different value. There are no rich doctors, for example. You can focus all your energy on medical school and you can do okay economically, but not to the same extent in the states. As a doctor, you get paid the same as a teacher. There is not much difference in pay between dentistry and early education.

Now, I think it’s important to learn. I know the educational system isn’t perfect. So I want to share with you what my friend advised me: Pursue what you like. If you don’t know, take time to learn about what interests you. Don’t spend years of your life pursuing a ‘good job’. When students in Spain pursue engineering or medicine, it’s because they want to. Not because they see dollar signs at the end of the tunnel.

Comments? Questions? Contact Jenesis at: Dear_Jenesis@netsafeid.com

 

 

TCR’s Center for Advanced Research on Educational Assessment Technologies presented an invited paper on “Lessons Learned Using Health Information Technology to Foster Student Interest in STEM Majors and Careers”

Abstract– In this paper, the authors describe their efforts to create a high school/post-secondary extracurricular program to encourage students to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) studies and careers. The program, Best We Can Be, uses Health Information Technology (HIT) as a foundation from which students can explore diverse topics and interdisciplinary connections. It gives students opportunities to participate in collaborative team efforts. Specific topics are selected based on input from subject matter experts, suggestions from the students’ teachers, and self-reported student interests. Best We Can Be sharpens the focus of students’ view of their opportunities. The oft-given advice, “Just follow your passion!” does not help students make optimal, rational college and career choices. Students are often unaware of their options and lack the skills to capitalize on them. Best We Can Be uses an online data collection platform to examine the feasibility and usefulness of different criteria to measure student needs and best teaching practices.

Calls for educational reform and revolutionary approaches to teaching STEM have been ongoing for decades. Recently, this has translated into action—as reflected in the explosion of new STEM programs within and outside traditional school structures. The need for effective programs that engage students in STEM learning is clear and urgent. However, as more programs are developed, we see increased competition for funds and students’ attention. Better yardsticks are needed to enable informed choices. Evaluating program impacts and quality requires universal metrics and data collection that enable a consistent and holistic perspective. Ultimately, evaluation and assessment of STEM teaching programs contributes to greater understanding of the complexities and interdependences found in educational settings. This understanding is indispensable to creating a workforce with the requisite STEM skills needed to succeed in today’s society.

This paper is available in its entirety on IEEE Xplore.

 

So there is this thing in colleges where they do their own smaller version of the widely known TED talks and, here at NYU Madrid, we had a Ted talk just this week. I, unfortunately, was running late so I missed all of the speakers except one. But better late than never. The talk I did get to listen to was really good and it was about Instagram.

My peers and I, we are abroad in Europe. There has been a lot of traveling going on. A lot of partying. A lot of exploring. So of course a lot of photos are taken and a lot of these photos are taken for the purpose of posting them on Instagram. So much so, that trips are planned for the sole purpose of taking photos rather than enjoying the experience.

Literally, doing it for the ‘gram.

That’s our loss. We spend hundreds of dollars to take a photo and not to make actual memories. There is also this idea that without the photo, it didn’t happen. But I’ve had special moments in my life where I didn’t take a photo. Instead I made a memory.

Beautiful memories, just for me. No photo, but they happened.

Comments? Questions? Contact Jenesis at: Dear_Jenesis@netsafeid.com

 

 

 

Have you ever drawn a map of your hometown?

And no, I don’t mean a map that is geographically accurate and to scale. I mean your perception of it.

Yesterday my professor had my class draw a map of Madrid. My map showed where I live and the surrounding area, where I went to school, the soccer stadium, my gym and the neighborhood around my gym. It also had where I interned and the nearby river where I would have lunch with my coworkers. It had Sol, which is Madrid’s Times Square, and two other neighborhoods I spent a lot of time in: Chueca and Malasaña.

This map basically reflected where I spent most of my time and where I neglected to explore. This exercise also allowed me to see what their Madrid was like.

I’m going to bring this back to when I did the Urban Design in London program hosted by my school. During this three-week program I was never in a classroom. Instead my professor took us everywhere and told us stories about everything.

While I was in London the goal was to see as much of the city as possible. My homework was to live; Go to events. See sights. Go out with friends. Experience London to the upmost capacity because that is how you can ever hope to know it. That is how you ever hope to know any city and its people.

Now, I share this because it’s interesting to see how restricted you get by your comfort zone and routines. It limits you. Be limitless. Challenge your barriers because that’s how you learn.

Comments? Questions? Contact Jenesis at: Dear_Jenesis@netsafeid.com

 

 

 

It’s the last week and I am scrambling to get in as much time exploring Madrid before leaving. I had the luck of only having one final this week, and now all I have is time.

So what did I do? I went to the gardens near a palace for a walk. I got some chocolate and churros at the local favorite San Gines. I saw a show on Gran Via (Madrid’s Broadway). I did some last minute gift shopping. I ate at a Moroccan restaurant and visited a Mosque. Then, of course, I went out with some friends.

This entire week, I just want to take in as much of Madrid because I don’t know when I will come back, and Madrid has become my home away form. I will miss it greatly.

Which brings me to this: Savor life. Savor the moments when you’re with your friends and family. Savor the moments you spend doing regular things. One day, you may have to leave them as new life journeys unfold.

And that’s okay. Not everything lasts forever. That’s how life is, but be sure to appreciate each and every moment.

Comments? Questions? Contact Jenesis at: Dear_Jenesis@netsafeid.com

 

 

 

I am Proud. I am one of many Latinas to graduate this year. I am the first in my family to graduate from college, let alone attend college. I am grateful that my parents migrated from Ecuador so I could one day walk the stage for a diploma. Thanks to their brave decisions, I have opportunities.

Now, many people think my life was and is perfect; but no. No one’s life is perfect. For me it was hard getting to that stage. I’ve felt stuck and hopeless. I grew up in poverty and I know racism all too well. I’ve had health issues and academic trouble. Many times I thought I’d drop out of school because there were days I had no money for food. I really had no idea what I was doing taking on mucho loans just to struggle for a B-.

Somehow I never gave up. My undergrad career may not have been perfect, but I somehow managed a GPA over 3.0. I gave my family a day to remember and I gave my fellow latinx, particularly my younger Ecuadorian friends, hope.

Just know that whatever path you choose, you can do it.

It’s not about how well you go through the storm, it’s about getting to the end.

Comments? Questions? Contact Jenesis at: Dear_Jenesis@netsafeid.com

 

 

Right out of college and life is great! No more homework. No more tests. But wait, what’s this?! Debt.

If you took out student loans to get through college, chances are, about the time you graduate, you are given a link to an online activity. It helps you learn about your loan options and helps you add up how much you owe. This usually happens about the time you graduate.

I’ve always felt that education is something worth investing in, and I always felt hopeful in regards to my finances. But then, I really looked at my options, how much I owed, and realized how hard it is to get a job. On top of this, what about rent? Phone service? Internet? Water? Electricity? Food? Medical insurance? What about my dream of getting a PHD? My family?

Life got real. For a bit, my mind went south. Brought on by fear, negativity began to set in. Many worries and doubts spread poison into my head.

I need to get a job. I need to get a job. I need to get a job worth my degree. I can’t settle for less.

Then my dear cousin talked to me. He saw how worried and desperate I felt. He reminded me that I can do it. If I set my mind to it, I can do it. He said that my bigger problem now is my fear.

I mean, it’s like driving. You can handle all types of situations better if you stay calm and act accordingly. It also helps to have a good support network to help you see clearly through times of stress.

Comments? Questions? Contact Jenesis at: Dear_Jenesis@netsafeid.com

 

 

 

After a period of adjustment, I can honestly say I love living in Madrid.

People are nice, but direct and they expect you to be direct. If you ask for their opinion, whether positive or negative, they will tell you without hesitancy.

People expect you to be proactive. Here’s an example: At work, your boss will mention he’s going out with someone for lunch. Normally, in the US, that would be the end of it. In Spain, you are expected to invite yourself to join them, too.

I’ll be honest, my Spanish is a little bit of an obstacle; which is actually weird because, well, Spanish is my first language. My family is from Ecuador and I grew up in an area dominated by Latinos, so I can speak Spanish. So then, what was wrong? I didn’t use it often.  I found my vocabulary limited.

It was tough at first getting conversations started –  what do I talk with Spaniards about beyond how things are in the states? Life here isn’t centered on what is going on in America, but what’s going on in Spain.

So what did I do? I read the news. I asked questions. I pushed myself to immerse myself in the Spanish language and culture and to ask millions of questions.

I adjusted. I eat Spanish food. I watch Spanish television. I read the Spanish news in Spanish. I use their slang.

It’s just what I’ve been told before: the best way to get to know a city is by getting lost in it. Hence, I explored Madrid so that I could become more familiar with my surroundings. I walk everywhere and anywhere because putting yourself out there is how you learn and grow.

Comments? Questions? Contact Jenesis at: Dear_Jenesis@netsafeid.com