AMA, University of Texas & S.Ward Casscells ... Convene Symposium on Telemedicine & mHealth for Haitian Minister of Health

[CC-Conrad Clyburn-MedForeSight]

Colleagues,

Yesterday, S.Ward Casscells, M.D, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Brigadier General (Retired) James James, M.D. of the (AMA) American Medical Association, the University of Texas, with support from MedTech-IQ member, Eric Noji, MD, convened a remarkable  meeting to explore strategies for using "Telemedicine and mHealth" to help rebuild the healthcare delivery infrastructure in Haiti ...

The meeting attended by the Haitian Minister of Health, Alex Larsen, M.D., was entitled "Telemedicine & mHealth in Haiti: Applying Global Lessons to the Development of Solutions", and included representatives from:

the U.S. Federal Government - State Department (USAID), Department of Health and Human Services (CDC, NIH, NLM), Department of Defense (Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Health Affairs, TATRC);

Academia - University of Texas, Harvard University, University of Washington,  Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, George Washington University, University of Puerto Rico;

Industry - Digicel Haiti, Datadyne, Deloitte, STRATITIA, Casscells & Associates, Noji Global Health & Security, The Global Telemedicine Group; and

Civil Society - American Red Cross, Project Hope, mHealth Alliance (representing the UN Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and the Vodafone Foundation), Konbit Sante Haiti, the Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad

... Dr James opened the discussion on behalf of the host, the AMA, and pledged continuing support from the AMA's Center for Public Health Preparedness and Disaster Response, and journal, Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ...

... Dr Casscells and Minister Larsen described the challenge in Haiti, and along with other symposium discussants described a number of areas in which Telemedicine (usually thought of as fixed location services faciliitated by telecommunications) and mHealth (usually considered mobile services using cell phones) can make a material difference... 

They were:

• Dissemination of Public Medical Information
• Capture of  Distributed Medical Information at the Point of Care (POC)
  
• As a Platform for Electronic Health Records (EHR)s
• Infectious Disease Biosurveillance
• Point of Care (POC) Decision Support Systems (DSS)
• Advanced Distributed Learning - Distance Learning
• Remote Diagnostics:Ultrasound, Miniature Microscopes & Electronic Stesthescopes
• Administration (Scheduling, Registration, Reporting, Order Management, Ect.)
• Supply Chain Management
• Cell Based Payment Systems
• 
  

... Minister Larsen and his staff emphasized the need for developing robust systems for enhancing human capital thru ongoing training.  The "Father" of modern telemedicine, Jay Sanders, M.D., emphasized the importance of not chasing technology for technology sake, but to focus on the clinical problem, and then choosing the right technology to solve the problem ..

... All in all,  a good day, addressing a tough challenge.  Let's hope this is only one of many continuing efforts to support the Haitian recovery ...

... MedTech-IQ commends the conveners of this important meeting and pledges our support going forward ...

CC

[Marcia Eichenauer]

CC, are any of these men members of MedTech IQ. I am hoping to contact them, re: Christ King Of kings Network and our new media product beta test, GO Fish to link doctors and other medical professionals and institutions to address the rapes in the camps in Haiti, as you know.

Did the Minister of Haiti leave any contact information?

How was the meeting recorded? What is the follow up?

Who will be the point of contact? Will you be helping to link us/Med Tech in?

There are many skilled technology and other communications professionals who can greatly help facilitate the necessary information platform(s) to help address the many medical crises, including violence against women and children, which is our expertise.

These areas of expertise seems to be thin, at this time, ie. no live streaming as requested and despite the offer to have Christ King Of Kings help facilitate this, at no fee.

Grace and peace,

Marcia Eichenauer
[e-mail]

[CC-Conrad Clyburn-MedForeSight]

Marcia,

Thank you for the kind note.

James Tyll is the key follow-up Point of Contact. He can be reached at [e-mail]. I spoke with him this morning, and he looks forward to coordinating with you.

CC

[James M. Wilson V, M.D.]

Our team, to support Haiti and medical responders in Haiti, activated the first comprehensive infectious disease forecasting and warning center in the world (the Haiti Epidemic Advisory System, HEAS). We have over 225 partner members reporting infectious disease events. I'll write up more on this later.
Cheers,
Jim

[Marcia Eichenauer]

Jim, Christ King Of kings Network is addressing violence against women and children, with a new media and streaming media network. As you may know, today many children and women are being sexually trafficked, especially among the immigrant populations in the US. Furthermore, human trafficking is the fastest growing global crime and is tied into other criminal networks. South Africa, for example, has found links to global terrorism, and the mines afford criminals the opportunity to finance this linked criminality.

As you also may understand, violence is becoming an epidemic. We truly believe that if viewed in this way and given the raised visibility, along with awareness and education by the medical profession, this leviathan's head can be chopped off.

We invite you now given this exciting cutting edge work we both are involved in, to consider adding 'violence' and 'human trafficking' to your Haiti Epidemic Advisory System, especially to alert our networks about the horrific rapes happening with great frequency in the camps. Infectious disease certainly is liked to this type of violence.

We are interested in partnering with orgs and institutions such as yours. We are now creating a 'new system' whereby we are connecting doctors and other medical professionals to victims, with a social media beta, to come out soon.

We welcome your advise, participation, collaboration during this critical early stage development. And, we hope this linkage of mental healthcare together with infectious disease prevention will open new doors, new thinking and new minds to creating a world safe for the most vulnerable, now in Haiti.

Grace and peace,
Marcia Lynn

[James M. Wilson V, M.D.]

Marcia,

I can tell you that in the act of conducting health event tactical forecasting and monitoring, we do indeed pick up on reports of the following:

-NGO personnel kidnappings (yes, there have been more than stated publicly in the media)
-Clusters of suicides, to include Haitian healthcare providers
-Rape- the worst case we saw was a 2 year old
-Alteration in feeding and hygiene behaviors due to threat perception of violence and rape

And most importantly, the intersection of violence, perceived violation of social expectation, and civil harmony... in other words potential for civil unrest.

Cheers,
Jim

[Marcia Eichenauer]

PRAISE GOD, JIM.

Christ King Of kings Network is a group of Christians and Catholics helping to build a safety net, to protect women and children, with media and new media applications. We have been given serious consideration by leading Med Tech think tanks and others.

We are considered to have 'social engineering' as well as 'electronic engineering' implications, in that we 'lift the name of Jesus above all names, as healers.

We are as concerned as you that these issues may be becoming " out of control" and that only by the grace of God will we here today, though highly skilled and determined, be able to address infectious disease pandemics, as well as the pandemic of violence we are seeing. Lord knows, we are only a remnant.

If you are interested in becoming a part of our 'wise as serpents, guileless as doves' Net-work, email us at [e-mail].

We hope to present our beta test findings to a Med Tech conference in early 2011. We are interested in learning what the response, if any, you have received to the reports, above, especially about the rape of a 2 year old, Lord have mercy.

Of course, civil unrest is a real possibility in Haiti, has anyone addressed this, in any way, other than reporting on it? Has this fallen on deaf ears? while the media is distracted and certainly with the loss of revenue due to the new media revolution? has there been any discussion of an intersection of medical, along with military prevention, ie addressing mental healthcare?

Thank God He is leading and guiding us...through His word, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, even now, over this blog CC has so generously provided....

and for those who don't believe this is possible, we hope to be able to witness to this truth and that the Lord really does care especially about children, of which we are all seen by Him as being. And, He has given us this great responsibility to care for those who cannot care for themselves.

I wish you a relaxing, joyful weekend and hope that these matters will be addressed and that we will help prevent any further violence, together; that God's name will be given honor and glory and amongst academia, the military in the US, the Haitian government, as well as within our own hearts. He is alive and He is able. I pray for wisdom for us all. And, perhaps 'every knee will bow'? in this exciting time and arena.

Humbly, through His mercy and grace,

In Jesus Name,
Marcia Lynn

[Marcia Eichenauer]

Jim, CC and another very proactive member of Med Tech IQ who is working in Haiti and as a point person to State, Defense, Universities, etc. are discussing addressing violence against women and children. I mentioned this conversation. Can you please let me know 'how it's going in Haiti' as it relates to the issues of violence against women and children, rape in the camps, addressing the kidnappings and the fastest growing crime of human trafficking.

What do YOU think it will take to rein this in?

You have a database of 225 partner members. We work with an org that has 400 doctors, all addressing human trafficking. Perhaps we can collaborate in some way in Haiti? Our larger database includes 800 members.

I have not heard from James Tyll with Casscellsandassociates, as above.

Grace and peace,
ML

[James M. Wilson V, M.D.]

Marcia,

There are some hard realities that remain in Haiti:

1. The potential for enforcing NGO accountability disappeared with the Gulf oil crisis. Hundreds of millions, if not billions, have seen questionable return on investment at this point.

2. There continues to be an overemphasis on technology-based solutions without a complete understanding of the operational reality in Haiti. For example, these folks were using car batteries to charge their cell phones... until they ran out of money on their accounts.

3. The majority of the affected population still live in highly vulnerable settings- i.e. tent cities- with questionable access to basic needs.

4. Existing electronic medical health record systems do not touch the IDP camps, nor are they configured for non-HIV-related work. The PIH system is the specific example. Infectious disease warning is based primarily on social networking. Syndromic surveillance is currently operationally less useful due to low participation rates, aggregation of data, time delays in release of information, and lack of statistically valid baselines.

5. Reporting of suicides, rape, and so forth is largely a social networking process. We are documenting a sociological baseline seen in many parts of the world, including the United States...

6. Funding is thoroughly bureaucratized, which partially explains the lack of agility and proof of investment value thus far. The behavior of Haitian officials, on the other hand, has been counterproductive at times due to close/holding behavior and desire to maintain control of hierarchical reporting processes... this is an illusion under the current continued level of chaos reflective of the ongoing impact of the disaster.

There are a multitude of acute and chronic issues that prevent Haiti from realizing its fullest potential as a society...

[Marcia Eichenauer]

James, thank you. If you are interested in discussing each of our networks of doctors and other medical professionals and highly placed orgs and individuals as it relates to strategic efforts to address these issues I am available anytime for a phone call. We also might want to first email, to clarify some of our areas of interest and expertise. Email: [e-mail].

I am reachable by phone at 239 949 6705, best time late afternoon around 4. We would like to reply to two recent RFP's that Med Tech IQ sent out. One is for innovation, tied into a University system, (telemed related/web based / virtual); the other is a very large Defense Dept. contract, where we will be tying many orgs together, under our network umbrella.

We see an opportunity to help build a safety net on a grassroots level, using our network of over 800 Catholics and Christians, to address violence. And, have gotten very serious interest.

Again, thank you James, for all you are doing,
Marcia Lynn Eichenauer