tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13828412024-03-05T05:15:18.239-05:00Ross D. Martin, MD's Personal BlogA semi-regular diary of Dr. Martin's musings.
Read. Discuss. Act.Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-67444738926976643562018-07-14T17:35:00.002-04:002021-06-16T17:05:27.633-04:00Hi Seth This is RexSo I was dusting the house today and listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Akimbo by Seth Godin. At the end of every episode, Seth does a Q&A where he responds to questions from listeners of the prior podcast. This Q&A session is always preceded by a nice little intro with lots of voices from people saying, “Hi Seth, this is so and so calling from somewhere” with this funky upright Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-91160987143630214812017-12-05T21:22:00.000-05:002017-12-23T09:39:38.389-05:00Miss Isabella Rainsong and Her Traveling Companion: A One-Guitar Show
Anyone who has started talking to me about creativity over the last eight years or so has probably heard me mention this "play with music" I've been noodling on since 2009 (or since I was born, depending on how you
count). After lots of dreaming, but not a lot of action, it's finally becoming a real thing.
Miss Isabella Rainsong and
Her Traveling Companion: A One-Guitar Show
Written Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-28260107741520377062017-10-12T16:45:00.000-04:002017-10-13T09:11:40.941-04:00digituRN
The American College of Medical Informatimusicology
is pleased to present the World Premiere of
digituRN
dig·i·tuRN \'dij·i·tərn\ tr verb:
to transform the nursing profession
through the application of informatics
and digital innovation.
Written, performed, produced and edited by Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA, Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com08600 University Blvd, Evansville, IN 47712, USA37.9582437 -87.674693813.252979199999999 -128.9832878 62.663508199999995 -46.3660998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-8647315182971597312016-10-27T14:57:00.002-04:002016-10-27T14:57:34.765-04:00What's a Voter to Do?This is not a rant about the upcoming elections or the downgrading of political discourse in America. This is a post about the unsexy mechanics of making sure our democracy works. Two days ago, I wanted to look up the down-ballot issues and candidates for my district as I've heard so little this election season apart from the presidential race. I went to the Maryland board of election site and Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-51173931966502903802015-08-15T15:22:00.000-04:002015-08-15T15:22:22.646-04:00Flow - A Spoken Word Piece about Health Information Exchange
On Monday, August 17th, 2015 I begin a new chapter as Program Director for the new Integrated Care Network initiative at CRISP, Maryland's health information exchange. We will be providing data to healthcare providers to enhance their care coordination efforts and providing additional care coordination tools to some of those providers who don't already have these capabilities in place.
Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-6423063162308062242015-08-14T15:23:00.000-04:002015-08-14T15:23:57.961-04:00How to Quit Your Job"Take this job and shove it."
Sure, it makes a catchy hook for a song and maybe helps us get through some of the rougher work days as we imagine ourselves boldly walking into the boss's office, doling out these choice words, and walking out.
But however satisfying in the moment or the imagination, quitting in a huff certainly isn't the most elegant solution for dealing with a challenging job Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-35910606007689788182015-05-16T02:32:00.001-04:002015-05-16T02:34:03.109-04:00Maybe Not the End of the World as We Know ItMy wife and son were on their way home from a school outing to Hershey Park. So I had an evening to myself and OD'd on Big Bang Theory on TiVo. My favorite part is reading Chuck Lorre's vanity cards at the end. He is my hero -- the guy I thought I would be someday when my geek self and my creative self made babies that ended up in film or on TV. So his vanity cards at the end of every show Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0Germantown Germantown39.157105 -77.281511tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-16177439887669416302015-03-06T18:07:00.000-05:002015-03-06T18:07:29.973-05:00A Family Apart - Book Review of Craig Steffen's Poignant MemoirA Family Apart - Sleuthing the Mysteries of Abandonment, Adoption and DNA by Craig A. Steffen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
First, a disclaimer: Craig A. Steffen is a decades-long friend, a former roommate, a former boss, and former client. My goal here is to convince you that my five-star review is unsullied by my longtime association with Craig.Second, read to the end to learn how to get a free* copyRoss Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-35247934731946372632013-10-13T14:53:00.000-04:002013-10-13T14:53:14.212-04:00The Boy at the Gate by Danny Ellis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Boy at the Gate is a deeply personal memoir. It speaks to the lost child in every soul by channeling a boy's confused, innocent, desperate voice to convey the story, then weaving an adult's wisdom and perspective into the book to fill in the gaps and contemplate the life lessons that can be drawn from such a harrowing childhood.
Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-16232524983427152312013-04-08T20:23:00.000-04:002013-04-08T20:23:33.939-04:00Reflection - A New ACMImimi Video ProjectI am cross-posting this from my ACMImimi blog. Thank you for helping make a great video that can inspire others...
I've written a new song, "Reflection," that speaks about the cancer journey as seen through the eyes of a caregiver and lover of one experiencing cancer. You can listen to an acoustic demo of the song at ReverbNation or through the widget below. The lyrics are at the end of this postRoss Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-53673009895938659102012-12-12T00:13:00.001-05:002013-05-26T13:22:35.882-04:00A Man among Millions
Today was my last day as a Specialist Leader at Deloitte Consulting. It was a special day. I got to be the emcee for ONC's all-day session on health information exchange at their annual meeting in DC. It was a day spent with people with whom I have been working for the last three years from all over the country -- many with whom I had worked shoulder to shoulder as I traveled to more than a Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-65820706132626324072012-12-09T21:08:00.004-05:002013-03-18T14:32:57.731-04:00Decisions, DecisionsClearly, I am not a dedicated blogger. After sharing a string of posts on Kym's cancer journey, six weeks came and went without a peep from me or a peck on the keyboard for this blog. But those six weeks have been anything but mundane. Kym is recovering beautifully from her initial surgery and is feeling great. She continues to focus on the full-time job of deciding on and preparing for her Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-46007792637471259442012-10-24T17:30:00.000-04:002013-03-18T14:32:39.215-04:00The Sling is the Thing
We saw Kym's plastic surgeon, Dr. Doug Forman, on Monday (one drain down, one to go!). One of his staff members commented on how they recommend their patients wear a sling, but most don't heed the advice.
I bought this $12 sling at CVS for Kym after her latest breast biopsy. Then as now, it has really helped keep Kym comfortable postoperatively. It is easy to put on and take off, is Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0Germantown, MD, USA39.1731621 -77.271650239.1239231 -77.3506142 39.2224011 -77.1926862tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-88853765125856192202012-10-22T18:31:00.001-04:002013-03-18T14:32:22.550-04:00Love Delivers
Like many folks these days, we have a home phone that receives many more calls than are answered as most calls are of the telemarketer / political campaigner sort. But we've been answering more calls this week... and the door... and email as friends and colleagues have been pouring out love and concern.
We have been so grateful for these thoughtful gifts and words of encouragement. They Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-40223816752145555752012-10-21T14:26:00.000-04:002013-03-18T14:31:29.679-04:00Happy Birthday to MeThere's just no denying it -- today was not a birthday full of celebration. I like birthdays all right and am not particularly afraid of uttering my age (48) or of getting older. I still feel like I'm just getting started and, other than the occasional back problem stemming from high school marching band (I was a 5-foot tall bass drummer) and my recent need for reading and driving glasses after Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-88190117883386832752012-10-20T23:39:00.000-04:002013-03-18T14:25:39.341-04:00Breast Cancer Couture
Kym and I made a quick stop to see the plastic surgeon the day after Kym's mastectomy. We wanted to make sure her Jackson-Pratt drains were working properly as one of them seemed to be blocked. Everything was working fine and we got a chance to take a quick peek under the dressing to see Dr. Forman's handiwork. The site looked great. We had been concerned about the integrity of Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-57043414860863499112012-10-17T18:25:00.001-04:002013-03-18T14:25:15.211-04:00Kym's Drive-By MastectomyIn my brief career in obstetrics (in the early '90s), HMOs were coming into fashion. The big patient advocacy kerfuffle was all about "drive-by deliveries" -- where the HMOs were pushing to get new mothers out of the hospital in 24 hours.
How times have changed! Kym's 7:30am mastectomy and the first phase of reconstruction went off without a hitch. She rolled out of the OR before noon and we Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0Germantown Germantown39.157076 -77.281731tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-58047378491631407562012-10-17T15:53:00.001-04:002013-03-18T14:24:37.971-04:00No Nodes is Good NodesWhat could bring a smile to the face of a woman whose breast has just been surgically removed from her chest?
Hearing your surgeon say, "Your nodes are negative."
Kym is sore, sleepy and very happy. Definitive pathology results will come in a few more days, but we have every reason to believe that Kym's cancer has not spread beyond her right breast.
My bride will be coming home with me very Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-30367663528128735832012-10-17T12:22:00.002-04:002013-03-18T14:23:13.371-04:00The Waiting PlaceYou can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...
...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waitingRoss Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-60563151119415756402012-09-04T11:36:00.000-04:002012-09-04T11:36:15.032-04:00HL7 Announces Free StandardsBack in 2006, I was one of three final candidates to be the first CEO of HL7. My big push in my final interview was to advocate for changing HL7's business model to make HL7 standards free for use. I strongly believed that doing so would present a short-term risk as the organization transitioned from relying on membership and license fees to trusting that a different kind of Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-22799329303969182492012-02-19T19:26:00.001-05:002012-02-19T19:26:05.319-05:00Behold, the Power of TwitterBehold, the power of Twitter! I arrive at a store at 6:55pm to grab an essential item for #HIMSS. Door locked, employees inside ignoring my pleas. I type the following the following message on my iPhone: "Employees at #[NameofNationalChain] in Germantown decide to close early and won't let me in the store." Held my phone against the front window and knocked until one of them finally came over to Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-59887033332070624692012-01-29T22:27:00.001-05:002012-12-12T00:23:07.532-05:00On Life and Making Other PlansThis is the last of a three-part posting about my dance with the love of my life, my wife Kym. You may want to read Part I, Shall We Dance?, then Part II, Romance, Meet Reality, and see Regina Holliday's post on the remarkable Walking Gallery paintings she made for us.
Our Wedding Day - Summer Solstice 2000
John Lennon's famous quote--life is what happens when you're making other plans-Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-24323209423962455802012-01-24T00:23:00.002-05:002012-12-12T00:24:08.664-05:00Romance, Meet RealityThis is Part II of what will likely be a three-part posting of the story of my dance with the love of my life, my wife Kym. You may want to read Part I, Shall We Dance?, first and see Regina Holliday's post on the remarkable Walking Gallery paintings she made for us over the weekend.
Regina Holliday's Walking Gallery Painting:
"Knowing the Score"
In December of 1996, I left Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-91461087799228017062012-01-22T00:50:00.001-05:002012-12-12T00:21:55.930-05:00Shall We Dance?
Regina Holliday's Walking Gallery Painting:
"Love is an Ever-Fixed Mark"
The incomparable Regina Holliday is, as I write this post, painting a portrait on one of my wife's jackets as part of her Walking Gallery collection of images depicting patient-centered care issues. She finished my jacket, pictured above, earlier this evening. It captures her interpretation of the story of how Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1382841.post-791506255967369312011-09-11T09:13:00.000-04:002011-09-11T09:13:00.230-04:00Remembering 9/10 and the Days that FollowedOn 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 Ross Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14133264758384138110noreply@blogger.com0