MUSE is like Minecraft

Do the children (or adults) in your life play Minecraft? My boys (7 and 9) are obsessed with this game. If you are familiar with it you know that the game has very crude graphics that look like something from the 1980’s. There is not a clear goal, you don’t really earn points or defeat the dragons. If you aren't familiar with it, come out from under your rock! Microsoft just announced plans to buy it for $2.5 billion. Yes, Billion. With a ‘B.’

Anyway, I have never grasped the appeal of Minecraft through watching my kids play it, but when I heard about the Microsoft deal I became even more intrigued about its popularity. I asked my kids what it is about this game that made them so interested. Both of them responded with the same theme – ownership. Although they actually said lots of other things, “I like that my world can be however I want it; I like to know that I made it myself; I like no rules in building; I like the flexibility and choosing how I play.” What they are really saying is they have ownership in the game. And that is what drives them there.

You are mine and I love you!

Mine!

Ownership is the ultimate motivator for someone to care. Do you take more care of a rental car or your own? When you have ownership in something, whether it’s an idea, a program, or a physical object, you think of it differently and value it more than if it’s not yours.

Ownership elicits feelings of pride, happiness, comfort and security.

So, in a few ways, MUSE is like Minecraft.  You think that’s a stretch? It’s not really, though. Listen friends, MUSE is yours. You have the freedom to shape it, to grow it, to develop it. You can log in and “build your world,” as Minecrafters would say.  Logging in to MUSE can mean attending a webinar, presenting a webinar, hosting a Community Peer Group, participating in a JAM session, going to the International Conference, or even just following the forum discussions.

With the newly launched website, you have more freedom than ever to customize your profile and utilize all the interesting tools. I will highlight one of those tools here because I continue to get questions about it. The forums, or discussion groups, from the old site are now called the MUSE Bridge. You can find the Bridge discussions by clicking on “Bridge Community Discussion Groups” under the Community tab. Like this:

Once you’re on the Bridge page you can view all the topics.

If you decide to post to a thread, you have so many features to help personalize your experience. You can view the posts if you are not logged into the website, but in order to post you need to be logged into the website. This security feature keeps folks civil and helps us to maintain a valuable and active community.

In the example below I am posting in the Patient Portal folder. As you can see, the forum allows me to upload a document, photo, spreadsheet, anything really that I want to include here. I can also include emoticons, if I were so inclined (which I’m not). You can also create polls if you have a situation where that would be useful.

So log in to the website and take a stroll through the cool functionality. Make this yours!

And, as always, please let me know if you have any questions, comments or ideas.

Take care MUSE friends,

Alicia

Why Not You?

Another International MUSE Conference is in the history books. All the planning and work during the last year came to fruition and the conference ended as a success.

I don’t usually get to attend the Opening Session, but the stars aligned this year and I was able to be in the audience. The lovely and eloquent Jean Olsen, MUSE Board Chair, spoke about achieving goals and asked, “Why not you?”

During her talk and throughout the conference I saw tweets and posts about this topic. “Why not you?” unofficially developed into the conference theme.

As I continued through the week I heard about many retirements and job changes. It seems to be a time of transition for MUSE, a season to bring in new blood, an opportunity to refresh and reenergize the organization.

I think every unit, be it families, companies, churches, any group - at one time or another experiences a shift. The shift is inevitable because that’s life. But what we can control is how we respond.

MUSE is different from so many other organizations. Though it sounds cliché, MUSE really is truly about its members. We have a vey small staff to run the operations, and everything else is dependent upon the involvement of the membership.

All the education, all the networking, all the programs - they happen because of you, the MUSE members. 

Take a look at the conference photos (and tag yourself!): 2014 International MUSE Conference Photos.

You will see all kinds of people with all kinds of backgrounds. Everyone here probably had a reason to not attend, or present, or sponsor. But they did, and the conference was successful because of them.

The future of MUSE depends on the next wave of volunteers and presenters, hosts and sponsors, exhibitors and speakers. Do you want to shape the future of MUSE? Do you want to guide this 31-year-old into its next stage? Why not run during the next Board election? Why not launch or lead your own Community Peer Group? Why not present that webinar?

Why not you?

The next post will feature the top-rated presentations – stay tuned.

Take care friends,

Alicia

The Common Denominator

My favorite genre of literature is the biography. Thrilling, I know. I am currently reading a biography about Nikola Tesla, but in addition to Tesla’s life, the author of this book explores one common denominator of great people throughout history. Those great people include inventors, musicians, scientists, writers, and artists – those who made history and a lasting impact by creating or discovering. What is that something that all creators and pioneers possess that makes them able to excel?

Is it IQ? Nope, not exclusively.  Upbringing? Certainly not. Finances? Not at all. Personality? Not really.

Give up? Research and studies show that a clear common denominator is imagination!

 

Most of the things that are a part of your life were once a part of someone else’s imagination. Your iPhone, your favorite song, your car, even Pizza Hut - they only exist because someone imagined them, and then drove that dream into realty.

Yet imagination is more commonly associated with childhood rather than a grown-up tool. If I had a nickel for every time I heard, “Use your imagination” as a child … I would have about $11.65, but you get my point. As adults, I think we look at the imagination as a fanciful, Disney-ish concept, not really a useful entity in day-to-day living.

MUSE friends, you are certainly developing “life’s coming attractions.” You are creating, developing and imagining your way to better healthcare. Reflect about what most of you are doing each day in healthcare IT. Do you ever try to find a better way to do something? Do you work to create a more effective process? Do you think about how something could be possible that is not yet? Maybe not individually (or maybe!) you are all impacting healthcare and stamping your creations in history.

Back to the book I am reading - most of these historical figures also surrounded themselves with others who were working toward the same or similar goals.  Yes, they attended conferences and regularly met with peers. They pooled their imaginations for even better outcomes.

“Creativity is just connecting things.” - Steve Jobs. There is no better catalyst for creating and discovering solutions than to collaborate with others who are on the same path. Connecting with people who encounter similar problems and challenges opens new avenues. As a MUSE member, the International Conference is the premier event for you to connect, create, discover and imagine with your peers.

The 2014 conference includes sessions on just about every topic that a healthcare IT professional in a MEDITECH world could imagine! I challenge you to explore the agenda and not find at least several sessions or topics that directly apply to you. Take a look: 2014 Educational Sessions. Of course, the majority of the value of the conference probably would come from your informal conversation in the hallway with that person who just happens to be doing exactly what you’re doing.

And there is also one major surprise in store for you this year. It’s something that has taken a little bit of imagination to develop – but I hope you will all be thrilled with this new addition. Are you curious? Well, stay tuned!

Coming Soon!

See you in Dallas; come ready to use your imagination!

- Alicia

 

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Guest Poster, Sherry Montileone, Network and Support Manager, Citizens Memorial Hospital



 

My name is Sherry Montileone and I won the 2013 MUSE IEE competition.   I’m writing this article to tell you about the experience and, hopefully, get you interested in doing something “uncomfortable.” I hope you make 2014 the year to step outside your MUSE comfort zone and present, compete, serve on the board, become a peer leader, or maybe just attend the conference for the first time.

Q.  How do I participate in the IEE competition? 

A.   Detailed instructions are on the MUSE website, www.museweb.org.   It is as simple as submitting a presentation with broad appeal and being selected as an IEE finalist. When you submit your abstract, just select the option to compete in the IEE contest. You will attend the International MUSE Conference like any other attendee with the exception that your audience will contain judges (sounds scary – but you won’t know who they are).   The competition winner is announced at the closing ceremony.   If you win, you get an all expenses paid trip to present at the MUSE EU conference.    

Q.   Had you ever presented at MUSE before?  

A.   Yes, a couple of times.   I actually entered the IEE competition in 2012 and withdrew (i.e. chickened out) before the presentation deadline.   I presented that year, but not as an IEE participant. 

Q.  Did you have professional help with your presentation?

A.  No.  I had grand plans about doing so (animation, audience participation tool, etc.) – but I ran out of time and just gave a plain old PowerPoint.     The basis of my presentation was how we use technology to achieve the goals of our healthcare system’s strategic plan.   I think that resonated with people.

Q.  Did you practice your presentation and were you scared when you gave it?

A.  Yes and Yes!   I worked on and tweaked my presentation until I was almost sick.  The more I looked at it, the less I knew.  Giving a presentation is uncomfortable – but it makes you think and research and practice and learn.  

Q.  What was the MUSE EU conference like?  

A.  I loved it.  The EU conference is smaller and more personal.  It lasts two days and has fewer presentations (~ 4 / day). 

Q.  Did you learn anything at the EU conference?

A.   Yes!    And, a highlight was spending the afternoon at Alder Hey Hospital with their FABULOUS staff learning how they use MEDITECH and PACS in the National Health System.  

Q.  Were you uncomfortable traveling abroad / attending alone?  

A.  A little – but that’s part of the fun.    MUSE offered to take care of my travel arrangements – but I made them myself since I was extending my trip.    I flew into Manchester, took the train to Liverpool and attended the conference.   When the conference was over, I took the train to London, picked up my two adult daughters at Heathrow and we spent 3 days in London, Eurostar’d to France and spent 3 days in Paris.   There were plenty of times I was a little uncomfortable navigating the trains, different language, currency, etc. – but, hey, I’m getting comfortable being uncomfortable…