E-Borne Newsletter : Sept, 2004
Roger P. Freeman, D.D.S., Editor Roger@iAwareables.comDear friends and colleagues,
Back again in all our pre-election infectiousness! Don't know about you, but we're thinking a nice rash would be more fun than this presidentary. The Founding Fathers would probably like to re-negotiate with the Brits, about now. Let's see...would that be the red states or the blue states...?
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Pathogenic Preview:
- UH, OH...SOMEONE'S GONNA TELL...
- YOU'LL HEAR IT HERE, FIRST!
- BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU CUT. IT MAY BE MINE.
- CONFERENCE UPDATES – Washington D.C.
- SCRUBS ARE US...SOON.
- LOOM & DOOM - The Nile, the 'Cow, Al Capone's little problem and the world's first CyberVirus on silk.
1. NO MORE "SECRETS"
Much like the end-of-days for medical malpractice records being "privileged information," the days look numbered for "confidentiality" of hospital infection rates. "The disclosure train is leaving the station," said an epidemiologist recently. "Providers must get on board." Some states have already passed laws for nosocomial (hospital acquired) infection rate disclosure, and similar laws are percolating in many others. What does this mean to you et moi? Simply that you'll probably be able to access the infection rates of your fav hospital BEFORE you present yourself for slicing and dicing. The point? A little tough love for hospitals and personnel, punctuating prevention, and "encouraging" greater compliance with hand washing and other infection control protocols. You simply do not want to know the percentages of staff (professional and otherwise) that - for reasons both understandable and not - fail to lather up before touching this 'n that.
2. WE'RE ON IT!
We created our Anthrax/Biohazard neckwear designs circa 2000, well ahead of you-know-what/eleven. On the back we featured a cautionery note marking anthrax as a potential bioterrorism threat. Lo and behold....9/11... and iAwareables.com spiked to the fourth busiest site in cyberspace - for 4 days! The media was all over us, salivating with the prospect we likely jumped on the crisis with motivum profiterole. Fortunately, common sense about timelines prevailed - and we escaped media smackdown. Segue to 2004: one month after our West Nile design (see below) launched, Los Angeles county was declared the Epicenter of the West Nile virus epidemic, with the first fatality from the bird blight occuring only 5 miles from our offices as the crow flies. A case of truly being on top of this stuff!
3. OOPS "TIME OUT"
Hoping to reduce the growing incidence of surgeries gone south (and other directions), the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has mandated a "timeout" prior to cutting and pasting you and yours in hospital operating rooms. The JCAHO plans to get very annoyed and even revoke accreditation of any hospital that doesn't comply with this new safety checklist procedure. Can you hear it? "Yo, prepped guy, ..that you? We doin' kidneys today?"
4. CONFERENCE REPORT FALL 2004
ICAAC (Antibiotics and Chemotherapy) and APHA (Public Health) in Washington, D.C. Oct 28 -November 10. Two weeks in DC, mingling with the pols at election time. This cannot be a healthy thing.
5. SCRUBS ARE COMING!
After years of suffering abuse from our pathogenically passionate Aware-o-philes, we're pumped about the pending outbreak of our exclusive IA Design Scrubs. We've teamed up with a great company (SmartHealth) to co-mingle their luxurious (no exfoliation with these babies) 100% cotton S.C.R.U.B.S. collection with our exclusive designs, creating the world's first "nosocomially-conscious" scrub wear. First Edition Staph due in early 2005. These garms are truly kewl, and make a steroidal statement about awareness and prevention. Stay tuned, we'll keep you looped.
6. MORE LOOM AND DOOM...
- New, currently on board and spreading:
- West Nile Neckties: Tx to Purdue U. Scientists for beautiful original images. Boilermaker colors for the Big Ten purists.
- Mad Cow Prion Neckties. Well Done!!
- Syphilis Neckties redux: Al would be proud.
Looming:
- "My Doom," the world's first CyberVirus necktie! Who needs Norton to protect your digits!? Tx to the Purdue U. very CERIAS techies for their inspiration and support.
- West Nile Scarves: Bird BorneAgain.
- Mad Cow Prion Scarves: So stylin' you'll get the wobblies.
- Malaria/RBC Scarves: Thanks to Dr. Fairhurst at U.C.L.A. for slides of this signet-ringed 'site.
- Testosterone neckties: Blue 3200 will be out of remission mid-October. No worries, mates!
The Holidays are just around the corner (arghh). Forget the fruitcakes this year, and consider an awe-inspiring Awareable for that special person on your "what-to-give" list.
'Til the Grinch gets it in gear,
Awareably yours,
RPF
Roger P. Freeman, D.D.S., and THE IA TEAM
