MEDICAL INFORMATICS SECTION
MLA MIDYEAR REPORT 2003-2004

Goal 1: Recruitment, Membership and Leadership in the Profession

The MIS website has been updated with current information. Marty Brennan, webmaster, resigned in December, and a new webmaster, Nic Cecchino was appointed. A web redesign, an objective for MIS this year is scheduled for spring.

Michael Kronenfeld took over the membership chair duties from Shawn Manning earlier this year, and he is working with Nic Cecchino to develop a members-only listserv in time to distribute ballots for elections in February. Michael Kronenfeld also is working with the membership committee to design a new MIS membership brochure, to be ready for the 2004 MLA annual meeting.

In August, Zoe Stavri, Chair-Elect, resigned suddenly due to health reasons. The MIS Board, following instructions in our bylaws, appointed Beth Layton as the new Chair-Elect of the Section.

Wallace McClendon brought the draft standards for the Electronic Health Record (EHR) to the attention of MLA President, Pat Thibodeau. [Last July, the HHS Secretary Thompson had charged the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the HL7 to develop the standards.] Pat Thibodeau then asked the Medical Informatics and Hospital Library Sections to comment. Wallace McClendon mentioned to Pat that it was important that an electronic health record standard include provisions for linking the record to knowledge-based information sources. The draft standards have not yet been accepted. Work continues on their development.

Goal 2: Life Long Learning

The objectives for this goal included holding a journal club on technology trends and forecasting and expanding the self-education resource project on the website. To date, these objectives have not been achieved.

Goal 3: Advocacy

The section donated $1000 to the Donald A.B. Lindberg Research Fellowship Fund. The section helped promote applications for the Medical Informatics Section/MLA Career Development Grant.

Goal 4: Creating and Communicating our Knowledge

Work continues on finalizing the following programs for MLA 2004:

“Sharing the Power Part 2*: Bioinformatics Education and the Library” co-sponsor with the Molecular Biology and Genomics SIG. This presentation will feature an invited presentation and contributed papers.

“Power Partners: What Medical Informatics Can Do for Medical Librarians and What Medical Librarians Can Do for Informatics”, co-sponsor with the Medical Library Education Section. This presentation will feature invited speakers.

“Educating the 21st Century Health Professional”, co-sponsor with the Educational Media & Technologies Section, Public Health and Health Administration Section and the Internal Cooperation Section. This presentation will feature contributed papers.

The section has submitted an idea for a symposium for MLA 2005. The working title is “Integrating Changing Technologies into the Strategic Planning Process”.

Goal 5: Building a Network of Partners

Expanding the journal club participation internationally has not yet been accomplished. The MIS directory/portfolio section of the MIS website was promoted, but the actual participation was very limited. There are now 35 members that have filled out individual profiles for the directory.

Medical Informatics Section Board

Nic Cecchino, Web site editor
Patricia Friedman, Section Council Representative
Nunzia Guise, M.D., Immediate Past Chair
Taneya Koonce, Secretary/Treasurer
Mike Kronenfeld, Membership Committee Chair
Beth Layton, Chair-elect
Wallace McClendon, Professional Development Liaison
Sandi Parker, Bylaws Committee Chair
Nancy Roderer, Governmental Relations Committee Liaison
Ruth Riley, Nominating Committee Chair
Jean Sayre, Chair

Respectfully submitted, Jean Sayre, Medical Informatics Section Chair.

Motion

This report is informational and requires no action by the Board of Directors.

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