Author: DOuG pRATt

Paper for Old Skin

I had a routine appointment at a large dermatology practice this morning. When I first saw a dermatologist there, for a biopsy that turned out to be melanoma, they had paper medical records. Six years later, they still don’t have an electronic medical record system. Appointment scheduling and billing yes, but EMR no. Why that is, I don’t know, but it’s interesting they’re a holdout. My guess is the owners don’t want to invest the money and deal with the hassle of transcribing all of those records, because their long-term plan is to sell the business.

A hospital in a small neighboring city is one of the last in the area to still be a customer of my former employer. Cost is the obvious reason why. The leading HIS/EMR software, from Epic Systems, is typically much too expensive for a small community hospital. Last year I chatted with an employee at the hospital, who said of my alma mater’s system, “you get what you pay for.” Ouch! Well now it appears they’ll be getting Epic after all. A pattern that I have seen played out many times over the past 10+ years is about to be repeated. The hospital has announced its intention to be acquired by a regional medical center that, I’m certain, will convert them to their existing Epic system.

Going In Breaking Bad Style

Someone who I know checks this site every so often might remember me liking Going in Style, when it came out in the memorable month of December, 1979. I haven’t seen the 2017 remake.

The premise of three average, old, law-abiding men robbing a bank is silly, but a lot of what happens in the story is at least plausible. The point of the movie isn’t the robbery, but the lives of the three retired friends who share a low-rent New York apartment to save on expenses.

Last night I watched Going in Style with an old man’s appreciation. Checking on their ages, George Burns, 83, was old enough to be Art Carney’s father. At 61, Carney was younger than I am now. With that in mind, Carney’s interest in women is established early in the movie. It’s one of the plausible parts. 😉

Carney’s character is tempted to take advantage of an opportunity with an obviously top-dollar “working girl” at a casino. Burns spoils it by indicating there’s no point in offering. Some friend he is!

I have no big point to make about the movie other than remembering how young I was when first seeing it, and realizing I’m now in the age group of the characters.

P.S. How plausible is it that all three men were widowers? Not very. A hidden subplot must be that at least one of them was a murderer before turning to robbery.

BMOC Wannabe

My dreamy-eyed college ID photo. The staple holes came from meal passes.
Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions was a favorite record during my freshman year of college. “Jesus Children of America” was a significant song for me. I had started doing Transcendental Meditation at the end of my senior year of high school (my assigned mantra was “ee-mah”), and my involvement with a church at home had extended to joining a Christian Fellowship group on campus.

I haven’t listened to the album all the way through in many years. My 50-year-old copy of the LP is playing now, and Innervisions is every bit as accomplished and enjoyable as I remember it.