An Information Services Update

As I sit here brainstorming the latest and greatest news from SHM and the folks at Information Services, it surprised me to realize that I have been with SHM for exactly two years.

When I look back at some of our accomplishments—launching a brand new SHM Web site, creating six new Web-based resource rooms around specific disease states, launching an online career center for hospitalists, and opening a hospitalist legislative advocacy center—I can’t help but think about the talented people who have brought us this far and how they will make your experience with SHM even more valuable and exciting in the years to come.

Our interactive designer, Bruce Hansen, came to SHM with a variety of skills and life experiences, including time spent working with the Peace Corps in the Ukraine. Bruce is our ace Web guru at SHM, and not only is he responsible for SHM’s Web site, but he also leads the development of the resource rooms that many of our members have come to use as a resource in their daily professional lives. Through Bruce’s leadership and intense dedication to making our Web site as easy for each of you to use as possible, you will begin to see dramatic improvements in the format of SHM’s Web site homepage. Coming in the summer of 2007, we will also be launching improvements on how to navigate and move through the Web site, making it much easier to get to the information you need.

In the Web-sphere, cool graphics and easy-to-use links are important, but content is king, and that has been the primary focus of our project assistant, Lubna Manna. Lubna came to SHM with a background in creating programs for PDAs and phones, which she will be drawing from as SHM begins to introduce resources for iPods and other handheld devices. In addition to helping many of our members with questions about our Web site, Lubna has been working with the staff at SHM to find new and dynamic ways to present the information you need, when you need it, through our Web site. Understanding how many of you currently use our Web site has given us a glimpse into what matters most, and Lubna is finding ways to change how and where we deliver information via the Web to make sure it is easy for you to find the information you need.

Our most recent addition to the Information Services team, Travis Kamps, our Web production assistant, is a wizard of sorts when it comes to anything new or cool on the Web or in other technologies. Over the next couple of months, Travis will work hand in hand with Bruce to create resource rooms that are easier to use and provide you with ways to access these quality improvement resources, whether you are just starting out in QI or are an old pro. With Travis’ help and guidance, we will also begin to see how the Internet and SHM can foster an online community in which hospitalists can network, share ideas and questions, and create a collaborative environment from which all of our members can benefit.

Of course, in any organization, there are many things that go on behind the scenes that others don’t see or know about. Have you ever wondered where all the maintenance and support staff at Disneyworld work? Believe it or not, they are just below your feet as you stroll down Main Street. In Information Services, a lot of what we do is just below your feet or behind the scenes, but we are here, and we are dedicated to finding new, creative, and innovative ways to ensure that you get the biggest bang for your buck from your SHM membership.

In the coming months, you will see improvements to your membership experience through the Web site, at the 2007 Annual Meeting, and in the products and services that are all part of your SHM membership. We are always trying to find new ways to provide you with the resources you need to make a difference in your hospital and in the healthcare that you provide. With your help and support, I am confident that the next two years will be exciting and valuable to you. TH

As I sit here brainstorming the latest and greatest news from SHM and the folks at Information Services, it surprised me to realize that I have been with SHM for exactly two years.

When I look back at some of our accomplishments—launching a brand new SHM Web site, creating six new Web-based resource rooms around specific disease states, launching an online career center for hospitalists, and opening a hospitalist legislative advocacy center—I can’t help but think about the talented people who have brought us this far and how they will make your experience with SHM even more valuable and exciting in the years to come.

Our interactive designer, Bruce Hansen, came to SHM with a variety of skills and life experiences, including time spent working with the Peace Corps in the Ukraine. Bruce is our ace Web guru at SHM, and not only is he responsible for SHM’s Web site, but he also leads the development of the resource rooms that many of our members have come to use as a resource in their daily professional lives. Through Bruce’s leadership and intense dedication to making our Web site as easy for each of you to use as possible, you will begin to see dramatic improvements in the format of SHM’s Web site homepage. Coming in the summer of 2007, we will also be launching improvements on how to navigate and move through the Web site, making it much easier to get to the information you need.

In the Web-sphere, cool graphics and easy-to-use links are important, but content is king, and that has been the primary focus of our project assistant, Lubna Manna. Lubna came to SHM with a background in creating programs for PDAs and phones, which she will be drawing from as SHM begins to introduce resources for iPods and other handheld devices. In addition to helping many of our members with questions about our Web site, Lubna has been working with the staff at SHM to find new and dynamic ways to present the information you need, when you need it, through our Web site. Understanding how many of you currently use our Web site has given us a glimpse into what matters most, and Lubna is finding ways to change how and where we deliver information via the Web to make sure it is easy for you to find the information you need.

Our most recent addition to the Information Services team, Travis Kamps, our Web production assistant, is a wizard of sorts when it comes to anything new or cool on the Web or in other technologies. Over the next couple of months, Travis will work hand in hand with Bruce to create resource rooms that are easier to use and provide you with ways to access these quality improvement resources, whether you are just starting out in QI or are an old pro. With Travis’ help and guidance, we will also begin to see how the Internet and SHM can foster an online community in which hospitalists can network, share ideas and questions, and create a collaborative environment from which all of our members can benefit.

Of course, in any organization, there are many things that go on behind the scenes that others don’t see or know about. Have you ever wondered where all the maintenance and support staff at Disneyworld work? Believe it or not, they are just below your feet as you stroll down Main Street. In Information Services, a lot of what we do is just below your feet or behind the scenes, but we are here, and we are dedicated to finding new, creative, and innovative ways to ensure that you get the biggest bang for your buck from your SHM membership.

In the coming months, you will see improvements to your membership experience through the Web site, at the 2007 Annual Meeting, and in the products and services that are all part of your SHM membership. We are always trying to find new ways to provide you with the resources you need to make a difference in your hospital and in the healthcare that you provide. With your help and support, I am confident that the next two years will be exciting and valuable to you. TH

As I sit here brainstorming the latest and greatest news from SHM and the folks at Information Services, it surprised me to realize that I have been with SHM for exactly two years.

When I look back at some of our accomplishments—launching a brand new SHM Web site, creating six new Web-based resource rooms around specific disease states, launching an online career center for hospitalists, and opening a hospitalist legislative advocacy center—I can’t help but think about the talented people who have brought us this far and how they will make your experience with SHM even more valuable and exciting in the years to come.

Our interactive designer, Bruce Hansen, came to SHM with a variety of skills and life experiences, including time spent working with the Peace Corps in the Ukraine. Bruce is our ace Web guru at SHM, and not only is he responsible for SHM’s Web site, but he also leads the development of the resource rooms that many of our members have come to use as a resource in their daily professional lives. Through Bruce’s leadership and intense dedication to making our Web site as easy for each of you to use as possible, you will begin to see dramatic improvements in the format of SHM’s Web site homepage. Coming in the summer of 2007, we will also be launching improvements on how to navigate and move through the Web site, making it much easier to get to the information you need.

In the Web-sphere, cool graphics and easy-to-use links are important, but content is king, and that has been the primary focus of our project assistant, Lubna Manna. Lubna came to SHM with a background in creating programs for PDAs and phones, which she will be drawing from as SHM begins to introduce resources for iPods and other handheld devices. In addition to helping many of our members with questions about our Web site, Lubna has been working with the staff at SHM to find new and dynamic ways to present the information you need, when you need it, through our Web site. Understanding how many of you currently use our Web site has given us a glimpse into what matters most, and Lubna is finding ways to change how and where we deliver information via the Web to make sure it is easy for you to find the information you need.

Our most recent addition to the Information Services team, Travis Kamps, our Web production assistant, is a wizard of sorts when it comes to anything new or cool on the Web or in other technologies. Over the next couple of months, Travis will work hand in hand with Bruce to create resource rooms that are easier to use and provide you with ways to access these quality improvement resources, whether you are just starting out in QI or are an old pro. With Travis’ help and guidance, we will also begin to see how the Internet and SHM can foster an online community in which hospitalists can network, share ideas and questions, and create a collaborative environment from which all of our members can benefit.

Of course, in any organization, there are many things that go on behind the scenes that others don’t see or know about. Have you ever wondered where all the maintenance and support staff at Disneyworld work? Believe it or not, they are just below your feet as you stroll down Main Street. In Information Services, a lot of what we do is just below your feet or behind the scenes, but we are here, and we are dedicated to finding new, creative, and innovative ways to ensure that you get the biggest bang for your buck from your SHM membership.

In the coming months, you will see improvements to your membership experience through the Web site, at the 2007 Annual Meeting, and in the products and services that are all part of your SHM membership. We are always trying to find new ways to provide you with the resources you need to make a difference in your hospital and in the healthcare that you provide. With your help and support, I am confident that the next two years will be exciting and valuable to you. TH