17th VistA Community Meeting

Registration & Cost

Click here for non-member registration.

Current WorldVistA members should have received an e-mail with a URL for member registration.  If you believe you are currently a member in good standing and have not received an e-mail, please contact Peter Bodtke (e-mail address for contacts are at the end) as soon as possible.

Cost

WorldVistA members in good standing: $200 / Non-members: $300 (includes 1-year membership).  Lunches and food & drink at breaks are included in the fee. 

Sponsorships, Waivers, Scholarships and Benefactors

Please contact K.S. Bhaskar or Peter Bodtke if your organization would like to sponsor a lunch or breaks.

If you are a WorldVistA member, and you will be making technical contributions to the conference, you may request a waiver of the conference fee.  Please contact Nancy Anthracite, K.S. Bhaskar, or Peter Bodtke to request a waiver.

In previous VistA Community Meetings, thanks to donations from benefactors, we have been able to offer a limited number of "scholarships" to those who have the potential and interest in contributing to the VistA community, but who have not yet acquired the expertise to make technical contributions.  Please contact K.S. Bhaskar, Peter Bodtke or Maury Pepper to request a scholarship - or if you or your organization would like to make a donation to fund scholarships.  Donations can be made anonymously or as named funds that are publicly acknowledged.

About the 17th VistA Community Meeting

The goal of VistA Community Meetings is to allow those involved in the VistA Community to network & collaborate, i.e., to share ideas and work, with the objective of moving VistA & the VistA community forward.  VistA Community Meetings are highly interactive, hands-on, working meetings.  Please come prepared to contribute as well as to learn.

Compared to most meetings, VistA Community Meetings are relatively unstructured.  The agenda is always a draft agenda, because the attendees are free to change it – even during the meeting – in order to better meet their objectives.

VistA Community Meetings were originally almost exclusively technical meetings.  Over time, the balance has shifted, so that although there is still a strong technical focus, there are increasingly discussions on other aspects, including implementation, support, demonstration, education, training, and WorldVistA organizational issues (e.g., membership).

Please come prepared to discuss your interest in and work with VistA.  If you wish to present material, please come prepared with your presentation, either electronic or a poster.  There will be ample opportunities to present your work to others who are interested.

To send suggested changes to this agenda, please e-mail K.S. Bhaskar or Peter Bodtke.  Also, if you have actually implemented VistA in your organization, please contact us as soon as possible - we would very much like to schedule time for you to talk about your implementation.

New!

In response to feedback from the last meeting that 45 minute time slots were too short for some topics, we plan to provide 90 minute time slots for long talks at this meeting.  Please contact K.S. Bhaskar or Peter Bodtke if you would like a long slot.

(Relatively)New

At this meeting, we are continuing some features introduced at the 16th VistA Community Meeting.  You can sign up in advance, as well as at the meeting.  First come, first served.  Please contact us to sign up.

1. Vendor Showcase - short sessions for each vendor to present their expertise.
2. Lightning talks - short presentations by anyone on any topic that they would like to present on.

Tour of VA Medical Center, Martinsburg, West Virginia

Note: we were not able to schedule a tour of the VAMC Martinsburg to dovetail with the VistA Community Meeting.

Location, Facilities

The 17th VistA Community Meeting will take place at Shepherd University, in the Student Center on King Street, Thursday, June 26, 2008 morning through early afternoon, Sunday, June 29.

Wireless Internet access is expected to be available.  Your computer will need to meet the requirements of Shepherd University student computers, and will need to be registered at the meeting before you can get Internet access.

There will be ample parking, because the dates are between university sessions.

The nearest major airport is Washington Dulles International (IAD).  The nearest Amtrak train stations are at Martinsburg (MRB) and Harpers Ferry (HFY).  MARC operates commuter trains to Harpers Ferry and Martinsburg.

Note that there is no regularly scheduled transportation between Dulles and Shepherdstown.  The following businesses provide transportation between Dulles and Shepherdstown.

• Formal Express Inc. / (304) 876-2625 / (888) 401-2872 / formalexpress1 *at* aol *dot* com
  $120 per trip (one way) - sedan seats 3 or 4 / $150 per trip (one way) - limo seats 6 or 7
  Tip not included.  CALL IN ADVANCE.
• Marcel's Limousine Service / (304) 260-1244 / (866) 434-1244
  Prices are per trip (one way).  Sedan seats 4.  $104 Dulles (IAD) / $137 Regan (DCA) / $130 Baltimore (BWI)
  CALL IN ADVANCE.

• Clarion Hotel - Shepherdstown, WV / (304) 876-7000
  $78 per person (one way).  MUST BE BOOKED IN ADVANCE.

Contact K.S. Bhaskar, Peter Bodtke or Maury Pepper for access to an online resource for car-pooling and ride sharing.

Acknowledgements

WorldVistA would like to express its appreciation to Peter Groen, Director, Shepherd University Research Corporation and  Professor Burton Lidgerding, Dean, School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Shepherd University for hosting this meeting at Shepherd University.  Thank you very much.

Meeting Organization

If you would like to make a presentation, please contact K.S. Bhaskar or Peter Bodtke as soon as possible.

Tracks for VistA Community Meetings are ultimately decided by the attendees, their interests and their ability to present.  Below are the current tracks for the 17th VistA Community meeting.  Please contact the coordinators for more information on each track.  Please contact K.S. Bhaskar or Peter Bodtke to provide feedback and discuss the tracks themselves.

• Special CHC track: Migrant and Community Health Centers - Coordinated by Johanna Barraza-Cannon & Matt King

• Technical - Coordinated by Dave Whitten & K.S. Bhaskar
  
• VistA Installation & Configuration - Coordinated by Nancy Anthracite, K.S. Bhaskar, and Peter Bodtke.
  
• If you come with a laptop or PC, you will be able to leave with a free / open source VistA software stack running on it.  This stack is based on Linux:
• In the event you want Linux installed on your hard drive, you will be able to do this at the meeting.  If you are running a version of Microsoft Windows, please defragment your hard drive beforehand and ensure that you have at least 5GB free.  The installation process will create a new partition from the free space and configure your PC to dual boot.  If you plan to do this, back up your PC before you come to Shepherdstown - although the installation is generally safe, we don't want your PC to be the exception.
  
• If you do not have or wish Linux installed, please bring your laptop and a 2GB USB flash drive - you will be able to run a free / open source VistA stack without touching your machine's hard drive.  This option is also available to Macintosh users.
• A VistA software appliance can also be installed to the hard drive of a Windows XP or Vista PC.  Please ensure you at least 2GB free.
  
• Other tracks depending on interest.

Lodging

We have arranged for a block of rooms at a group rate at:

Comfort Inn, 70 Maddex Square Drive, Shepherdstown, West Virginia, US, 25443.  Call the hotel directly at (304) 876-3160 and ask for the WorldVistA group rate of $78/night.  Fax: (304) 876-3161.

Since the Comfort Inn indicates that they are full, please also look for hotels in nearby Martinsburg, WV and Charles Town, WV.

Living Agenda

The meeting's living agenda is still evolving and will continue to evolve till the end of the meeting.  Check back regularly.

In addition to the above, topics of interest include:

• Implementation site report
• Supporting languages and development tools
• New developments
• Privacy
• Certifications and standards
• Panel discussions
• Drug and procedure issues

Please contact K.S. Bhaskar or Peter Bodtke with suggestions or to volunteer to give a presentation.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

0800	Arrive, network, pick up name tags (area outside Ballroom)
0900	Meeting Overview and Logistics by K.S. Bhaskar, Co-founder and Director, WorldVistA (Ballroom)
0915	Welcome to Shepherd University by Prof. Burton Lidgerding, Dean, School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Shepherd University (Ballroom)
0930	Keynote Session (Ballroom) Medicaid and Health Information Technology - CMS Funding and Strategies by Jessica Kahn, Project Officer, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
1015	Break - refreshments provided
1030	Introductions (Ballroom) Since networking and collaboration are the most important goals of VistA Community Meetings, an important activity at VistA Community Meetings is for all attendees to introduce themselves.  Each of us will take a maximum of 60 seconds to tell the group: Who I am and what organization(s) I am associated with. What my interest in VistA is. What would make the meeting a success for me.
1200	Lunch - provided by GT.M
1315	Plenary Session (Ballroom) 1315 The Case for Open Source Software in Community Health Centers and Other Safety Net Organizations by Matthew M. King, Medical Director, Clinica Adelante & Director, WorldVistA and David Campbell, CEO, Community Health Network of West Virginia 1400 Liberating Your System: The revolutionary role of open source software in healthcare technology by Jack L. Shaffer, CIO, Community Health Network of West Virginia
1445	Finalize tracks and agenda based on interest
1500	Break - refreshments provided
1515	Breakout into parallel tracks Track 1 (Ballroom) Track 2 (Cumberland) - In-depth 90 minute Presentations 1515 Latest Developments in RPMS by Howard Hays, RPMS Program Manager, Indian Health Service Modifications for CCHIT Certification (including e-prescribing) Well child module Pre-natal care module Enhancements to iCare in versions 1.1 and 2.0 for population health and case management Dental and practice management [Time permitting] Track 3 (Rumsey) 1515 1600 Track 4 (Potomac) 1515 Hands-on VistA Installation & Configuration activities led by Nancy Anthracite, Chief Medical Officer, WorldVistA
1645	Regroup (Ballroom) An important part of VistA Community Meetings is that we refine them as we go, and this meeting will help refine the meeting for the subsequent days. Coordinators of tracks to report on progress of and plans for each track. Feedback to organizers - what needs improvement.
1700	Dinner - on your own

Friday, June 27, 2008

0845	Announcements and introduction of those not previously introduced (Ballroom)
0900	Keynote Session (Ballroom) 0900 Federal Government's Perspective for the Future of Health Information Technology by Dr. Robert Kolodner, National Coordinator, Health Information Technology 0945 The Role of HRSA's Office of Health Information Technology in Promoting HIT and Open Source by Johanna Barraza-Canon, Director, Division of HIT Policy, OHIT, HRSA
1030	Break - refreshments provided
1045	Breakout into parallel tracks Track 1 (Ballroom) 1045 Integration of Medical and Dental Records for Chronic Care by Prof. Valerie Powell, Robert Morris University 1130 Enhancements to CPRS by Kevin Toppenberg Track 2 (Cumberland) - In depth 90 minute presentations Track 3 (Rumsey) 1045 Open Source and Clinical Quality Management by Syed Bokhari, Clinical Applications Coordinator, Clinica Adelante 1130 Clinical Decision Support - An Enabler of Better, Safer, More Efficient Care by Dr. Syed Tirmizi, Medical Informatician, Dept. of Veterans Affairs and Associate Professor, George Mason University Track 4 (Potomac) 1045 Hands-on VistA Installation & Configuration activities led by Nancy Anthracite
1215	Lunch - provided by CAP SNOMED Terminology Solutions
1330	Product, Vendor and Organization Showcase & Update (Ballroom) These short presentations will feature short presentations & updates on products, vendors and organizations in the VistA arena. 1330 Edgeware Technologies by Joseph Puthooran, President 1350 PIP - Open Source JDBC/SQL access to MUMPS data, and more by K.S. Bhaskar, SVP Fidelity National Information Services 1410 VistA Software Alliance by Claudine Beron, Chair, VSA 1430 Kabot VistA++ by Dr. Arif Toor, President & CEO, Cabot International A CPRS based EMR with .NET based Registration, Scheduling & Billing modules.
1500	Break - refreshments provided
1515	Parallel Tracks Track 1 (Ballroom) 1515 The VistA Software Development Cycle by Owen Hermsen and (remote) Rick Marshall 1600 VistA in India by Aloke Mullick 1620 Using Open Source to Fix Health Care by Roger Maduro Track 2 (Cumberland) - In-depth 90 minute Presentations 1515 SNOMED-CT by Jose C. Lacal, Manager of Consulting Services, CAP SNOMED Technology Solutions What is SNOMED-CT? [Presentation] How can SNOMED-CT and VistA work together [Group Discussion] Track 3 (Rumsey) 1515 Roundtable with Jessica Kahn and Johanna Barraza-Canon Track 4 (Potomac) 1515 Hands-on VistA Installation & Configuration activities led by Nancy Anthracite
1645	Regroup and review (Ballroom)
1700	Dinner - on your own

Saturday, June 28, 2008

0900	Plenary Session (Cumberland) 0900 VistA in West Virginia, an Update by Peter Groen, Director, Shepherd University Center 0945 WorldVistA EHR Demonstration by Syed Bokhari
1030	Break - refreshments provided
1045	Parallel Tracks Track 1 (Cumberland) 1045 Translating CPRS into Spanish by Kevin Toppenberg 1130 Pen Enabling CPRS by Madan Bellam, CEO, TeraCare Track 2 (outside Fireside Bistro) - In-depth 90 minute Presentations Track 3 (Rumsey) 1045 Free / Open Source Licensing - A Walk Through GPL v2, GPL v3 and AGPL v3 by K.S. Bhaskar 1130 Integrating emacs and GT.M by George Lilly Track 4 (Potomac) 1045 Hands-on VistA Installation & Configuration activities led by Nancy Anthracite
1215	Lunch - provided
1330	Product, Vendor and Organization Showcase & Update (Cumberland) These short presentations will feature short presentations & updates on products, vendors and organizations in the VistA arena. 1330 VistA Expertise Network by Owen Hermsen 1350 Apelon by Frank Din 1410 VistA for the Americas by Peter Bodtke 1430 Fourth Watch Software by Drew Einhorn
1500	Break - refreshments provided
1515	Parallel Tracks Track 1 (Cumberland) 1515 Accessing VistA/Fileman via EWD - Remote presentation / demonstration by Rob Tweed and Steve Owen 1600 RPMS Demonstration by Katie Grounds Track 2 (outside Fireside Bistro) - In-depth 90 minute Presentations Track 3 (Rumsey) 1515 Personal Health Record Management and VistA by Kelvin Huang 1600 MyHealtheVet by Jaime Nasuti Track 4 (Potomac) 1515 Hands-on VistA Installation & Configuration activities led by Nancy Anthracite
1645	Regroup & review (Ballroom)
1700	Dinner - on your own

Sunday, June 29, 2008

0900	Keynote Session (Cumberland) The WorldVistA Executive Team on the Spot Nancy Anthracite, K.S. Bhaskar, Peter Bodtke, Maury Pepper, Chris Richardson and Dave Whitten of the WorldVistA Executive Team will be at the front of the room for any WorldVistA organizational issues or discussion that any member wishes to raise.
0945	Product, Vendor and Organization Showcase & Update (Cumberland) These short presentations will feature short presentations & updates on products, vendors and organizations in the VistA arena. 0945 SenVis Studio by Dr. Arif Toor, President & CEO, Cabot International SenVis Studio is an application that opens previously unseen views of the three pillars of VistA infrastructure; Fileman database, Mumps routines and Kernel authorization system. SenVis Studio significantly reduces the time in all four functional areas of any application development i.e.  application analysis, design, development and maintenance. It has already proved to be an excellent training tool for new M & VistA application developers. This application is for use by Software Managers, Application coordinators, CPRS/VistA application developers, Database designers/analysts and M code quality engineers. 1005 Open
1030	Break - refreshments provided
1045	Parallel Tracks Track 1 (Cumberland) 1045 Update on exporting Continuity of Care Records from VistA by George Lilly 1130 Open Track 2 (Potomac) 1045 Hands-on VistA Installation & Configuration activities led by Nancy Anthracite
1215	Working lunch - provided Boxed lunches will be available early so that those who need to catch flights can grab a box and leave. Closing discussions Feedback to organizers Action items / follow-up
1330	End of 17th VistA Community Meeting Meeting organizers and WorldVistA executive team members are requested to stay behind to debrief
1400	Depart

Event Contacts

Nancy Anthracite / nancy *at* worldvista *dot* org

Johanna Barraza-Canon / jbarraza-canon *at* hrsa *dot* gov

K.S. Bhaskar / bhaskar *at* worldvista *dot* org

Peter Bodtke / pbodtke *at* worldvista *dot* org

Matt King / mking *at* clinicaadelente *dot* com

Maury Pepper / mpepper *at* worldvista *dot* org