Building Unity Farm - Creating a Brand

As we move from the farm building stage to the farm operations stage, Kathy and I are turning our attention to the basics of running our farming business.   We've filed articles of incorporation (Unity Farm LLC), created a formal land management plan for review by the town of Sherborn, built basic processes for recording income/expenses, documented options for selling our products and formulated a multi-year strategic plan leading to full recognition as an agricultural enterprise.

Creating a brand is an important step for us as we begin to build awareness of our apples, honey, mushrooms, alpaca fiber, handmade soap, and blueberries.  This morning I heard the 1970's New Seekers song "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" and it comes very close to the Unity Farm vision (replace Turtle Doves with Guinea Fowl)

"I’d like to build the world a home
And furnish it with love
Grow apple trees and honey bees
And snow white turtle doves"

Since that song is so closely associated with soft drink sales, we'll need another approach.

At the entrance to Unity Farm, a large specimen-quality sugar maple greets visitors to the property.   We've used its silhouette, shown above, to create  a logo and label for the farm.

For individual products, we'll use silhouettes of  apples, bees, Shitake mushrooms, alpaca, etc providing us name recognition and a standard labeling platform for everything we sell.

We have a Facebook page and we'll create appropriate twitter, pinterest, and other social media sites.

We've already collected this season's alpaca fiber and are spinning it into wool.   We're harvesting our first honey over the next few weeks.   We'll have our first berries in August and apples in October.   Our quantities of everything this first year will be very limited.   Likely our first real sales and the possibility of a "mushroom CSA", selling guaranteed shares of Shitake mushrooms, will be in 2014.

In the meantime, we're continuing farm development.  We'll finish the hoop house (a kind of plastic sheeted green house) in July and have another mile of forest trails completed by the end of Summer.    We're also picking peas and strawberries from a nearby farm, making our own jam as we await the maturity of our own berries and other produce.

I'm off to Kyoto this weekend, so my next post will be dispatch from Japan, where I'm keynoting the IEEE conference this year.

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Natural remedies for acne: How to Get Rid of Acne Fast With Natural Remedies?

Natural remedies for acne

For centuries, people relied only on natural remedies for their health problems. And the nature provided cure through many herbs having medicinal value. Natural remedies for acne to  get rid of acne fast are plenty and one has to select the one that best suits him. It is unwise to go for the over the counter  medicines overlooking the natural products which have no side effects. Some of the natural remedies for acne are discussed below:

1. Hot/Cold Compresses - A common remedy that's suggested is to use hot and cold wet towel compresses. This will reduce swelling and remove the clog in the pores, a major offender to the outbreak of acne. You may rub ice cubes gently on your face to reduce the burning and inflammations.
2. Drinking Water - This natural remedy for skin disease is straightforward

Natural remedies for acne

enough. The idea behind it is the concept that if you drink enough water every day, usually 7-8 glasses, your body will cleanse the toxins which may lead to skin disease.
Tips:
Drink only pure plain Water which leads to healthy digestive system and not the soda or any other drink.
3. Fenugreek leaves - This helps in preventing the breakouts of acne. Crush the fenugreek leaves first to make a paste and then apply it before

Natural remedies for acne

going to bed on affected areas. In the morning wash it away with warm water.
4. Honey:
Honey is incredibly helpful for the treatment of skin problems because of its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and soothing properties. It is directly applied to the face as a mask for 10-15 minutes and wash your face with cold

Natural remedies for acne

er. It is even better to mix honey with cinnamon powder to make it as a paste and then apply the honey-cinnamon mask on your pimples. Honey can also be taken internally. Everyday drink a glass of lemonade prepared with fresh lime and honey. This will keep your skin moisturized.
Tips:
Try to use the raw, unfiltered honey instead of the processed honey for better results.
5. Tea tree oil:

Natural remedies for acne

Like honey, tea tree oil is also in use for ages as a natural acne cure product because of its antibacterial and antifungal properties. When you want to treat your pimples, dip a cotton swab in tea tree oil and dab it on the pimple directly, without
touching other areas on the face.
Tips:
Please see other products if you are allergic to tea tree oil.
Unlike honey, this is for external use only.
Please dilute it with water before use on face to avoid redness, itching etc.
6. Green Tea:
Green tea is a traditional medicine of the Chinese to treat many ailments

Natural remedies for acne

including acne. It reduces inflammation, hormonal activity and increases detoxification which are good for elimination and prevention of acne.
Tips.
Drink 3-6 cups per day for better results. This will help to treat acne and also rejuvenate your body.
After preparing the tea, you can gently rub the tea bag on your face to fight acne.
Remember not to add sugar to the tea, which will offset the good effects of the tea.

Discover how to cure acne at any age,even if you've tried everything and nothing has ever worked for you before with 100% natural remedies for acne.Read more about that system in my review blog:  http://acnenomore-bookreview.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Murugesan_Chockalingam

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Instagram It! Using Instagram for Public Health

This week's guest post for Pop Health was written by Alyssa Anderson.  She is a Community Health Education graduate student focusing on health promotion and work site wellness. Originally, she thought employee wellness was her niche but soon discovered that social media took 1st place in her heart. Finding ways to weave health promotion, marketing, and communication with social media is her main focus these days. She currently lives on Pensacola Beach, FL, enjoying her slice of paradise on the Gulf Coast. 

Follow Alyssa on Twitter, Instagram, and pin with her here!

There is certainly a wide range of social media channels discussed on Pop Health. However, as I was browsing and chatting with Leah about this guest post, we discovered that Instagram had not yet been covered. I jumped at the opportunity to highlight some public health organizations using this channel. And with the revealing of Instagram Video, the timing just seemed perfect.

A quick search of Instagram revealed that a number of public health organizations are actively using this photo-sharing application.

• Chicago Department of Public Health (By the way, congratulations to the Blackhawks!)
• American Public Health Association
• Austin, TX Department of Health and Human Services (what they did is really great, more to come!)
• The Red Pump Project (Hey, National HIV Testing Day is June 27!)
• American Cancer Society
• The list continues…

While there are quite a few public health organizations on Instagram, their usage differs. For example, Chicago Department of Public Health is sharing mostly promotional messages, such as

It may seem simple and a no-brainer, but these posts have received little engagement. A "like" here, a comment there, but no real involvement from other followers.  In fact, Chicago Department of Public Health only has 195 followers. In a city of 2.7 million, their Instagram is having very little reach.

On the other hand, the Red Pump Project has 905 followers. They promote awareness and education for women and girls about HIV/AIDS using the red shoe as their symbol. Users can tag their pictures with #RockTheRedPump to show their support. Typical posts are from events, putting faces to their movement, and event promotion. Here are a few snapshots:

The images are more colorful and vibrant than those posted by the Chicago Department of Public Health. And some image descriptions have a call to action…asking followers to like and share, comment below, etc. The second picture has 47 likes and most have over 20 likes with comments.

On social media, using calls to action or cues inspires people to do just that. Regardless of the message or reason for using social media, engaging with your target audience is key and helps to expand your reach.

Now, the city of Austin tried something this past April during National Public Health Week. They tasked their audience, the citizens in the city to help them answer a question: What is public health? Instagram users were to snap a picture of what public health means to them in Austin with the unique tag #austinpublichealth.

Such a great idea! Think about it, a photo journey from your target audience about what public health means to them. You could almost use these as unfocused focus groups and see what your audience does with the resources you have provided.

Unfortunately, only 17 pictures were tagged with #austinpublichealth. Bummer.
Here’s what I think could have gone better:

• Promote, promote, promote! If these pictures were to be part of a larger campaign, creative marketing strategies to get the word out could have been used.
• Incentives. As much as we want to believe everyone cares about public health, you sometimes have to lead people with a carrot. There could possibly be red tape with giving away prizes to the best picture, but perhaps an award or certificate could have been used.
• Engage. No other users engaged with the 17 pictures, no one championed the program from the department.

So we’ve seen the good (The Red Pump Project), the bad (Stanley Cup winning Chicago…I’ve got to throw my hometown a bone!), and the different (#austinPublicHealth). The biggest take-away from this would be inviting engagement.

• Tell people what you want them to do, kindly. Share this post! Double-tap if you think #vaccines rock! 
• Take interesting pictures. We see your event posters all over town and we’re just as blind to them online as we are in real life. Snap a shot of a child wearing a bike helmet and elbow pads instead of a flyer with Bike Safety Tips listed. 
• Be a real person. People want to engage with other people, not ambiguous brands or images.
• Test NEW things. Don’t be afraid to try things out and don’t feel bad if they fall flat! 

And since we are discussing trying new things, have you tried Instagram Video? How do you like it compared to Vine? I think the length is going to be great for public health professionals, much better than a 6 second loop. What sorts of videos would you like to see for #publichealth?

(P.S. Comment below and share this with your friends!)

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Affiliation Planning

Many healthcare organizations  are discovering that accountable care reimbursed via global captitated risk contracts requires more primary care physicians and a more tightly coupled delivery network including suburban hospitals, home care, and long term care.   Affiliations, mergers, and acquisitions are accelerating to meet these needs.

From an IT perspective how are to respond to this organizational change with agility and efficacy?

We could rip and replace everything everywhere and mandate a single vendor solution for every workflow at every new location.

That would create standardization, but it would also consume more capital than we have at time when Meaningful Use Stage 2, ICD10, and compliance requirements have already committed all available IT resources.

A balanced approach is to enumerate the workflows we need to support and then build upon existing applications and infrastructure to automate priority processes that improve quality, safety, and efficiency.

In the past, we've used web-based viewers,  health information exchange, registries/repositories, master patient indexes, and secure email to link together organizations and coordinate care.

Can we share every data element for every purpose in every circumstance?   No.   Can we rapidly achieve "good enough" at low cost.   Yes.

Our solutions to date have been project based - implementing those point solutions that best fulfill a specific affiliation.   The pace of change is so intense that we need a more scalable solution - templates for new affiliations, mergers, and acquisitions.

What services do we offer?  What services do our new partners want?  What do we centralize?  What do we federate?  What do we change and importantly what do we not change?

Over the next few months, we'll do the following

1.  Ask IT infrastructure and application managers to list the services they have been tasked to provide in the past when new affiliations have been formed

2.  Ask existing affiliates and new affiliates about their experience during the partnership process.    Inventory their existing applications and their plans for upgrading/changing them.

3.  With a sense of supply (the services we offer) and demand (the services desired), we can create templates for affiliations, mergers, and acquisitions - a kind of Chinese menu that will enable us to rapidly develop FTE, capital and operating budget requests when new partnerships are planned.

Sometimes I'm asked to budget for projects that are not yet formalized, often with ill defined scope.    If I could present a set of templates to the Board and Senior management noting that partnerships fall into three categories - small, medium and large, each with an estimated price tag, I could craft a yearly operating plan and capital budget that includes x smalls, y mediums, and z larges, ensuring promises made are backed by the people, funding, and attention necessary to support timely delivery.

I will post my templates once they are developed.

If any of my readers have developed such templates, I welcome the opportunity to review them.

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Connecting the Meditech Hospitals in Massachusetts

Yesterday I joined several Massachusetts CIOs at a Meditech healthcare information exchange kickoff meeting.  

Here are the slides we used.

Meditech has chosen to do the right thing - support the Direct protocol without requiring a vendor specific HISP, an interoperability "subscription" or transaction fees.    Nationwide, any of Meditech's Meaningful Use Stage 2 certified platforms - Magic 5.66, Client/Server 5.66, or  6.07  can support the Direct implementation guide (SMTP/SMIME) and the SOAP/XDR addendum.

The Massachusetts HIE, the Mass HIWay, has been live since October 2012 and now transports thousands of transactions per day among providers, payers, patients, and government.  Our goal in 2013 is to add more organizations and more use cases.    Meditech provides about 70% of the hospital information systems in the Commonwealth, so it is critically important that Meditech integrates well into the state's cloud-based HISP.

Over the next few months, a diverse array of hospitals will work closely with Meditech and state government to implement production HIE transactions.

Earlier adopters will include Jordan Hospital, Holyoke Hospital, Winchester Hospital, Berkshire Health Systems, Harrington Hospital, and Exeter Health (New Hampshire)

Use cases include transition of care summary exchange, public health reporting. lab results reporting, admission notification, and ED arrival notification.

Once these pilots are complete, we'll spread Meditech connectivity through the Commonwealth.

With other EHR vendors, which are requiring vendor specific HISPs, we're still working through the trust issues (authentication is easy, authorization is harder) that enable HISP to HISP communications among those clinicians who have agreed to all our privacy policies.    Once this work is done the number of clinicians with HIE connectivity will accelerate as network effects incentivize data exchange for care coordination, care management, and population health.

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Natural remedies for acne: Can honey be used to cure acne?

get rid of acne fast

 For ages honey is used to heal cuts,wounds and burns. Honey is one of the natural remedies for acne to get rid of acne fast because of its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory functions .Unlike acne medicines that have side effects,honey can be used topically and taken internally without any side effects.Honey will kill bacteria and help your skin keeps its natural moisture as honey has  humectants, a natural nutrient that maintain the moisture of the skin upon application.

Many ways of using honey:
Honey can be used with other products or alone.You can pick up any methods that suits your life style  and skin.

get rid of acne fast

Honey with hot water:
Morning time take a glass of hot water mixed with honey .This will flush out toxins from your body.
Honey with lemon juice:
Everyday drink a glass of lemonade prepared with fresh lime and honey.It flushes toxins and bad substances from your body.
Honey mask.
 

get rid of acne fast

Just apply raw honey to the face.After 20 minutes,clean with warm water.The honey does not dry up and it drips down.It is sticky too.So if you want to leave it overnight on your face,then you should take preventive steps to avoid the mess.
Honey Aspirin mask:
Take some aspirin tablets,crush it into powder and mix it with honey to make a paste.Apply this mask on your face for about 10 minutes and wash with warm water.Salicylic acid present in the aspirin kills the acne causing bacteria.
Honey cinnamon mask:
Cinnamon with its antimicrobial properties make a good combo with honey.
Make a paste of cinnamon powder mixing with honey.Apply on your face in the night before going to bed and wash it morning with fresh water.
Honey nutmeg mask
Crush the nutmeg into powder and mix with honey.
Apply this paste on acne area and leave it for 30 minutes,then clean your face with  water. 

Natural remedies for acne

Honey with band-aid.Night before going to bed apply some raw honey on large pimples and cover it with band-aid.Morning when you getup emove the band-aid and wash your face with water.
Honey with milk:
Mix some milk with honey and apply all over your face.Wash after 10-15 minutes.

Honey with fresh lemon juice:
Mix honey and fresh lemon juice in equal quantity and apply the mix on your face.Wash after 20 minutes with cold water.
Honey with apple:
Mash a small piece of apple and mix with honey.Apply it on acne and wash face after 20 minutes.
Honey with strawberries:
Strawberries,high in salicylic acid works well on your acne with honey.Blend strawberry with honey and apply the mix on face and after 20 minutes wash your face.

Special notes on use of honey:

Don't use honey if you have allergy to it.Check if your skin is sensitive to honey by testing on small area on your face.Use only unfiltered raw honey for better result.
   
Honey can only kill the bacteria but it has no control over the hormones and on other causes of acne.So honey can be a good natural cure for acne to some people and to some people it may not work.But honey is helpful to everyone in healing the existing breakouts though it can not prevent the future breakouts. Honey is one of the best natural remedies for acne. Have no doubt about it.

How To Get Rid Of Acne fast naturally

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Natural remedies for acne: What Causes Acne?

Natural remedies for acne

It should be mentioned at the start that a definite reason behind the outbreak of acne is unknown,despite the continuous research that has been done up to now to know what causes acne .No single cause is identified as the main cause  for the outbreak of acne. Keeping this in mind, doctors and researchers have at last come to some conclusions as to what sort of risk factors are involved and ultimately contribute to acne’s development.
According to some researchers, what causes acne are hormones and genetics, but this cannot account for every case.In some instances, factors
like medication, kinds of cosmetics, and certain aspects of private hygiene(i.e. methods of cleansing skin) are more likely to create the conditions for acne’s formation. The working atmosphere, too, can be a catalyst.People working with chemicals or oils and greases,are prone to acne as these can block their pores.

1.Hormones

Natural remedies for acne

 With the onset of pubescence, the body starts secreting hormones known as androgens increasing in all teenagers.These cause the over sizing and excess stimulation of the sebaceous glands that are found within the hair follicles.The sebaceous gland when produces more sebum that mixes with dead skin cells and microorganism on the skin\'s surface and this blocks pores. Within the blocked pore, the bacteria multiply and cause inflammation. All of this leads to the lesions that are associated with acne.Most common sufferers of pimples are the teenagers,because of the  secretion shifts that are related to pubescence.An important point to note is that he secretion changes related to  the monthly periods, pregnancy, and even menopause time shown to be culprits in the creation of acne. Also, when women are either beginning or ending their usage of birth control, the hormonal fluctuations that canoccur at this time can cause acne in some women.Furthermore, fluctuations in hormone level of adults, in each men and women, will cause spikes in the production of secretion in the sebaceous glands. This makes risky of getting more acne problems, because of secretion changes.

2.Genetics

Natural remedies for acne

More researchers currently believe that the tendency to develop pimples is inheritable  from oldsters. In studies conducted by scientists, links are found between those presently affected by pimples and also the presence of acne in their family background. However, it\'s additionally true that acne is far more common in kids of oldsters who have had or still have acne than those that don\'t. whereas the analysis remains in progress, there\'s little question the analysis can still yield new results and maybe, deeper genetic causes may well be unearthed.\

3.Other Factors

Natural remedies for acne

Medication
As was expressed before, the effects of certain medicine will cause pimples. Example:depression medicines
Heavy or oily cosmetics 

Natural remedies for acne

In the case of some cosmetics, their ingredients will have an effect on the
structure of hair follicles and result in over-production of secretion, that successively clogs the pores.



Over-abrasive cleansing
Astringent facial product will dry the skin out and additionally causes the body to overproduce secretion to compensate.Also the employment of harsh exfoliation will injury existing spots and unfold infection.
Flare Up Factors
There are  also variety of different factors which may cause existent acne to flare up and build a lot of problems. a small  list of  these factors written down here  so that our picture of acne becomes clearer and that we shall, hopefully, acquire a  better understanding of the causes and element them.

Natural remedies for acne

Pressure from helmets or hats, backpacks, tight vesture
If there is pressure on the skin, as is the case with sporting hats, and helmets,then the potential for irritation and pimples breakouts are real. Either friction,as in somebody is sporting tight clothing, or pressure as within the said hat or helmet, will go a long way towards moving the pores and inflicting disease of the
skin to flare up.
Environment

Natural remedies for acne

If someone works in a garage or in a mill, certain chemicals present in such environments will really cause acne flare-ups.Pollution will have abundant constant impact upon the skin,blocking pores and making infections.





Heavy scrubbing of skin
Picking or compression blackheads and/or white heads will cause the infection to maneuver deeper into the skin and which can result in scarring.
Diet

Natural remedies for acne

While no foods even have been connected to the reason behind acne, it is verified that certain foods is liable for acne flare-ups.
With Natural remedies for acne system, you will learn

• The top ten worst foods you should never eat
  
• The top ten best clear skin foods you should eat all the time

Discover how To Get Rid Of Acne fast with natural remedies.

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Natural remedies for acne: Dismiss the wrong beliefs about causes of acne

Natural remedies for acne

Let us talk about the issues facing those who are trying to cope up with pimples before learning about  natural remedies for acne.
There are persistent resources of false details out there online regarding
 what causes acne .Despite the several legitimate resources on and about acne that are now available, these misconceptions continue to persist .Ill-advised therapies centered off these misconceptions can only be less effective and often do more harm in the cases of cystic and serious pimples.

In view of the impact that these misconceptions can have on our understanding of acne in general and the types of treatments in particular, it would be sensible to begin with a quick summary of some of the more typical misconceptions that are out there, dispelling the false details with the fact about them. After this we can discuss on the real causes of pimples and what natural acne cures are there to get rid of acne..


Belief #1: Acne is due to inadequate cleanliness.

    It makes no difference how often, how ritually, you clean your face and other areas suffering from acne;     this has no influence on either the present acne or the development of new pimples.Actually,this kind of comprehensive routine of cleaning and cleansing can actually annoy skin and make the acne more intense, not better.You  should be aware of the fact that acne outbreaks are not due to inadequate cleanliness.

Natural remedies for acne

  This does not mean that cleanliness is not important. Actually, good cleanliness can help counteract acne if used together with acne skin care treatment products. Rather than regular, severe cleaning, it is generally suggested that you clean your affected areas two or three times a day with a mild soap and then pat it dry - don’t clean dry.


.
 Belief #2: Acne is due to poor eating plan

“Don’t eat candy, it provides you with pimples!” “They say that consuming oily meals can provide you with pimples.”

Natural remedies for acne

How often you hear such dialogs?But numerous scientific studies have concluded that there is no connection between acne and one's diet. 
However, each of us is different. Some individuals observe that outbreaks are more intense after consuming certain foods--and the kinds of meals vary with each individual. For example, some individuals may observe outbreaks after consuming chocolate; while others have no problem with candy. Instead, they observe outbreaks happening after they consume too much coffee or caffeinated drinks. These are just illustrations but they might be worth considering. If there is some kind of food that might be inflicting your acne, then cut back and see if that helps.

Belief #3: Pimples will go away on its own.

This is usually not real and acne needs therapy to be able to be solved. With the choice of acne skin care treatment items available these days there is no purpose not to examine and discover what has the best outcomes for those involved. In some situations, a skin specialist should be consulted and other therapy options can be followed.                                             

   

Eliminate acne with the most powerful natural remedies for acne

  Belief #4: Sun tanning clears away acne

In fact, this has the opposite result. At first it may seem that sun tanning has enhanced your skin tone, but

Natural remedies for acne

actually the tanning may only have hidden or protected the acne. Actually, the sun can create the skin dry and annoyed and this can cause  more outbreaks.
If you do tan, be sure that you are using a sun block that does not contain sebum and other substances that might block up your skin pores and cause acne to get more intensive. (Look for noncomedogenic or nonacnegenic on the brand.)

Natural remedies for acne

Belief #5: Popping Pimples cures Faster

Again, it seems real,but it is also a myth.Instead of  boosting up the procedure of treatment, this activity actually worsens the treatment as the parasites are forced further into the skin, which allows more disease to develop, and eventually results in skin damage.

Belief #6  Only Youngsters get acne.

Natural remedies for acne

The fact is that about 25% to 30% of all people between the age groups 25- 44 have effective acne. So the concept that acne outbreaks are only an issue for teenagers is yet another myth.

After protecting these misconceptions, it is worth noting, that these are not all of the misconceptions that are out there, distributed in the well-known wellness publications and on the On line.There are many more myths. one must be very cautious about exploring the subject and determining what resources to believe in.And the natural remedies for acne cure should be your first choice of treatment.


                                                        

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Building Unity Farm - Emergency Preparedness

In the month of June, we've had 10 inches of rain at Unity Farm (to view our weather station data click here).

Although our paddocks, pastures, and trails are normally dry, we've accumulated water in ways that impacts our ability to care for the animals.  The picture above shows one of our paddocks after a deluge of rain.   A manure pile that is under water is a bad thing.

What did we do?   I purchased a 1/2 horsepower submersible sump pump  and attached 1 1/4 inch sump pump hose to maximize outgoing water flow - a garden hose would have been too limiting.     Sump pump hose is sold in 25 foot segments because sump pumps are designed to go from basements to outdoors over a short distance.   In our case, we needed to pump 40,000 gallons of water into  a dense forest that would easily absorb the flow and return it to our water table.   I used 1 1/4 barbed couplings and hose clamps to link together 150 feet of sump pump hose.  

I built a cage of 23 gauge hardware cloth and submerged the pump inside the cage to ensure floating debris did not clog the pump.

The end result was a water flow of about 4000 gallons an hour from paddock to forest.   After 12 hours of pumping, the paddock was transformed from a lake to puddle.  

After mastering this technique, we're now ready for any flood related emergency.

Too much water is one challenge, but what about too little?   We have a well that consistently produces 8 gallons per minute of clear, chemically perfect water.  However, the well depends upon electricity.    If we lose power due to a storm, we have 50 gallons stored in the basement which will serve the needs of the household.   But, what about the animals?

To ensure we can keep all the animals of Unity Farm hydrated, warm, and safe, the farm has a 20 kilowatt generator and four propane tanks.   The entire barn, heating system, food storage, water supply, and internet connection can run off grid for a few weeks.   The pump system I described above is powered from the chicken coop, which is also backed up by the generator.

Last year, we replaced all the well equipment which had reached end of life.   In addition to water flows to the barns and paddocks, we do have drip irrigation keeping all our fruit trees and produce plantings moist.    Just as we're ready for floods, we're also ready for droughts.

Finally, we have a fully stocked root cellar with about a year of food kept at 60 degrees, so if there is a very significant man-made or natural disaster, we should be self sufficient.

Every day at Unity Farm is a learning experience.  Thus far, our emergencies have been few, but we're prepared for whatever may come.

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Natural remedies for acne: Do you know what is acne?

Natural remedies for acne

We all know what is acne because we have had to come across it at some point in our life. Acne is a skin-related phrase that contains blocked pores, pimples and mounds or growths that happen on the throat, chest area, back, shoulder area, and upper hands. Acne happens most generally in youngsters, but is not restricted to any age group, impacting even grownups in their 40s. This illness has many kinds, and although none are deadly, the more serious situations of acne can be disfiguring, making long- lasting marks on inflicted places.

The actual changes in whole cells - or patches - which acne triggers,are defined in five ways depending on the
severity of acne.They are named as comedos, papule, pustule, nodule and cysts.

As mentioned above, zits can be most typical among youngsters, inflicting teenagers between the age groups 12 and 17. Usually, these light situations are solved with over-the-counter therapies and the acne goes away by the beginning 20s. It also should be mentioned that although acne impacts both boys and girls similarly, there are some differences. Younger men are more likely to have serious, long-term acne while females can have recurring or sporadic acne well into maturity due to hormone changes and beauty products.

Eliminate Your Acne with natural remedies for acne

Now that we have described just what acne can be, we can move on to the topic of this blog. Understanding Acne: what kinds are there, how to cure acne with natural remedies, and present misconceptions about it.
All my blog visitors when leave my blog should have obtained a better understanding of acne in its various forms, and how acne can be combated against and to decrease its effect upon the lifestyles of those being affected by it. This is certainly not a comprehensive information on the topic nor is it a medical publication, but is at the very least, a resource upon which  further research can be done into the causes and therapies of acne in all of its forms.You will win the war against acne with the natural remedies for acne cure that will be discussed in this blog.

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The June HIT Standards Committee

The June HIT Standards Committee focused on novel transport standards for patient mediated exchange, an overview of patient/family engagement tools, updates on formulary downloads, use cases for image sharing, and lab ordering standards.

Dixie Baker and David McCallie presented the NWHIN Power Team review of the emerging transport standards for consumer exchanges that I believe will accelerate all types of interoperability in the next few years - the HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR, pronounced "Fire") initiative , the RESTful Health Exchange (RHEx) Project and the Blue Button Plus (BB+) Initiative.   It's clear to me that the combination of REST for transport, OpenID/OAuth2 for authentication/authorization, and FHIR for content will be a winner as we scale interoperability to the national level.

Next, Leslie Kelly Hall presented the efforts of the Consumer Technology Workgroup to prioritize patient and family engagement standards including structured data capture from forms/questionnaires and care plans.

Jamie Ferguson, with John Klimek from NCPDP, presented the preliminary recommendations of the Clinical Operations Workgroup for adoption of formulary standards.    We also discussed use cases for image exchange (provider to patient, provider to provider, provider to care team) and endorsed the S&I framework efforts on lab ordering standards.

Finally, Doug Fridsma and Set Pazinski provided an ONC update.

A very good meeting with exciting new standards evolving to support Meaningful Use Stage 3 and beyond

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How and Why Should We "Pin" Public Health?

I regularly participate in the social media for public health (#sm4ph) twitterchat.  The chat (sponsored by the Public Health Management Corporation and hosted by Jim Garrow) explores various forms of social media use and how they impact (or could impact!) public health.  Back in March, the following question was posed to twitterchat participants:

At the time, I took note that several participants (including me) thought that Pinterest could be "the next big thing" (FYI: Pinterest is an online pinboard that allows users to create and share image collections):

Then this week, Nicole Ghanie-Opondo posed an important question to the field:  "Is Public Health Pinnable?"  She does a great job of breaking down all the "stuff" public health people want to pin (i.e., campaign posters, event information, staff photos) and analyzing why or why not it is a good fit for this particular communication channel.  She also emphasizes the key principle we need to remember and revisit in health communication:  

Think About Your Audience!  

When exploring any new communication channel, we need to review available data regarding the demographics and online behaviors of those users (whether it be Pinterest or Facebook or Twitter) and then tailor our content/strategies to those users.  The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project is a great resource for social media user data.

In preparation for this post, I followed up with Nicole to see if she had received any feedback from public health colleagues on her post.  She shared the major theme from her (informal) feedback so far:  

Public health is not creating content to optimize pins.

I thought that was really interesting and it changes the conversation for me.  The question is not: "Should we use Pinterest- yes or no?"  There seems to be enough evidence that Pinterest is a promising communication strategy.  For instance we have: (1) strong interest in Pinterest from the field (as seen above), (2) available data on its users, (3) key audiences represented among users (e.g., women), and (4) colleagues that are successfully integrating this channel into their social media plans (e.g., CDC and Hamilton County Public Health).

Therefore, the question should become:  "How can we use Pinterest strategically in public health?"  This approach would require a discussion of the following questions:

• What audience/s should we be engaging on Pinterest?
• What kinds of content/images are most likely to be re-pinned or shared?
• How can we optimize our content for pinning?
• How are we evaluating our Pinterest efforts? (*Note that CDC's National Prevention Information Network (NPIN) recently had a wonderful webcast on social media evaluation. While Pinterest was not one of the featured channels, many of the concepts and resources would still be applicable.  The slides are available here).

Tell Me What You Think:

• Why (or why not) should we "pin" public health?
• How should we "pin" public health?
• What other planning questions should be considered?
• Please share examples of Pinterest being used successfully (or unsuccessfully) in public health!

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Making a Difference

Although I usually reserve Thursday for personal blogs, Father's Day was a time for reflection that enabled me to put aside the endless emails, operational tribulations, and budget season stresses to think about what really matters.

In my 51 years, 2013 marked the first time I've had no father with me on Father's Day.  For the first time, I've taken on the mantle of "alpha" father for the family.

I celebrated Father's day with my wife, daughter and her partner David, enjoying a Japanese lunch and helping them rewire the kitchen in their new apartment.   They rent one of 4 units in a 1910-era shingled house in Medford.   We braved the dungeon-like basement to find the old breaker box and located the power controls for the kitchen.    I taught them how a GFCI receptacle is wired, carefully isolating the Load and Line sides, the hot wire, the common wire, and the ground.    We then built new kitchen shelving for her pots and pans.    It was a perfect Father's Day, serving those around me and making my daughter's life easier.

I called my mother, as I have done every day since my father's death, to check on her progress.  She's gardening, taking daily walks, and keeping her brain busy with numerous cultural and social activities.

So, what part of this inspired me to think about what really matters?

Will my tombstone read

"He balanced his budget 20 years in a row"
"He addressed all regulatory requirements for over 2 decades"
"He completed all his annual operating plan goals and more"

Unlikely.

If in some small way, I empower my daughter to fledge from the nest, taking responsibility for running a household and finding her own way in the world, I will have created a legacy that could last for a century.

If in some small way, I enable my mother to maintain her wellness, learn new technologies, and experience a rich "act two" after my father's death, I will have made a real impact on her life.

Both are examples of making a difference.

As I look at my weekly calendar, about half my waking hours are spent on operations, a quarter on planning the future, and quarter in service to my family and community.

It's the last quarter, when I give my time, that has the greatest chance of impacting the long term future of those around me, accelerating the progress of the next generation, and catalyzing good outcomes in the world.

While balancing a budget is a must do, it's quickly forgotten.   You're only as good as your last budget cycle or your last successful project.

However, if your family, your colleagues, and your students feel inspired by something you've said, a situation you've created, or a barrier you've broken down, then you've created a memory that can last a lifetime.

So next time your equanimity is challenged by a person, situation, or event in your job, remember that such issues are transient.    Focus your emotional energy on that which really matters and you'll make a difference.   That's the pot of gold at the end of my rainbow (photo taken at Unity Farm a few hours ago)

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Building Unity Farm - Little Glamour, Lots of Laundry

My wife and I owned and operated a small winery on the Marin/Sonoma border in Northern California when we were in our 20's - from 1986-1991.   When I told my colleagues at the time that I ran a winery, they commented on the romance, art, and elegant lifestyle it implied.   It was agriculture.  It was hot, sweaty, and dusty.   You could make a small fortune in the wine business - as long as you started with a large fortune.   I relished the experience, but it was not elegant.

In many ways, running a small farm is the same.   The notion of a hobby farm or gentleman's farm sounds so Thoreau.    In reality, it's a lot of laundry.

Every morning before leaving the farm at 6:45am for the commute to Boston, I feed the animals, fill their water buckets, and clean stalls.   I make sure that no predators visited overnight, that crops were watered by irrigation systems, and that compost is moist but not too moist.

The picture above illustrates what it's like to manage the manure of 50 animals - that's a 16x16x3 foot compost pile.

Farm work is extremely satisfying and is an essential part of maintaining my equanimity.  Shoveling manure, hauling hay, and splitting wood are very Zen.

The difference between farm life  and suburban residential life is the scale.

Have you ever mulched your garden?    The picture below is the mulch pile for the trails of Unity Farm.  I run the dogs on the trails every night and they enjoy climbing the wood chip pile before it becomes trail mulch.

Weekends are filled with joyful work - every moment from 6am to 6pm is constant movement.

By the end of the day, I'm covered with hay, dirt, manure, forest debris, and animal hair.

The clothing I wear on the farm is the same tough climbing gear from Arcteryx that I've worn for years as an alpinist.   Not only does it stand up to the rigors of farm work, it also lasts through the repeated washings (at least two per weekend) needed to return the fabric to its baseline state.

The scale of Unity Farm as described in our LLC filing and Chapter 61A application (agricultural status) is

"Unity Farm raises alpaca for fiber for production to spun yarns.
        This can include milling of blankets or other objects beyond yarn.
         Also possible is the sale of cria (baby alpaca), as a result of our breeding plan

Fruits, eggs, honey, and gourmet mushrooms are planned components of the farmstand.
          Possible addition of other seasonal crops from the hoophouse
          Local flowers possible
       
Considerations include pasturage, cropland, location of farmstand, and web sales. Ecotourism and Northeast Organic Farming Associaton certification are to be considered."

We're not an agribusiness, we're a local community resource.    We may be the size of a gentleman's farm  but we're not very gentlemanly.   Little glamour, lots of laundry.   If you want to try it yourself, here's some of the best advice I've ever found.

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The Healthcare Information Technology Maturity Model

Previously I wrote about Frameworks for IT Management, including the Capability Maturity Model.

Recently, I collaborated with Intel Corporation, HIMSS Analytics and Innovation Value Institute to evaluate the BIDMC IS organization and better understand our strengths and weaknesses.  

Here's an overview of the process

The report evaluated our ability to manage IT like business, manage the budget, manage our capabilities, and manage our portfolio of projects to optimize business value.

Given the volatility and uncertainty in healthcare and technology, it's important to continuously evaluate priorities, opportunities, and threats.    Some days can feel like ADHD.    Some weeks can feel overwhelming.

As a manager, I need to focus more on the areas that need improvement and less on the areas that are good enough.

Benchmarking exercises to discover where you have high and low maturity compared with other organizations are useful.   Sometimes you do not know what you do not know.

In my career, I've moved very fast on issues such as web-enabling applications, hosting in the cloud, and securely sharing data.   I've moved slower on areas of disaster recovery, social media policy, and some aspects of formal documentation.

The HIT Maturity Model was a useful exercise that helped me focus my plans for the next year.

The great thing about being an IT leader is that our work will never be done.   Frameworks for IT management and benchmarking tools help us with the journey.

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A Social Security Interoperability Update

A few years ago, I wrote about the groundbreaking Social Security Administration automated disability adjudication system, Megahit.

Patient sign a consent in their local social security office and that consent is digitally sent to BIDMC.   The appropriate medical information needed to support disability claims is automatically assembled and cryptographically transmitted to SSA.

Here are a few stats on the SSA/BIDMC partnership.  Since our 2008 go live, SSA has received 6,916 medical records from BIDMC (and 71,500 from hospitals and providers across the country) .  Of those, 663 BIDMC medical records  (and 7,624 from hospitals and providers across the country) triggered one or more of SSA’s business rules, which resulted in targeted decision support for SSA adjudicators, speeding the disability determinations process. Thus far in FY 2013, about 6 percent of disability cases in Massachusetts were decided within 48 hours. SSA has seen significant improvements in the disability determination process using health information exchange to obtain medical records.  In FY 2012, they lowered disability case processing time by approximately 23 percent for those cases containing medical records obtained through health information exchange.
 
When SSA receives electronic health records from a partner organization, such as BIDMC, there are many benefits:
faster disability determinations are possible for claimants,
quicker access to monthly cash benefits are possible, and
earlier access to medical insurance coverage is obtained.

Healthcare providers benefit from increased patient satisfaction rates,
reduced uncompensated care, reduced administrative costs associated with medical record requests, and
automated fiscal payments from SSA.

Here is the link to SSA’s health IT website, which provides additional information on the initiative.   It's been a very successful health information exchange project.

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