The Codependency & Convergence of Healthcare and Technology
The event was superbly organized with influential presenters and great exchanges of information and thoughts.
“Codependency – The Convergence of Healthcare and Technology”
Oct. 8, 2013
As with the Athena group, there is a general tendency to get lost in catching up and checking in with each other. It was difficult to break away from the sharing to begin the program, however, the topics of technology and healthcare captivated the members’ only group as well. The event was superbly organized with influential presenters and great exchanges of information and thoughts. I attended two breakout sessions:
The first session was on: “Cloud Computing,” a relevant topic for sure but the interest here was the security needed to maintain the integrity of the organization’s information. For example what if an employee downloaded a secure file on their computer to work at home and then somewhere between here and there the computer is stolen? First, major inconvenience, secondly, not all clouds are the same. You need either an expert to direct you or someone who likes to read the fine print of contracts. Attention to detail in these contracts are important.
The second breakout was on “Translating Personalized Genomics to Personalized Medicine.” Exciting technology means that we can now determine each individual’s propensity for specific diseases. However, is it ethical to tell them? The other factor is that we can now determine which cancer drugs are directly appropriate for each patient and at which time, and then again, will the insurance industry be able to pay the bill?
After the event speakers and attendees continued the conversation and the small group atmosphere which allowed for sharing of information and ideas. This was an excellent format unlike that of the normal large group presentations by a panel of speakers who are usually mobbed at the end of their presentation!
Thank you to the Athena coordinators for the content and the program. I will certainly look forward to other events in the near future.
About Athena: The mission of the Athena group is to promote professional growth of women executives in science and technology. Moreover the organization is an outlet for mentorship and promote a network of women throughout San Diego and greater Southern California areas. The women share with each other professional development as well as a wealth of experience and camaraderie.
For more information on Athena check out: http://athenasd.org/
