THE SMCC
BEACON
Issue 5 Volume 10 February18 2014
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The Business Hub
Deborah Klotz at the Maine Jewish Museum
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One Selfie Too Far
The Radiography Program Acquires a New Toy
By A.S. Kinsmen
veryone remembers when Obama took a selfie at the funeral of Nelson Mandela a few months ago. It was rude, it was crass, and it was, above all, disrespectful. But it appears that Obama isn’t the only one who is taking pictures of himself at inappropriate times. A high school student in Alabama has provoked Internet fury by posing for a photo in a university biology department. What makes this selfie so offensive is the fact that she posed the photograph with another person – a dead one. A cadaver. The unnamed student – who cannot be identified publicly because she is a minor - is seen grinning broadly with the corpse in the photo, which was taken during a school trip to the University of Alabama. The purpose of the trip was designed to teach pupils about an anatomical donor program. Though usage of phones was explicitly banned from the trip, it did not stop this one brash girl from using hers, and using it unwisely. She then made matters worse by posting the photo to her Instagram account. By the time she had taken it down, it was too late: Another student had reported the photo, and it had already sent a domino effect of horror and shock across the country. Her principle has declined to suspend her, but says that Clements High School is considering a suitable punishment for her abhorrent behavior. The University of Birmingham has also responded to the student’s actions. “No phones are allowed, no photos are to be taken, and faces of cadavers are covered. A student was made explicitly aware of these policies and breached them. This kind of disrespect is unacceptable and very disappointing. We will review our processes to ensure this does not happen again.” A few online commenters have voiced their opinions on this quite vocally. JustAView came to the girl’s defense, saying, “She is a teenager. Teenagers make mistakes - it’s what being a teenager is for - to learn how to be an adult! She needs a kick up the arse and her phone taken away for a couple of weeks. Maybe a few Saturday detentions!” Many others, however, were not as forgiving. “It is an outrageous act, but fairly typical of some young people who have little respect.....for anything, it seems.” Said one. “The unnamed student is seen grinning broadly as the corpse is covered with a sheet in the photo.” The corpse in NOT covered by a sheet. From a US paper, “the student removed a sheet from a cadaver and took the photo. She is one sick biotch.” One person tried to take a neutral stance on the matter. Sarah Tennant stated, “I really don’t see what’s wrong, but that’s just me.” Ellie Green, another social media commenter, was swift to reply: “Would that still be the case if your mum or someone else you were close to was the deceased person in the picture?” Sarah Tennant did not reply. Another selfie gone too far.
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Refunded Poetry
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Bolduc describes as an “older, somewhat outdated x-ray unit that is no longer energized.” She goes on to argue that, although their current unit has value and serves a purpose, a more modern and energized unit would be miles more useful in its relevancy, its effectiveness, and user-friendliness, thus providing a more enriching and accurate educational experience, as well as serving a more effective tool to apply to the professional field. The students are also required to travel off campus to Maine Medical Center, or at sites located in Scarborough and Falmouth, for their clinics where they practice on the machine. There, Radiographic Exposure teacher Seth Doane has their students perform in a “fish lab,” using Gyotaku or Japanese fish, which allows the students to take images of frozen fish to evaluate how the major technical factors affect the quality of the images. With the use of a whole frozen fish for their x-ray subject, the students are able to image a wide range of tissue densities and approximate the range that we might see in humans. This lab serves as a simulation for x-raying patients, but obviously on a much smaller scale, hence the fish. This is a very important simulation for the students because of how crucial it is to set correct technical factors to demonstrate anatomy and limit the dose of radiation received by the patient. Radiographers want to ascertain the best diagnostic information without exposing patients to unnecessary radiation. Despite the importance of this process, however, the fact is that they’re still using an outdated machine. So we head back to 2012, when an exciting piece of news for the radiography program was revealed: the GE Proteus x-ray unit from the Brunswick campus was theirs. Louise Ouellette, a professor in the radiography program with a visual art background, says, “for the program to have this unit….is a once in a lifetime opportunity.” Imaging technology has
t the SMCC Mid-coast campus in Brunswick, there sits a GE Proteus x-ray unit with a value in the ballpark of $50,000 - $80,000. Manufactured in 2007, the machine provides the source of x-rays, which a radiographer projects at a patient to acquire diagnostic images of patient anatomy. So why is this slice of information significant? Let’s back up a bit. Claire Ruozzi and Theresa Bolduc are current students in the radiography program at SMCC in South Portland. Both aspire to graduate from SMCC and eventually attain a position in their specialized field. With the education they receive from the school, as well as hands-on experience in class, they will have a healthy understanding of the operations behind radiography. Between clinical rotations, classroom work, and simulation lab work, not to mention a lot of dedication, time investment, and plenty of repetition, these students will develop a thorough understanding of what they’re trying to learn, as they hope to carry the skills and understanding they develop to this field beyond the finish line of SMCC. Diagnostic imaging is what really constitutes radiography, which plays an important role in medicine, thanks to machines that enable specialized individuals to both see and understand human anatomy and physiology. However, the students are currently using what
Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce
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By Jennifer Lague
he monthly Eggs and Issues Conference run by the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce (portlandregion.com) took place Thursday, February 6th at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland. The speakers featured for the February meeting were: Eileen Skinner, the President and CEO of Mercy Health System based in Portland, Maine and Michelle Hood, the President and CEO of Eastern Maine Health Systems based in Brewer, Maine. There is a merger currently taking place between these two health care providers. If you visit mercyhospital.org you will now see the words EMHS member underneath the Mercy logo. Mercy is a not-for-profit community health care system sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. The Sisters of Mercy are a Catholic organization that owns a thrift ship on Forest Avenue in Portland called the Good Cause Thrift Shop. The shop raises money for the financial aid program at Catherine McAuley High School, a private Catholic high school, as well as other various causes. Mercy Hospital has two locations in Portland. There is one hospital on State St. and another on the Fore River Parkway, which was built in 2008. Eileen mentioned that the economic recession
Hoop Highlights
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By Garrick Hoffman
Eggs & Issues Business Forum
By the students, for the students
Continued on Page 3 of 2008 made that a tough year to build the new facility. Mercy Hospital’s stated mission is “Mercy carries out the healing work of Christ by providing clinically excellent, compassionate health care for all, with special concern for the poor and disadvantaged.” Mercy is also a member of Catholic Health East, a multi institutional organization serving communities through regional health care systems in 11 eastern states from Maine to Florida. They are one of Maine’s largest employers and the only hospital to receive the Governor’s award for Business Excellence. Eastern Maine Health Systems (emhs.org) includes 8 hospitals, home healthcare and Emergency Ground to Air Transportation. Before arriving at EMHS, Michelle Hood was the President and CEO of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System, Montana region as well as of its flagship hospital, St. Vincent Healthcare. EMHS passed out a 40pg booklet which states that they are “working to eliminate the old barriers of individual competition in favor of sharing resources and learning from one another’s expertiese so we can better care for the people of Maine. Through Beacon Health (beaconhealth. org), EMHS has partnered with organizations statewide, opening the doors to more than 600 primary care providers in nearly 100 practices. This collaborative work aims to better coordinate the care people receive no matter their age, income, or where they live.” Both women had some time to speak as we chose between a breakfast of spinach quiche with ham and potatoes, or a fruit tart dish. Eileen spoke about making healthcare affordable through the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as ObamaCare which went through Congress on March 23rd, 2010. Along with the Health Care
and Education Reconciliation Act, it represents the most significant regulatory overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. Obamacare was enacted with the goals of increasing the quality and affordability of health insurance. The ACA continues to face challenges in Congress and federal courts, and from certain state governments, conservative advocacy groups, and some small business organizations. The Tea Party movement members still believe that the law will lead to disruption of existing health plans, increased costs from new insurance standards and that it will increase the deficit. They view universal healthcare as a commodity to which people are not necessarily entitled. Eileen gave us information about the last decade or so of struggles in the world of health care in Maine. She mentioned that cuts in Medicare and Medicaid were part of an effort to keep MaineCare funded but that it really wasn’t a good solution since so many Baby Boomers are now getting older. She warned that there still may be even more cuts in Medicare in the near future until ACA comes fully into effect. While the government has been trying to reduce its spending health insurance became almost solely the responsibility of employees. During the economic recession of 2008 there were less patients because there were less who could actually afford to see a doctor. Michelle Hood spoke about EMHS struggling to keep updated with current technology for all its hospitals and about networking with other health care providers around the state of Maine. EMHS has been able to build a great network of health care providers successfully and Mercy Hospital is most fortunate to be now included in that track record of excellence. They already include 8 hospitals, 621 physicians and 9 nursing homes. Continued on Page 3