Presenters
Dr. Seong K. Mun
Project Sentinel Collaboratory, Georgetown University Medical Center
Topic: Integrated BioDefense
HTML: Coming Soon
PPT: Coming Soon

Bill Gordon
University of Cincinnati
Topic: Inter-Institutional On-line CME training.
HTML: http://www.internet2.edu/presentations/spring04/20040420-MedMid-Gordon.htm
PPT: http://www.internet2.edu/presentations/spring04/20040420-MedMid-Gordon.ppt

Ken Rubin
VHA
Topic: VHA Environment
HTML: http://www.internet2.edu/presentations/spring04/20040420-MedMid-Rubin.htm
PPT: http://www.internet2.edu/presentations/spring04/20040420-MedMid-Rubin.ppt

Dr. Mun presented data integration with location specific information scenarios that can serve as models for potential middleware applications extending beyond the educational community. Under Project Sentinel Collaboratory, the Georgetown University in partnership with the Emergency Departments of MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital will build and deploy a data-centric collaboratory to collect and analyze data from hospitals, clinics, weather services, satellite images of vegetation, mosquito collection, veterinary clinics and other sources in order to develop indicators and warnings (I&Ws) of emerging threats to human health. Appropriate I&Ws will then allow more time for various authorities to prepare for corresponding responses to potential threats. Project Sentinel Collaboratory will exploit emerging new concepts in information technology such as middleware, network weather service, electronic authorization and authentication approaches and grid services for managing novel disparate data streams and evaluating network-dependent applications. Appropriate use of these tools will enhance interoperability, improve protection of data security, and speed of communicating essential and useful information among the authorized users. Initial users of the system will include public health authorities at the DC Department of Public Health, researchers, and physicians from participating hospitals, emergency departments and community clinics. This project is an integral part of a prototype integrated biodefense system that Georgetown's ISIS Center is developing. For more information please see http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/siiawards.html

Ken Rubin presented IT issues of the VHA. The VHA supports over 140 applications, 48 million outpatient visits, 135 nursing homes, 163 medical centers, 817 outpatient clinics, 180,000 employees, 15,000 Medical Doctors, and 30,000 Nurses. Primary IT issues facing the VHA are scalability, pervasive architecture, cross-platform architecture, changing technology, budget constraints, training and data longevity. The future of the VHA depends on common services.

Bill Gordon from the University of Cincinnati presented a model for using Shibboleth within the medical education arena, as part of a pilot co-sponsored by Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Information Resources (GIR). The university pilot project enables authenticated on-line inter-institutional CME training, tracking and certification. Architecture and test environments are critical to the university.

Topics raised in the BoF included:
· MedMid addresses complicated issues within the medical community.
· How does the group embrace current and future issues facing the medical community?
· Will the group address every middleware need within the medical community?
· Or, will the group address specific needs of the medical higher education arena?
· Will the group implement other middleware developments in the medical community?

The group addressed several needs within the medical community that could lead to potential MedMid initiatives (listed below).

Future Potential MedMid projects discussed, some of which could be fodder for future external funding or partnership proposals:
· Develop demonstration projects to educate the medical community on available middleware tools;
· Select and solicit candidate organizations within the medical community to implement middleware tools;
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· Address scalability and service assurance of Shibboleth as it relates to use within the academic medical context;
· Explore outside funding opportunities to support the design and development of a test bed, replicating infrastructure of institutions implementing MedMid initiatives;
· Identify MACE and SALSA initiatives that may address the particular needs of the medical community; and
· Further define what role security will play in future MedMid endeavors.