All Hands on Deck: A Team Approach to System Migration

Purpose: To determine if a team approach to a complex integrated library system (ILS) migration would result in a timely and successful outcome. Brief Description: Changing needs and an aging integrated library system server platform prompted Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library to migrate to a new ILS. After considering several options, Himmelfarb decided to join with the George Washington University\u27s Jacob Burns Law Library in their move to a hosted instance of Innovative Interface\u27s Sierra ILS and Encore OPAC. Though some separation of data and functionality could be achieved, there were several functions that would be shared between the two libraries\u27 systems. A successful transition would depend upon both libraries\u27: detailed knowledge of the system data determining essential functionality to preserve willingness to change and accommodate Because the Law Library\u27s Sierra migration was delayed until mid-December 2012 and Himmelfarb\u27s pre-paid server maintenance was ending in March 2013, the window to accomplish migration was a short 12 weeks, prompting the decision to team-manage the migration. Conclusion: Teams and organizational tools, including weekly meetings to discuss problems, ensured the timely completion of key assignments that were critical to meeting the Go Live date goal. The team approach allowed the work and decision-making to be distributed among a large percentage of the staff, creating a broader sense of ownership. Distribution of tasks allowed a high level of attention to detail necessary for an optimal outcome

Conference of Microelectronic Research 1997

https://scholarworks.rit.edu/meec_archive/1006/thumbnail.jp

Callie\u27s Sunset

Color photography.https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/artshow_gallery_2013/1011/thumbnail.jp

Nina Simone from Scratch

https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/artshow_gallery_2012/1010/thumbnail.jp

This Seat\u27s Taken

Color photography (camera phone).https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/artshow_gallery_2013/1013/thumbnail.jp

Horizon X

Color photography (camera phone).https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/artshow_gallery_2013/1012/thumbnail.jp

Past, Present, and Future: Create a Library Video to Promote Outreach and Marketing!

In the fall of 2011, the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library Marketing Committee was tasked with creating a video on the history of the library. As the project developed, a broader scope was outlined to capture not only our past but our current staff, services, and programs with a goal of using it for outreach. The final video project was completed in Spring 2012

Evaluation of a quality improvement intervention to reduce anastomotic leak following right colectomy (EAGLE): pragmatic, batched stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial in 64 countries

Background Anastomotic leak affects 8 per cent of patients after right colectomy with a 10-fold increased risk of postoperative death. The EAGLE study aimed to develop and test whether an international, standardized quality improvement intervention could reduce anastomotic leaks. Methods The internationally intended protocol, iteratively co-developed by a multistage Delphi process, comprised an online educational module introducing risk stratification, an intraoperative checklist, and harmonized surgical techniques. Clusters (hospital teams) were randomized to one of three arms with varied sequences of intervention/data collection by a derived stepped-wedge batch design (at least 18 hospital teams per batch). Patients were blinded to the study allocation. Low- and middle-income country enrolment was encouraged. The primary outcome (assessed by intention to treat) was anastomotic leak rate, and subgroup analyses by module completion (at least 80 per cent of surgeons, high engagement; less than 50 per cent, low engagement) were preplanned. Results A total 355 hospital teams registered, with 332 from 64 countries (39.2 per cent low and middle income) included in the final analysis. The online modules were completed by half of the surgeons (2143 of 4411). The primary analysis included 3039 of the 3268 patients recruited (206 patients had no anastomosis and 23 were lost to follow-up), with anastomotic leaks arising before and after the intervention in 10.1 and 9.6 per cent respectively (adjusted OR 0.87, 95 per cent c.i. 0.59 to 1.30; P = 0.498). The proportion of surgeons completing the educational modules was an influence: the leak rate decreased from 12.2 per cent (61 of 500) before intervention to 5.1 per cent (24 of 473) after intervention in high-engagement centres (adjusted OR 0.36, 0.20 to 0.64; P < 0.001), but this was not observed in low-engagement hospitals (8.3 per cent (59 of 714) and 13.8 per cent (61 of 443) respectively; adjusted OR 2.09, 1.31 to 3.31). Conclusion Completion of globally available digital training by engaged teams can alter anastomotic leak rates. Registration number: NCT04270721 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)