From the Director

by Erik Wieland

Where's Erik? Good question, since he lost his office to OE.

a Full Serving of Fibrechannel in Every Issue!

Welcome to the DOM IT Services Fall 2011 newsletter.

Each quarter we put together this newsletter to keep the Department of Medicine informed about the latest in IT policy, projects, security and more. We have a lot of fun writing these articles, and we hope you get something out of them, too. We get most of the ideas from you, so please let us know if there's something you'd like to see. You can also see past issues of our newsletters, in case you enjoy this one so much that you want more!

Operational Excellence IT Update

The Human Resources and Academic Personnel clusters are collocating, and the new Research Management Services groups are forming. So what's happening with the OE IT initiatives? CIO Elazar Harel recently gave an update on the status of the various OE IT initiatives to the Chancellor's Executive Cabinet and to the State of IT Forum, including the recommendations for Desktop Support and Data Centers. The slide deck (PDF) and the captured video stream (MP4) from the State of IT Forum are available for your review.

Single Sign-On: the dream slowly becomes a reality

I have been at UCSF for 14 years, and it seems like every year I'm told that some day (usually some time in the next 18 months) I'll be able to log in to every system with one username and password. Along with renovating UC Hall and creating more office space, this is one of the great unfulfilled promises at UCSF. Well, along with concrete plans to renovate UC Hall, we're actually making progress on creating a real single sign-on environment at UCSF. We have a great Identity and Access Management team in ITS that is making steady progress on integrating applications with MyAccess, and Abby has looked into how MyAccess is being changed to make logging in easier.

My new office must be less than 18 months away!

Web Accessibility

Having just launched a new department website, and working on new division websites, I have become something of a curmudgeon when it comes to user interface and user experience design. There are still a lot of web sites out there that offend my sensibilities (and sear my retinas). However, I can usually muddle through and find the information I need. I can't imagine how much more difficult that task would be if I was visually impaired. But just as we make accommodations for trainees and coworkers who with physical challenges, we need to take the same care with our electronic systems. Ed and Erin have been taking web accessibility training, and are working to make our web sites accessible to everyone. Read more about how they're accomplishing that, and why you should care.

Profiles

We have a new Director of Clinical Operations and Revenue Management. Except that she's not so new (at least not to the Department of Medicine). This month's customer profile is Miriam Gonzalez-White. Kristan sat down with her to find out what makes her tick (and hopefully why she ticks in the first place).

We have our first new staff member in the DOM IT Services group in almost 5 years! Our staff profile this month is Erin-Marie MacEwen, the department's new web editor. She started with us last month, and is already making a huge impact on the department's web sites and processes. Kenton interviewed Erin, and somehow talked her into posting the results.

Productivity

Do you have iPad envy? Even if you already have some kind of tablet, do you wonder how you might get more out of it? Edel, one of the group's early adopters (our motto: "when it comes to cutting edge technology, we bleed so you don't have to"), has been working on getting APeX and Dragon supported on tablets. He took some time out from playing Angry Birds his important work to give us some tips on how to use a tablet to be more productive.

Solutions

Videoconferencing! The word conjures up images of the war room at NCIS, with Jethro Gibbs talking to some Marine Commander halfway around the world. While UCSF doesn't have the technology and special effects budget of CBS, we have something better: TeleMedicine. The people of this state voted to fund Prop 1D to establish a network of videoconferencing and telepresence centers to better serve the health care needs of the citizens of California. The UCSF TeleMedicine infrastructure went live at the end of October, and one of the immediate benefits is that now everyone can videoconference from their desks for free. Yes, I said free (as in beer). Marlon gives us a look at MOVI, the software that is making this possible.

You asked for it... Is it time to trade in your BlackBerry?

Blackberry users: you've had a reliable email and calendaring tool that makes phone calls for years. So what if browsing the web is as enjoyable as getting a root canal (and takes about the same amount of time). If you wanted a toy you'd get an iPhone. Not that you'd ever stoop that low. Ever. No really, you just looked at your friend's iPhone that one time. And that time at the Apple Store while you waited for your husband to exchange a pair of shoes. While all Blackberry service was out worldwide. Again. Okay, okay, so maybe it's time to switch. Andrew takes a look at the state of Blackberry, and gives you an honest look at what your choices are. No crying.

Thanks for taking the time to read this far. Your reward is our service calendar for the next three and a half months. Enjoy!

— Erik, on behalf of the DOM IT Services team

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