Rosa T. Sheng, FAIA’s Post

Fellows of the #Collegeofphysicians, is this really what you want for the #muttermuseum ? Below is the text of a letter I submitted to the New York Times in response to their article. Re:A “Should a Hall of Human Curiosities Dial It Down by Franz Lidz (Science Section Aug. 15) To describe Gretchen Worden’s contribution to the Mütter Museum as a “left-hand turn” with regard to the College of Physicians’ mission (advancing the cause of health while upholding the ideals and heritage of medicine) betrays the troubling mindset that has taken over within the leadership of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Gretchen Worden and her work at the museum brought the heritage and history of medicine to millions of people and inspired many hundreds of thousands to visit the museum and think about the history and medicine that it represented. The current leadership is attempting to change the Mütter Museum experience because it makes them personally uncomfortable. They are completely missing the point that this discomfort is exactly what is so important to visitors trying to wrestle with complex emotions around life, death, disability, and mortality. As the Museum’s recently departed Director of Education, I know for a fact that no-one in this unique institution would deny the complex concerns of working with legacy collections of human remains. Certainly, attitudes are changing (as they should) but ethical discussions are complex, difficult, and nuanced. They require multiple voices and a broad understanding of your topic. These are discussions I witnessed, in some form or another, every week working at this museum. Recent kneejerk decisions by a leadership with absolutely no experience in the field of the history of medicine are being driven by personal issues and elitist and conservative notions of what is suitable for the public to confront and digest. Not by a thoughtful ethical process. They are also tearing the institution apart.

Techs in Learning and Teaching...

Watch the video below to see how thoughtfully programmed and designed health sciences facilities deliver interdisciplinary teaching and hands-on learning in spaces that can truly transform a campus. #EnrichingLives | #AchievingPowerfulResults | #HealthSciences | Christopher Ludwig, AIA

The key to maintaining an open space is making it functional and adaptable. That's why we thoughtfully incorporated SITONIT's Movi Nesting Chairs in our Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University project. A+D: Hoefer Welker #designefficiency #moderndesign #interiordesign #tcu #educationdesign

We all know that labs are tricky when it comes to operational carbon due to high energy demands. What is lesser understood is how structural considerations can help reduce the embodied carbon associated with material selection. I'm excited to hear what Isabel Mandujano RA LEED-AP and Harshda Prasad, SE, LEED AP have to say about #decarbonization strategies for labs.

It was great seeing our Surgical Science and Practice students at Rewley House last week for their module on Human Factors, Teamwork and Communication! 👋 🔗Find out more about our courses in this field: https://buff.ly/3xa9lPm #OxfordLifelongLearning #ContinuingEducation #Oxford #SurgicalScience

I found the piece by Melvin Mitchell in LinkedIn, on the contributions of HBCU trained Architects in “building of Washington DC,” to be quite a moving, beautiful, informative and inspiring story. I lived in, trained as a general surgeon, and practiced surgery in Washington DC between 1985 and 2007. As a trainee surgeon and later as an associate professor of surgery at Howard University Hospital, it was unavoidable being moved by the powerful work Howard University did, does, and keeps doing. I was (and I am sure many were also) excitedly conscious of the impactful contributions of Howard University as an institution, to such fields as Law, Medicine, Architecture, Engineering, Pharmacy, History, Literature, Dance, the Arts, etc., not only to Washington DC in particular, but to the entire Nation in general. This piece by Melvin Mitchell does not just highlight a key field- Architecture, it also validates the truthfulness of my shared experience. Much more than that, however, it goes further to also put all of us on notice: “Do not hoard this knowledge of our huge and important contribution as a people, to the larger structural conversation in the American society.” We all by word or deed are obligated to share this uplifting and impactful knowledge with the younger and rising generations, who may not fully connect the “societal power dots.” We must do these things not just as a counter argument to the existing cultural paradigm, but because these labors, as unpalatable as they may seem, we must do to enable the younger ones appreciate the rich nexus of contributions of their heritage and the relevance in the changing sociodynamics in and cultural dialogue present within Washington DC, and the Nation, today. Okay Harold Odocha, MD

🌟 Exciting Collaboration Announcement! 🌟 We're thrilled to share that the UW-Madison Computer Sciences N+1 Institute has announced GE HealthCare as its founding member! Together, they will explore edge computing to accelerate biohealth innovation in patient monitoring technology. 🚀 The collaboration between N+1 Institute and GE HealthCare comes at a pivotal time for Wisconsin's biohealth industry. Following the state's designation as a Regional Tech Hub for personalized medicine, this partnership aims to leverage AI and edge computing to enhance precision and flexibility in patient care. This collaboration is a significant milestone for the #WIBiohealthTechHub, showcasing how industry-university partnerships can drive innovation and provide valuable real-world education for students. GE HealthCare’s involvement will also support the growth of N+1 by mentoring students, guiding research projects, and providing cutting-edge patient monitoring technology for hands-on learning experiences. By combining forces, N+1 Institute and GE HealthCare are setting new standards in healthcare innovation, aiming to improve patient outcomes and advance biohealth research. Join us in celebrating this exciting partnership and its impact on the future of healthcare! Read the full press release to learn more: 🔗N+1 Institute and GE HealthCare collaborate for faster biohealth innovation and real-world education for students – Computer Sciences – UW–Madison (wisc.edu) #N1Institute #Biohealth #EdgeComputing #Innovation #HealthcareTech #EDATechHubs #StudentOpportunities #PersonalizedMedicine

"This new strategy will benefit clinicians and consumers during the selection of seating and mobility technology and enhance rehabilitation services by utilizing standardized performance measures to match appropriate and quality products to user needs." With lead RST investigators David Brienza, Patricia Karg, Jon Pearlman, and Mark Schmeler, faculty at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences are working to improve wheelchair selection and services by establishing a Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) that will employ evidence-based approaches to the selection of wheelchair products! Find out more about this project and other the work of other faculty members at the link below! https://loom.ly/ACqzjac #AssistiveTechnology #MRT #H2P 💙💛

Commercial real estate is not in a particularly great place right now in North Texas or anywhere else, but Dallas' Medical District continues to grow, infill, and plan new projects. Many of the new projects are from state spending, from a new psychiatric hospital to a new Dallas Independent School District elementary school focused on biomedical science and a Dallas County lab. But other real estate forces are compiling land, and Children's Health is planning a new pediatric campus across the street from UT Southwestern Medical Center Clements University Hospital. Forces like Texas Trees Foundation are overseeing a redesign of the district to make the area more walkable and add to the areas green infrastructure as all this new construction goes in. With the former Parkland Hospital and St. Paul's space yet to be redeveloped, more plans could be on the way. Read more from my August column to see how healthcare in Dallas is reversing the real estate trend. https://lnkd.in/gTwQXeAs