With Memorial Day just a few days away, you might think that CAST is preparing to slow down for the lazy days of summer. You would be wrong.
We’re busier than ever here in Washington as we wrap up some major spring projects and prepare for the busy months ahead.
This issue of Tech Time is full of articles about what we’ve accomplished and what lies ahead. Here’s a brief preview:
Wrapping up a Busy Spring
We’ve been very productive since we saw all of you at the PEAK Leadership Summit.
Reaching out to Google: “Cool” is the only word I can find to describe the ride I took on April 28 in the self-driving car developed by Google X. I hope you’ll read my account of the experience. I’ve invited Google to showcase the car at the Idea House exhibit during our Annual Meeting and Exposition, which takes place Oct. 19-22 in Nashville, TN. I’ll keep you posted.
A New CAST Case Study: Our latest CAST case study tells the story of how LeadingAge Member and CAST Associate EMA engaged CAST Supporter It's Never 2 Late to implement a person-centered technology platform that keeps residents connected with the world while enhancing their health and wellness. I hope you’ll read it and view the videos that we’ve embedded at the end of the document.
A New CAST Commission Report: Have you been putting off investing in technology because you think it’s too expensive? Then you’ll want to read our new report about the spring meeting of the CAST Commission Meeting. CAST Chair Mark McClellan offered some practical advice that may help your organization save money while moving forward with technology-enabled services and supports. The report also includes a new set of technology-policy priorities that CAST Commissioners identified during the meeting.
A Busy Few Months Ahead
There are a number of opportunities that you won’t want to miss as we move into summer. Mark these dates on your calendar today:
June 22-24: Join us in Baltimore for the 10th Annual Long-Term and Post-Acute Care Health Information Technology Summit. The Summit is co-sponsored and co-organized by LeadingAge and CAST. Please see our article to find out more about the breadth of cutting-edge topics you can explore during the Summit’s educational sessions. I hope to see you at the Summit, particularly during the sessions and Interoperability and Innovation Showcase led by CAST.
June 15: This is the last day to propose the session that you’d like to present at the AgeTech West Technology Conference and Expo. Consumers of technology-enabled services will be the focus of this year’s conference, which takes place Nov. 17-18 in Seattle. See our article for ideas you could turn into an exciting presentation.
July 11: This is the last day to enter the McKnight’s Technology Awards competition. Six LeadingAge members won awards in last year’s competition. See our article to see how you could be a winner this year.
Sept. 5: You should be wrapping up your summer – and your application for the LeadingAge HackFest – by the Friday after Labor Day. The HackFest challenges teams of 4-6 participants to brainstorm, develop, design and market a technology-driven tool aimed at improving the lives of older adults and their families. Find out all the details about HackFest -- including the $5,000 prize -- in this issue of Tech Time.
Sept. 24: CAST and the International Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing (IAHSA) will hold a Global Technology Forum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on Sept. 24. The forum takes place in conjunction with the Sept. 25-26 conference of EAHSA, the European Ageing Network. The forum is followed by an optional tour of the Philips Experience Lab on the High-Tech Campus in Eindhoven the morning of Sept. 25. Check out all the details and plan to join us in Amsterdam!
In This Issue
CAST Supporters, Patrons and Business Associates have also been quite busy this spring and their accomplishments loom large in this issue of Tech Time. Our article about those accomplishments includes a run-down of these milestones:
Awards and Successes: CAST Supporter Healthsense, Inc., received an Edison Award for the impact that its eNeighbor technology platform has had on wellness and prevention. CAST Business Associate AOD Software experienced double-digit growth in the first quarter of 2014. Congratulations to both organizations!
Key Insights and Experience: The insights and experience of several CAST Associates were highlighted in recent articles about technology. CAST Supporter Independa was featured in the Kansas City Star. Senior Housing News wrote about CAST Patron Front Porch and CAST Associate Intel-GE Care Innovations. And a recent article by Yahoo News included quotes from CAST Associates GrandCare Systems, George Mason University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
New Ventures: ACTS Retirement-Life Communities, a LeadingAge Member and CAST Patron, is implementing a unified wired and wireless network on its campuses. Devices from CAST Business Associate RosieConnect can now deliver data about residents’ vital signs and weight directly to the electronic health record platform developed by CAST Business Associate PointClickCare. And, middle and high school students in Boston are teaching computer skills to residents of Hebrew Senior Life, a CAST Associate and LeadingAge Member.
You can also read in this issue about advocacy efforts in Washington to expand the modalities, delivery and coverage of telehealth.
I hope you enjoy these and other articles in this issue of Tech Time. Please contact me with any comments or questions.