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Business Networks | April, 2009 | Volume 7, Issue 4 Electronic health records offer potential, but not without pitfalls.
For anyone who has sat in a new doctor’s office filling out yet another detailed health history—and who hasn’t?—the idea of electronic health records (EHR) seems compelling. Imagine that a person could provide details once, the information would be available to any doctor who sees him or her, and the record would simply need updating at subsequent appointments. Plus, physicians would be able to make decisions based on comprehensive and timely data. Although the benefits are clear, and there is serious talk now about expanding the place of information technology (IT) in health care, the task poses tremendous challenges. “For years, vendors have sold programs to automate medical records, but they weren’t always looking at the big picture,” said Monica Chiarini Tremblay, who teaches courses in management information systems (MIS) in the Department of Decision Sciences and Information Systems, and who researches medical IT. “Consequently, organizations have software and even hardware systems that won’t interoperate with other organizations’ systems. In addition, ineffectual programs made people feel burned and they may be reluctant to try again.” Read more.
Graduate students succeed in first South Florida ACG Cup competition.
This spring, the South Florida chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) invited students from graduate business programs at Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University, and the University of Miami to participate in the first annual ACG Cup competition held in this region. “The competition is a win-win situation for everyone involved,” said Rob Brighton, a corporate partner with Ruden McClosky and president of ACG South Florida. “The schools and the students get an opportunity to show off their skills and the benefits of their respective MBA programs before prominent members of the local financial and business community who serve as judges for the competition. At the same time, representatives of these firms, who are potential employers of the students and donors to the schools, get to see how prospective employees address real-world business scenarios in a competitive environment.” Read more. The intersection of the modern and traditional in Dubai captivates students.
“Seeing the desert for me was like someone who had never seen the ocean,” said Jessica Aristizabal (IMBA ’07), program coordinator, international graduate programs, who helped plan the latest Master of International Business (MIB) trip, which took her and 51 others to Dubai from March 14-21, 2009. Like all MIB trips, this one involved a mixture of company visits and sight-seeing opportunities. But the inaugural excursion to Dubai presented the organizers with some special challenges. “The trip prompted lots of interest because of the exotic destination,” said Paola Moreno (MBA ’03) associate director, international graduate programs. “That meant trying to accommodate as large a group as possible. We also spent a lot of time negotiating with the company that helped us plan the trip to get the best itinerary—good companies and good accommodations—at the best price.” The group got an inside view of business in the region through meetings at construction management giant Parsons Brinkerhoff; real estate development company Nakheel, noted for its Palm Island and other reclamation projects; the Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Emirates Group, parent company of the Emirates Airline, Dubai’s national airline. Read more. Trip to the “City of Lights” enlightens undergraduates on uniquely French approach to business and culture.
Viva la France! So exclaimed the 36 students who journeyed to Paris this March as part of a study abroad program coordinated by the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER). With an itinerary as rich as Paris itself, the jam-packed visit focused in equal parts on the business and cultural aspects of France. “This was definitely an educational trip,” said Doreen Gooden, instructor, Department of Management and International Business, and faculty leader for this program. “The students participated in morning lecture sessions held at the École Supérieure du Commerce Extérieure, a top business school in Paris, where they gained insights into European culture as well as European and French market entry strategies and management styles.” The students also toured the offices of IBM France; the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); and the International Chamber of Commerce. Read more. College hosts array of experts from across the business spectrum.
In February and March 2009, hundreds of people heard dozens of speakers address pressing challenges and significant opportunities in entrepreneurship, small businesses, international business, energy, and financial services—among other topics—thanks to a variety of seminars, lectures, and forums organized by the College of Business Administration and co-sponsors. Here’s a recap of four of them. Entrepreneurs communicate secrets of success. The Small Business Forum’s “Thriving in a Challenging Economy” drew about 300 people to FIU for an event sponsored by the college, the Eugenio Pino and Family Global Entrepreneurship Center, The Miami Herald, and the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). The daylong event of speakers and panels was enthusiastically received, including by the sponsors. “Our community relies on small businesses and The Miami Herald is committed to providing small business owners with the resources they need to succeed,” said Christina Gomez-Pina, The Miami Herald’s marketing and events director. “Small business owners find the networking and information presented at these events refreshing and motivating. At the same time, this seminar gave us a chance to meet the business owners and help them identify the many challenges and risks all small business owners are facing today.” Read more.
BBA+ Weekend students give patients at Miami Children's Hospital something to treasure.
What would help brighten the day of a sick child? Seeking the answer to this question motivated BBA+ Weekend Group 26 to pull out all creative stops for a recent volunteer service event at Miami Children’s Hospital. The end result? More than 100 young patients decorated their own “treasure chest” as a keepsake from their hospital stay. As part of this Business in Society service learning project, the students joined forces with AT&T Telecom Pioneers South Florida Council to put the principles of social responsibility into action. Telecom Pioneers is one of largest industry-related service organizations in the world. Robert Hogner, who teaches the Business in Society class, noted that “this second semester of successful engagement with AT&T continues our college’s first major community service collaboration with a global business enterprise.” Read more.
Akhil Dua (MIS ’02)
While a student, Akhil Dua (MIS ’02), co-founder and CEO, Healthy Exotic Foods, nurtured an inner social entrepreneurial spirit as he dreamed of one day starting his own business—one that would be dedicated to not just making money but offering a product that would benefit others. Today that dream is a reality. “Launched in 2008, my company offers healthy lentil dips produced in an eco-friendly way,” Dua said. “Our business objective is to create partnerships with non-profit organizations to combat controllable health issues such as high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity.” Read more. A night of networking unfolds under the Miami sky.
Forty-two floors up, more than 100 FIU alumni gathered from the business, real estate, law, accounting, YUPA, and Honors College alumni chapters for a night of networking in the heart of Miami’s downtown at 500 Brickell on March 12, 2009. “Networking opens doors and creates opportunities, which is especially important in a market in which people are looking for jobs,” said Michelle Joubert, assistant director of advancement and alumni relations, College of Business Administration. Read more. Ten-Year Anniversary Masquerade Soirée and Silent Auction
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