Administrative Assistance Research Articles

Barcoding animal species

Barcoding animal species

Implementing Resident Team Assistant Programs at Academic Medical Centers: Lessons Learned.

Excessive inpatient administrative tasks can lead to adverse consequences for residents and their patients. Furthermore, this burden has been linked to depersonalization, a major component of physician burnout. To describe the development, implementation, feasibility, acceptability, and early outcomes of Resident Team Assistant (RTA) programs. Three large academic medical centers created RTA programs in which administrative assistants are incorporated into inpatient medical teams. First steps included a needs assessment and driver diagram creation to identify key issues and to solidify goals. Program directors were assigned, and RTAs were hired, trained, and incorporated into inpatient teams at each institution (2003, 2016, 2018). Program leadership and institutional stakeholders met regularly to discuss development and quality assurance. Surveys and direct interviews were performed to evaluate impact and acceptability. Institutional goals in accordance to RTAs tasks were also investigated. Resident surveys and interviews have shown acceptability with RTAs completing a large percentage of resident administrative tasks while promoting time spent in direct clinical care and job satisfaction. Hospital-specific improvements have included increase in referring physician communication rate and decrease in work hour violations. The programs have maintained high feasibility and sustainability with a relatively low time commitment from leadership and cost for the institutions. The RTA programs at the 3 institutions have continued to be sustained over time with perceived improvements in administrative task burden and job satisfaction for the residents. They have maintained high acceptability and feasibility in terms of effort and costs for the hospitals.

Association of Childhood Asthma With Federal Rental Assistance

M Boudreaux, A Fenelon, N Slopen, SJ Newman. JAMA Pediatr . 2020;174(6):1–7 To examine whether participation in the US Department of Housing (HUD) rental assistance program was associated with pediatric asthma outcomes and whether those associations varied by program type. Data were linked between the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to administrative housing assistance records for 2992 children (0–17 years old) from 1999–2001 and 2004–2012. The main exposure is whether children’s families were participating in the HUD rental assistance programs (treatment group). Authors were concerned that rental program participation is voluntary, …

Preface

It is our great honor to welcome you to the 2020 International Symposium on New Energy and Electrical Technology (ISNEET 2020) held on September 18-20, 2020 in Changsha, China. ISNEET 2020 welcomes researchers, engineers, scientists and industry professionals to an open forum where advances in the field of New Energy and Electrical Technology can be shared and examined. The conference is an ideal platform for keeping up with advances and changes to a consistently morphing field. Leading researchers and industry experts from around the globe will be presenting the latest studies through papers and oral presentations.The meeting consists of two parts: oral presentations and speeches of keynote speakers. More than 50 participants attended the meeting. We were greatly honored to have invited Dr. Thanikaivelan Palanisamy from CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute, India to serve as our Conference Chairs.In the keynote presentations part, we invited three professors as our keynote speakers. Our beloved Conference Chair, Dr. Thanikaivelan Palanisamy was also invited to present his talk Collagen Derived Advanced Materials for Energy and Environmental Applications. His research proposed new avenues for converting industrial bio-wastes into useful multifunctional advanced materials based on nanoscience approach are scalable and inexpensive thereby minimizing pollution and maximizing environmental sustainability. Dr. Ruomei Li, our second keynote speakers, from Tsinghua University, China presented her latest research: The Role of Human Nature in the Energy Revolution. Her speech had mainly analyzed the negative reactions from different sectors of the energy industry in facing the challenge of energy revolution, and Point out that those are the natural reflection of human nature. The last keynote speaker was Prof. Deng Feng, Changsha University of Science and Technology, China. Her speech topic is: Key technology of high precision real-time monitoring and control in the distribution network. This talk aimed to introduce the key technology of high precision real-time monitoring and control in the distribution network which has promoted significantly the scientific and technological progress in the field of distribution network safety monitoring, which is significant in reducing the hidden danger of personal equipment, reducing power outage, improving the utilization rate of equipment and improving the quality of people’s production and life.ISNEET 2020 is to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of New Energy and Electrical Technology to a common forum. Therefore, we compiled a lot of excellent papers featuring the latest advanced studies on the following topics: New energy resources, Electrical Systems, Energy Science and Energy Technology, Energy management and other related topics. All the papers have been through rigorous review and process to meet the requirements of International publication standard.We are really grateful to the International/National advisory committee, keynote speakers, session chairs, organizing committee members, student volunteers and administrative assistance of the management section of University, including accounts section, digital media and publication house. Also, we are thankful to all the authors for contributing a large number of papers in the conference, because of which the conference became a story of success. It was the quality of their presentations and their passion to communicate with the other participants that really make this conference series a great success.The Organizing Committee of ISNEET 2020List of Committee member, Conference Chair, Organizing Committees, Technical Committees are available in the pdf.

Study design and operational framework for a community-based Malaria Elimination Demonstration Project (MEDP) in 1233 villages of district Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

BackgroundIn the past decade substantial reduction in malaria morbidity and mortality has been observed through well-implemented case management and vector control strategies. India has also achieved a significant reduction in malaria burden in 2018 and has committed to eliminate malaria by 2030. The Mandla Malaria Elimination Demonstration Project (MEDP) was started in 2017 in 1233 villages of District Mandla to demonstrate malaria elimination in a tribal district with hard-to-reach areas was possible using active and passive surveillance, case management, vector control, and targeted information, education and communication campaigns. An operational plan was developed to strengthen the existing surveillance and malaria elimination systems, through fortnightly active case detection to ensure that all cases including those that are introduced into the communities are rapidly identified and treated promptly. The plan also focused on the reduction of human-mosquito contact through the use of Long-Lasting Insecticial Nets (LLINs) and Indoor Residual Spray (IRS). The operational plan was modified in view of the present COVID-19 pandemic by creating systems of assistance for the local administration for COVID-related work while ensuring the operational integrity of malaria elimination efforts.ResultsThe use of MEDP study design and operational plan, with its built-in management control systems, has yielded significant (91%) reduction of indigenous cases of malaria during the period from June 2017 to May 2020. The malaria positivity rate was 0.33% in 2017–18, 0.13% in 2018–19, and 0.06% in 2019–20. Mass screening revealed 0.18% malaria positivity in September–October 2018, followed by 0.06% in June 2019, and 0.03% in December 2019, and these were mostly asymptomatic cases in the community. The project has been able to sustain the gains of the past three years during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionThis paper provides the study design and the operational plan for malaria elimination in a high-burden district of Central India, which presented difficulties of hard to reach areas, forest malaria, and complex epidemiology of urban and rural malaria. The lessons learned could be used for malaria elimination efforts in rest of the country and other parts of South Asia with comparable demography and epidemiology.

Leveraging the COVID-19 response to end preventable child deaths from pneumonia

Leveraging the COVID-19 response to end preventable child deaths from pneumonia

Conception and Implementation of a New Data-Driven Fuzzy Method for Reliability and Safety Analysis

In this paper, the probability of failure of the components is introduced as a new type of fuzzy numbers called Gaussian patchy fuzzy number to insert parameters’ uncertainty. The reason for the use of such fuzzy numbers is also due to their realistic estimation. Hence, in order to obtain a more accurate estimate of each failure occurrence and overall system reliability analysis, we assume that the fundamental events of fault tree are in the form of Gaussian patchy fuzzy number on [0, 1], and then, by applying the fuzzy transmission average (TA) [F. Abbasi, T. Allahviranloo and S. Abbasbandy, A new attitude coupled with fuzzy thinking to fuzzy rings and fields, Journal of Intelligent and Fuzzy Systems, 29 (2015) 851-861], we will model the reliability of the fuzzy system (especially the series and the parallel). Applying such fuzzy operations and numbers will lead to a more realistic analysis of the reliability of the fuzzy system. Finally, the proposed model has been used for the lack of satisfaction of the University’s administrative and financial assistant.

Preface

After successfully held for seven consecutive year, the current 2020 8th International Conference on Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Materials Engineering (AMTME 2020) took place in Chengdu, China during October 23-25, 2020.A key aspect of this conference is the strong mixture of academia and industry. This allows for the free exchange of ideas and challenges faced by these two key stakeholders and encourage future collaboration between members of these groups. AMTME 2020 is to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of advanced manufacturing technology and materials engineering to a common forum. The primary goal of the conference is to promote research and developmental activities in advanced manufacturing technology and materials engineering and another goal is to promote scientific information interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working all around the world. The conference will be held every year to make it an ideal platform for people to share views and experiences in advanced manufacturing technology and materials engineering and related areas.The conference model was divided into two sessions, including oral presentations and keynote speeches. In the first part, some scholars, whose submissions were selected as the excellent papers, were given 15 minutes to perform their oral presentations one by one. Then in the second part, keynote speakers were each allocated 30-45 minutes to hold their speeches. More than 40 participants attended the meeting. We were greatly honored to have invited Prof. Xiaodong Wang from North China Electric Power University to serve as our Conference Co-Chairmen. In the keynote presentations part, we invited two professors as our keynote speakers. Prof. Guozhe Meng, our first keynote speakers, from School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, engaged in the research of corrosion and protection of materials in the marine environment. The last keynote speaker was A. Prof. Wenbo Liu, from School of Mechanical Engineering, Sichuan University, China. His research area is nanostructured metal materials for energy conversion and storage.The proceedings are a compilation of the accepted papers and represent an interesting outcome of the conference. Topics include but are not limited to the following areas: Advanced Manufacturing Technology, New Materials and Advanced Materials, Advanced Design Technology, Manufacturing Systems and Automation and other related topics. All the papers have been through rigorous review and process to meet the requirements of International publication standard.We are really grateful to the International/National advisory committee, keynote speakers, session chairs, organizing committee members, student volunteers and administrative assistance of the management section of University, including accounts section, digital media and publication house. Also, we are thankful to all the authors for contributing a large number of papers in the conference, because of which the conference became a story of success. It was the quality of their presentations and their passion to communicate with the other participants that really make this conference series a great success.The Organizing Committee of AMTME 2020List of Committee member are available in the pdf.

Regional seismic ground‐motion simulation and observation with engineering applications

Regional seismic ground‐motion simulation and observation with engineering applications

Atenção primária em saúde coletiva e enfermagem no contexto das ações e práticas de saúde: uma revisão integrativa

Objetivo: Descrever a forma de atuação do enfermeiro na atenção básica em saúde, bem como refletir sobre as práticas de enfermagem no contexto da atenção primária em saúde. Métodos: Trata-se de uma pesquisa de cunho exploratório, do tipo revisão integrativa da literatura. Por se tratar de pesquisa de cunho revisional, foram utilizadas as bases de dados eletrônicos por meio da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), aonde encontram-se outras bases de dados e periódicos inseridas, no entanto o presente trabalho usará as seguintes bases para estudo: Literatura Latino Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO), Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde Enfermagem Brasil (BDENF). Resultados: As consequências esperadas mostraram que os conflitos, dilemas e aparências relevantes do exercício do enfermeiro na APS, contribuiu com o pensamento crítico sobre o contexto de trabalho e a necessidade de articulação da categoria na construção do seu espaço profissional. Apontando para a ampliação dos limites de atuação profissional, exercendo as atividades de liderança que são tanto administrativas quanto às práticas da assistência direta ao usuário. Considerações finais: A atuação do enfermeiro na APS é um campo amplo e vasto em processo de qualificação, sejam na prática clínica ou gerencial, essas práticas realizadas pelo enfermeiro na UBS são práticas administrativas e de assistência direta ao usuário.

Is the All-Subjected Principle Extensionally Adequate?

This paper critiques the All-Subjected Principle. The All-Subjected Principle is one of the most prominent answers to the Boundary Problem, which consists in determining who should be entitled to participate in which democratic decision. The All-Subjected Principle comes in many versions, but the general idea is that all people who are subjected in a relevant sense with regard to a democratic decision should be entitled to participate in that decision. One respect in which versions of the All-Subjected Principle differ concerns how to best understand ‘subjectedness’. One view spells out ‘subjectedness’ in terms of legal bindingness. Another view understands ‘subjectedness’ in terms of coercion. I argue that the All-Subjected Principle is extensionally inadequate on both views in that it yields verdicts that are at odds with our considered judgements about certain cases. These cases involve legal norms of referral or international administrative assistance.

Preface: International Web Conference on Advanced Material Science and Nanotechnology (NANOMAT-2020)

NANOMAT-2020, the International Web Conference on Advanced Material Science and Nanotechnology, took place during 20-21 June, 2020 on virtual platforms (Zoom app and YouTube). The conference was organized by Department of Physics, Vinayak Vidnyan Mahavidyalaya, Nandgaon Khandeshwar, Amravati, with aims of bring together as family all leading Scientists, Academicians, Educationist, Young Scientist, Research Scholars and students to present, discuss and exchange their experiences, Innovation ideas and recent development in the field of Material Science and Nanotechnology. Taking into account the COVID-19 pandemic, the NANOMAT-2020 conference was held virtually as agencies around the world are now issuing restrictions on travel, gatherings, and meetings in an effort to limit and slow the spread of this pandemic. The health and safety of our participants and members of our research community is of top priority to the Organizing Committee. Therefore, the NANOMAT-2020 conference was held online through Zoom software and YouTube channel. More than 200 participants attended the conference, they were from Japan, Nepal, South Korea, India and more. The scientific program of this conference included many topics related to Material Science and Nanotechnology as well as those in related fields.NANOMAT 2020 proceedings create an adequate discussion space for trendy topics on Fundamentals of Materials Science, Electronic & Magnetic materials, Materials for Energy Applications, Nanotechnology in Materials Science, Materials for Green Technology, Catalytic Materials & Materials Chemistry, Polymeric Materials, Nano Electronics & Sensor Technology, Nano Biotechnology, Nanocomposites, Nanotechnology in pharmaceuticals etc. In this conference, two distinguished plenary speakers and five keynote speakers had delivered their research works in area of Material Science and Nanotechnology. There were 35 oral and 30 poster presentations by participants which brought opportunity to share their recent research works knowledge among each other.This volume or edition of IOP consists of selected papers after the peer review process. Papers presented on various topics related to Material Science and Nanotechnology are combined and presented in this volume. We are sure that this intellectual resource will pave way for many new research innovations and collaborations in future. The technical program committee chair and team did an excellent job in ensuring acceptance of quality works as part of the conference. Efforts taken by peer reviewer contributed to improve the quality of papers provided are gratefully appreciated. We are very grateful to the International and National Advisory Committee, Session Chairs, and Administrative Assistants from Vidnyan Vinayak Mahavidyalaya who contributed to the success of this conference. Also, we are thankful to the authors who submitted the papers, it was quality of their presentations and communication with the other participants that really made this web conference fruitful. Last but not the least, we are thankful to the IOP Science for their support, it was not only the support but also an inspiration for organizers. We hope this conference can be held every year to make it an ideal platform for people to share views and experiences in Material Science and Nanotechnology and related areas. We are expecting you and more experts and scholars around the globe to join this international event next year.

Preface

The previous 2019 International Conference on Civil, Architecture and Urban Engineering (ICCAUE 2019) was successfully taken place on October 18-20, 2019 in Chongqing, China. It was a great pleasure to welcome all the participants from different countries to the 2020 2nd International Conference on Civil, Architecture and Urban Engineering (ICCAUE 2020) in Xi’an China during August 14–16. This three-day conference was hosted by Tianjin Port Engineering Institute Co., Ltd. of CCCC First Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd., presented by AEIC Academic Exchange Information Center. The conference is an international conference for the presentation of technological advances and research results in the fields of civil, architecture and urban engineering. The conference brings together over 90 leading researchers, engineers and scientists in the domain of interest from around the world.The conference model was divided into two sessions, including oral presentations and keynote speeches. In the first part, some scholars, whose submissions were selected as the excellent papers, were given 15 minutes to perform their oral presentations one by one. Then in the second part, keynote speakers were each allocated 30-45 minutes to hold their speeches.In this conference, we are greatly honored to have invited Prof. Aimin Liu from Tianjin Port Engineering Institute Co., Ltd. of CCCC First Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd., China to serve as our Conference Chairmen. During the conference, we were pleased to invite four distinguished experts to present their insightful speeches. The first keynote speaker, Prof. Wai Yuen SZETO, The University of Hong Kong, China, held a speech on Taxi Service Area Design. This study proposed a nonlinear mixed integer programming model to determine the service areas. The objective is to maximize social welfare. Prof. Yanlong Li from Xi’an University of Technology, China, talked about Research on the deterioration mechanism of concrete with initial damage under different load modes. His speech presented some current work on the relationship between internal damage and nonlinear creep of concrete, revealed the expansion law of crack morphology under the stress mode of hydraulic concrete. A. Prof. Zhuangzhuang Liu, Chang’an University, China, shared a speech on his specialty related to Research on snow self-melting asphalt pavement technology based on targeted heat conduction. This research designed a kind of high thermal conductivity asphalt concrete, studied the influence of key materials such as heating element, heat conductor and insulation on the heating effect of concrete, and verified the influence factors of environmental temperature, the amount of snow and working time on snow melting effect. As the last keynote speaker, Prof. Chenghua Wang from Tianjin University, China, made an insightful speech on A Three-dimensional Limit Equilibrium Method for Analysing the Basal Upheaval Stability of Deep Slender Foundation Pits. The conference provided a forum for discussing Civil, Architecture and Urban Engineering and in particular for promoting the interchange of novel ideas and the presentations of the latest developments in this field. This conference will also provide an ideal environment to develop new collaborations and meet experts on the fundamentals, applications, and products of the mentioned fields.We are glad to share with you that we received lots of submissions from the conference and we selected a bunch of high-quality papers and compiled them into the proceedings after rigorously reviewed them. These papers feature following topics but are not limited to: Civil Engineering, Architecture, Urban Engineering, Urban traffic management and other related topics. All the papers have been through rigorous review and process to meet the requirements of International publication standard.We are really grateful to the International/National advisory committee, keynote speakers, session chairs, organising committee members, student volunteers and administrative assistance of the management section of University, including accounts section, digital media and publication house. Also, we are thankful to all the authors for contributing a large number of papers in the conference, because of which the conference became a story of success. It was the quality of their presentations and their passion to communicate with the other participants that really make this conference series a great success.The Organizing Committee of ICCAUE 2020Committee member Chairs, Organizing Committees, Academic Committees are available in the pdf.

A case study of work-based learning through the design of edX MOOCs for Latin America and the Caribbean

This exploratory case study analyzed the reported learning experiences among the multidisciplinary practitioners employed in the development of edX courses for a pioneering MOOC program targeted at Latin America and Caribbean. It applied work-based learning theory and activity theory to answer the question of whether and how a group of 20 participants—including subject matter experts, instructional designers, administrative assistants, platform technicians, and media producers—experienced work-based learning through their collaboration during the MOOC program’s initial professionalization period. Using qualitative research methods via interviews, observation, and document analysis, it illuminated the practical, pedagogical, and organizational factors that participants identified as critical for succeeding in their jobs. The principal study finding indicated that the entirety of participants experienced work-based learning in response to systemic tensions related to one or more of the five phases of the MOOC design cycle. The secondary findings concluded that participants encountered significant pressures and opportunities for learning as a result of: developing educational resources or learning activities (80%), the need for improving organizational processes (85%), and facing constant technological upgrades (75%). Finally, the study recommends that MOOC design teams (a) rethink the role of the instructor vis-à-vis the techno-pedagogical affordances of the MOOC platform, and (b) design adaptive organizational structures that support a plurality of sociomaterial workflows.

Community-Based Management Strategies in Sustainability of Rural Water Supply Schemes

The sustainability of Rural Water Supply Schemes (RWSS), managed by communities, is a major concern in the developing world. A sustainable RWSS delivers safe and sufficient drinking water for a longer period to rural people. Community management was viewed as an accepted model that leads to sustainability, even though community management had difficulties and constraints in sustainability of RWSS due to social, technical, institutional and financial constraints. This paper reviews the sustainability factors of community managed RWSS. There is a need to take multi-stakeholder approach, a demand driven and community led approach, which ties these stakeholders like government, community and non-governmental sector for the effectiveness and sustainability of drinking water services. The synthesis evidenced that community management needs modifications, in terms of external factors, like, institutional support that include financial and technical support, trainings and administrative assistance to make RWSS sustainable. The community, like participation in all phases of planning, implementation, operation & maintenance, water tariff, sense of ownership, transparency, leadership and management are essential for the sustainability of RWSS. The participation by the community members in RWSS plays positive role for its sustainability. To conclude, analysis also highlighted commitment to community management should be pragmatic and rational. The scaling up of community management is an effective and efficient model to address the issues of sustainability in RWSS.

China in transition towards a circular economy: from policy to practice

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine China's approach to circular economy (CE) and investigate how the foreign concept of CE has been turned into a national strategy for implementation in production, circulation and consumption. This study aims to highlight the Chinese characteristics in the implementation of CE from central to local levels including the “trial and test” by pilot schemes and the role of local governments in CE transformation of industrial parks and in building CE cities. Based on what has been achieved, this paper aims to identify the gaps to be filled in the next stage of CE implementation.Design/methodology/approachThis paper engages in critical analysis of state policies, plans, laws and regulations and case studies of Suzhou New District and Shanghai city in the building CE-oriented industrial park and CE city, respectively.FindingsChina has taken a top-down approach to CE characterised by strong government involvement in both policy and plan making and implementation at local levels. The government’s financial investment and administrative assistance proved to be crucial in the early stage of CE implementation to close the loop at industrial parks and in cities. In comparison, participation by enterprises and individuals is still weak and limited, which should be the focus of the next stage of CE implementation.Originality/valueThere is an absence of legal literature that studies circular economy in China. This paper fills the gap by examining the development of CE law and policy as well as CE implementation at local levels from industrial parks to cities.

Bright Blue Scrubs: Going Back to School

This case tracks a woman named Jodi as she dreams of going back to school in her early 30s to become a nurse. Jodi had put off higher education for 15 years after she became pregnant with her son as a junior in high school. But now, with her son only a few years away from leaving the house for college himself, Jodi wants to improve both her future and the $30,000 income she currently earns as an administrative assistant at a small health clinic. Jodi calls her friend Tameka, a cashier at a local supermarket who had recently gone back to school to become a pharmacist. Tameka suggests that Jodi meet with a college adviser to learn more about her options.This case is best used in a non-MBA course on financial literacy, or in other educational settings wherein learners are exploring resilience, especially navigating returning to the educational system as an adult. Excerpt UVA-F-1912 Feb. 6, 2020 Bright Blue Scrubs: Going Back to School Introduction All night, Jodi had trouble sleeping—her thoughts had been plagued by an all-too-familiar feeling, and when she looked at the calendar, she knew exactly why: tomorrow would mark the three-year anniversary of her mother's passing. She remembered how she had given up her second job to stay home and care for her mother during her last days, but every year, Jodi's most persistent memory was the promise she had made to her dying mother—that she would go back to school and finally fulfill her dream of being a nurse. Jodi's mother had been a hardworking nurse and single mom who tried to provide the best for her daughter, but Jodi had felt she'd been a disappointment to her mother ever since she'd gotten pregnant at 16, in her senior year of high school. Jodi had always wanted to be a nurse, and had been a star student who loved biology and chemistry, but once she had gotten pregnant, she'd had to make different life plans, which included getting a full-time job to support her son, Andre. Her plans to go to college had been on hold for more than a decade while she worked and took care of her son, and as each year passed, returning to school and becoming a nurse began to seem more impossible to Jodi. . . .

COVID-19’s Impact on Genetics at One Medical Center in New York

COVID-19’s Impact on Genetics at One Medical Center in New York

Japanese Rural Communities and Their festivals in Postmodern Conditions

The article analyzes the author's sociological research results in two villages in the municipality of Kumano, Mie Prefecture, Japan: the fishing village of Hobo and the mountain village of Maruyama. The text aims to clarify the place and role of traditions in the postmodern lifestyle, the mechanisms of their "modernization," and use to revitalize local communities and preserve the Japanese cultural identity by studying their festivals. Local festivals are an essential cultural resource for protecting the traditions of Hobo and Maruyama. The activities for their organization and implementation largely determine the lifestyle of the local community. Their preservation requires both will and perseverance, as well as an innovative approach and ingenuity shown by their inhabitants. Collective action is an important factor in preserving local culture and traditions in Japanese villages. In Hobo, the local community's active life is due to the initiative, efforts and perseverance of its informal leader, and the enterprising local people who help him. In Maruyama, in addition to the enterprising local people and their organizations, the organizational assistance and support of the municipal administration and volunteers from other parts of the country are extremely important. With their initiatives and activities, local communities use the resources of tradition to achieve socially meaningful goals in postmodern conditions.

Developing a Center for Education Research and Scholarship in a Department of Pediatrics.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background The skills needed to engage in scholarship in medical education are not part of the training that all physicians acquire. To build skills and promote scholarship, we developed a Center for Education Research and Scholarship (CERS) in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado. In this paper, we offer recommendations for others who seek to establish departmental-level efforts to support education. Approach and Lessons Learned CERS provides an "education home" for those interested in education scholarship, supplementing campus-wide efforts such as an Academy of Medical Educators. Mentorship from two experienced leaders in medical education provided a foundation for other faculty in the department and helped to build scholarship efforts more broadly. Through a weekly meeting and an annual departmental retreat, CERS provides opportunities for community among educators, faculty development in the skills needed to engage in education research, and a forum for generating ideas and planning projects. Essential resources for success include at least one leader with expertise in educational research, an administrative and/or research assistant, and some funding for faculty time and initiation of projects. Mentors with experience in education research and scholarship are also needed, although a group of mentors quickly grows as more individuals engage. Results Benefits to the department include peer-reviewed presentations and publications in medical education, with regional, national, and international recognition. Faculty members can focus on medical education as a key component of their careers, and the quality of education programs is enhanced. Conclusions While it takes time to fully develop a departmental center for education scholarship, it is possible to start small and grow. One or two leaders in education with vision can begin the effort and engage others, and the faculty will begin to experience the satisfaction of collaborative projects in education, successful innovation, and dissemination of scholarship.