RE: [Hardhats-members] BIG NEWS re HealtheVet- St. Petersburg Times

[Thurman Pedigo]

Hey! What better crew to do a medical system. I started programming when I learned I could “trick” a system into doing something the analyst/programmer estimated would cost $50,000 (in 1975 $) of programming time. A programmer once told me I was an “awfully expensive programmer” implying I would make more $ practicing medicine (I’m sure the code would be cleaner). My reply, I don’t know if that’s true – when I sit in that chair I am the analyst, designer, programmer, owner, and user. Don’t get me wrong, I have the highest regard for programmers – especially the VA programmers I have met. I don’t program anymore – though I do poke around and write some code, usually using warmed over code that has worked before.. Piecemeal seems the way of all systems that survive and produce. Few things are without change. Consultants are great, being usually very highly trained and accomplished analysts, that walk in, review systems, talk to a lot of people (sometimes disgruntled and frustrated), then leave with you large report to decipher and implement. When that recommendation fails, you are the one whose blood is on the carpet – consultant is off writing another report. After several total blood volume transfusions, I learned to take all consultants (me included) with a dram of brandy. The problem with government consultants - the poor politicians are clueless what hit them, and can always be trusted to come back for more. Regards, thurman            , From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Clemens, John Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 12:00 PM To: 'hardhats-members@lists.sourceforge.net' Subject: RE: [Hardhats-members] BIG NEWS re HealtheVet- St. Petersburg Times   "It has evolved over 25 years and was created piecemeal by VA doctors, nurses and technology wonks who swapped ideas from hospital to hospital."   Oh, really?   John Clemens IT Specialist, Software IRMS Veterans Affairs Medical Center (662) 4150 Clement Street San Francisco, CA  94121 Phone:  415.221.4810 x4540 (Tu,Wed,Thu) Digital Pager:415.303.0388 ( Mon,Fri) Fax: 415.750.2177   [EMAIL PROTECTED]         From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joseph Conn Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 10:06 AM To: hardhats-members@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [Hardhats-members] BIG NEWS re HealtheVet- St. Petersburg Times Oh, boy!  Wish someone had leaked that report to me!! >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 04/13/05 11:53AM >>> VA faces another computer problem By PAUL DE LA GARZA and STEPHEN NOHLGREN Published April 13, 2005       A report done for the administration suggests that the VA's multibillion-dollar plan to upgrade its system is "not realistic." A $3.5-billion computer overhaul at veterans hospitals across the country is poised to fail unless the Department of Veterans Affairs makes drastic changes, according to a closely guarded government study obtained by the St. Petersburg Times . http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/13/Worldandnation/VA_faces_another_comp.shtml -- Nancy Anthracite ------------------------------------------------------- SF email is sponsored by - The IT Product Guide Read honest & candid reviews on hundreds of IT Products from real users. Discover which products truly live up to the hype. Start reading now. http://ads.osdn.com/?ad_id=6595&alloc_id=14396&op=click _______________________________________________ Hardhats-members mailing list Hardhats-members@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/hardhats-members