Flashback: A play-by-play of my life in 2017
Me in 2017: Portrait by Kyle Monk for Comstock’s magazine. I found this among my files transferred to my new computer. Believe it or not, I think we ended up taking this photo in my backyard. The miracles of photography!
Hey! This is current me in 2026! However…
As I transfer a terabyte of data from my OpenNotes (work) laptop to my new (school) laptop, I'm running across fragments of unpublished blog posts about my life between 2017 and 2026. [See also: the photograph above.]
Here's a post I never shared, outlining my whirlwind new life after I quit my job to join the full-time world of patient-partnered research.
Play-by-play of my life in 2017
January 2017
Asked boss for a two-week break from work to attend Salzburg Global Seminar. Was told no. Submitted resignation.
February 2017
Left job on Feb. 3. Immediately got busy doing all the things I've wanted to do but didn't have time for because of the regular job.
Orlando, FL. Was asked to speak at a conference with just two weeks notice and was like, "Shoot, I have nothing else going on."
March 2017
Austria. Salzburg Global Seminar! Met amazing people in healthcare from around the world, developing connections and friendships to last a lifetime.
Germany. After the Salzburg session, Brett joined me and we spent time in Salzburg and Munich.
April 2017
Portland, OR. Started working with OpenNotes as a consultant.
Stanford, CA. Attended Stanford MedXEd to see Charlie deliver an impressive presentation. Beamed with pride.
Began developing a proposal to PCORI for a patient-led project about quality of life for people living with brain cancer with Bethany Kwan. Brought together my worlds of brain cancer and palliative care.
May 2017
Washington, D.C. Attended Head to the Hill with National Brain Tumor Society.
Philadelphia, PA. Invited to spend a few days working with the Penn Medicine Center for Health Care Transformation and Innovation.
June 2017
Boston, MA. Started job as an official OpenNotes employee.
Washington, D.C. Attended a brain tumor research roundtable with National Brain Tumor Society, the Neuro-Oncology branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
July 2017
Appointed to board of directors for National Brain Tumor Society. Super honored.
Sacramento, CA. Spent a week volunteering with Girls Rock Sacramento! Mentoring young girls about the empowering experience of starting your own rock band.
August 2017
Madison, WI. Visited a health system that's starting to implement open notes.
Los Angeles, CA. Visited the LA County Department of Health Services and Cedars-Sinai.
September 2017
Stanford, CA. Attended Medicine X and partnered with a variety of rock stars on two separate presentations on topics near and dear to my heart. Met a former CEO of Kaiser Permanente and drilled him on open notes adoption. Made some new "we are going to change the world" kind of friendships.
Bethesda, MD. Delivered my first ever keynote presentation to a group of informaticists. Kicked ass, and fell in love with informatics.
October 2017
Washington, D.C. Presented the patient perspective of OpenNotes in a D.C. meeting.
Boston, MA. Spent some IRL time working with my colleagues. Still blown away I get to work with these people. Shared the stage with Tom Delbanco kicking off the SPM annual meeting. Starstruck by Harlan Krumholz of Yale Medicine.
Bethany and I were notified our proposal to PCORI would be funded. Freaked out.
November 2017
Salt Lake City, UT. Presented on OpenNotes to health systems in the greater SLC area. Ran into Angelo Volandes and marveled at how small the world is.
Monterey, CA. Presented on OpenNotes at a healthcare quality conference with my rock star boss, Cait.
Boston, MA. Quick trip for board meeting with NBTS. Learning how to handle these quick East Coast trips.
Anaheim, CA. Disneyland vacation with Brett. We do Disneyland hard.
San Francisco, CA. MRI at UCSF. Mentioned PCORI project to my doctor. Now UCSF wants to get involved with the project.
December 2017
Stanford, CA. Virtual presentation about patient perspective on precision medicine to medical students.
Sacramento, CA. Made presentation at UC Davis Brain Tumor support group about my PCORI-funded project. Head of palliative care at UC Davis wants to meet with me to talk about the project.
P.S. In case you're interested in the photo above, here's the article that went along with it in Comstock's magazine, “An Open Book,” by Sena Christian.
