The Ann Myers Medical Center

The Ann Meyers Medical Center

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fashion%20Boulevard%20II/71/50/21

(please select text and copy it to your browser if this link is not working automatically)

aims to educate medical students and nurses in the virtual environment of Second Life. In regular meetings, students can learn from educators through interactive and clearly visualized case presentations. Regularly there are speeches on several topics. Click here for more details and pictures.

AMMC also wants to make people more health aware, your body is your is important,AMMC wants you to become happy with your body and give it the best care possible!!

If you want to visit AMMC do use this link

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fashion%20Boulevard%20II/140/84/23

The Ann Myers Medical Center (AMMC) was founded by Doctor Ann Buchanan. The center was named for her mother, Ann Myers. Dr. Ann’s mother suffers from a rare brain tumor, which should have taken her life numerous times. Ann Myers has a zest for life and an inner strength that have been a source of inspiration for Dr. Ann her entire life.
AMMC was created to test the possibilities of virtual training for First Life medical and nursing students. The goals of the AMMC are:

• To assist students to become more proficient in initial exam history and physicals. The patient often reveals many important aspects of their disorder through their words if the physician takes the time to listen. In this fast-paced world, med students are not being appropriately trained to listen.

• A second aspect to the history and physical for Dr. Ann is attempting to train her students to truly care for their patients. Dr. Ann teaches her First Life students that they can heal simply by listening and caring. She often states to her students, “Laying a hand on a patient’s shoulder and honestly listening can heal more than any medication you can prescribe for a person.”

• AMMC is attempting to link telemetric builds (ECG, oxygen saturation machines, etc.) to real-time outputs via URLs. Thus, a student will right click on an ECG machine and be taken to a URL, where they will have to accurately diagnose the medical issue through analysis of telemetric outputs.

• In conjunction, we will be assisting students to become more proficient in the analysis of MRI s, CT and X-rays.

• AMMC will also be training Psychology students in various methodologies and treatment protocols, implementing Dr. Ann’s belief and research interest in psychoimmunobiology, the body’s ability to heal itself through the stimulation of the immune system to fight disease.

AMMC currently has a voluntary staff consisting of Psychologists, Hematologists, Oncologists, Radiologists, Cardiologists, Midwives, Emergency and Trauma Specialists, general physicians, interns, educators and several nurses. Since June 2007, AMMC teamed up with Sprott-Shaw college a Canadian college with a presence in Second life. Both AMMC as Sprott-Shaw college, have as mission to provide virtual training for First Life medical and nursing students, as well as enhance healthy living awareness and awareness for several medical conditions.

New years resolutions :-)

Ha all

Have a list like this?? Something you like to different this year?? I know i have

Sat. January 14,at 10 AM PDT is a workshop called new years resolutions, it is a new approach to communicate an important message in a fun way to SL residents but more important to those watching their avatars in SL
(those behind the keyboard)

The workshop starts at Health Info Island and continues on AMMC  grounds,with an avatar health check and …………., when you like to experience this workshop and the ……………….. do come in sporty clothes

Curious?? Do visit AMMC, click on the poster near the reception desk for a landmark

greetz Vera

 

2011/2012

Ha all

Just a few more days and 2011 is gone and 2012 arrives, a time to look back, to remember and to reflect. But also a time for a new start, fresh ideas.

First 2011, well not a very good year, in March the former version of AMMC disintegrated around me,because our landsponser got other ideas and decided to leave Second Life, but forgot to communicate that with us.

We lost 2 people behind avatars who were very dear and important,

Dr Ann Buchanan and Dr Rhi Rhiannon.

But positive things happened too, in July AMMC took part in Relay for Life.

October was pink ribbon month, with as top a 24 hour fundraiser in one of the biggest clubs in SL.

Ups almost forgot, AMMC was rebuild and AMMC is ready for 2012,but only when you from AMMC group help do that!! AMMC needs its members to stay active.

But first!!!

Happy healthy and a blessed 2012

AMMC in 2012

AMMC begins to concentrate more on preventive health care, one result is the avatar health check, another thing is speech on January 14 correction it is a workshop, it is highly recommend people showing up wear sporty clothing

AMMC continues to be open for educational institutes, that like to use AMMC,

for RL education, and education wise if you are a Medical professional and have a story/case that you really want to share by all means contact me!!!

AMMC for the rest is a chance for avatars to seek medical/mental advice,

have a breast (cancer) screening, find information on several topics, but also a domestic violence information point.

AMMC is also doing activities with partners, Dance Island a SL club is such a partner, but for a project at the end of the year, we plan to under take we need way more new partners,at this point I cant reveal too much, since we need the permission from RL (real life) organizations to do this!!

People who know me, know it is hard for me to keep my mouth shut, specially when I am excited and on this topic, I am excited.

July is Relay for Life month, this year we have a lot to Relay for we lost several staff by cancer. Relay for Life is, to celebrate survivors, remember and fight back, AMMC is linked to a group named Beeloved, this group was formed to help someone fight, now we remember her, but not only her.

I hope that AMMC together with this group will make a presence on SL

AMMC will organize some events running up to Relay for Life and I very much seek volunteers who like to organize this!!

Well this was, my story for now, I conclude with happy new year and see you in 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

greetz Vera

merry Christmas

Ha all

sorry i mean hooHOOOOhooo to everyone a very merry Christ/X mas!!
I hope all of you celebrate this time with family friends and those you love.
For those who don’t have that or had in the last year an event, that is not compatible with a merry Christmas.
I cant change it, but i like to send you my warm greetings and a smile, hoping that you reading it, will get a lilsmile because someone you don’t know, sends you this message.

To all
warm Christmas greetings Vera Zhaoying

meet AMMC version 3

Ha everyoneIn the following weeks you have a chance to see this third version of AMMC.
Not much has changed with the 2 earlier versions,  the same ideas and principles are still in effect.
But we do use some new technologies but, lets not keep you waiting and go to AMMC.

Anyone who arrives is automatically welcomed, and given a short explanation.
Then you walk towards the hospital, pass an ambulance with a question mark in front of it.
This question mark is click able when clicked you receive a note card with information about ambulances and a day in the life of an ambulance crew (in the Netherlands).Then you walk in AMMC, a medical center and a hospital, again you are welcomed and asked to go to the reception desk. On the desk are several items one is a patient ID giver click and you receive one, but also poster like objects with blue text above it, click here for AMMC website.

These objects lead you to a website in the real world in a virtual word (already confused?)The ground floor of AMMC,  4 functions, one is to guide visitors on a tour how
hospitals work on your safety, safety in hygiene but also how errors can be avoided.
The second function is to answer questions from those that seek medical related answers.
This can be done in the general practice office or in Mental health.
The third function is a new one the teen clinic since about a year 16 and 17 year old ‘s can come to Second life, for them AMMC made the teen clinic, with screens about what teens wanna know.

These screens look like posters, above it is “floating text” click  here for and then you can choose wich poster to click.

As examplei  clickedom the poster cyber bullying and took a picture , a picture on my pc screen.

Showing you what you see when you click in a virtual world a poster and get RL information about in this case cyber bullying, accessing a web site that gives you all kind of practical tips support, AMMC is using this technology a lot on several topics. We realize Second life is primaraly for entertainment, but sometimes also as escape from the real world.

This specific poster was created with everyone in mind who is a victim of cyber bullying seeking refuge in Second life, just to escape, finding this website and realizing: i dont deserve to be bullyied and i can do something against it!!

The fourth thing is an avatar health check, this is an automatic check leading visitors along 3 stations. A weight scale that measures the script use of an avatar and immediately tells you if you are overweight a tred mill and a blood test. All with question marks that give when clicked an explaining note card. No AMMC did not go in the entertainment business, but by doing this and checking the health of the avatar, we hope the person behind the keyboard controlling the avatar will take a sec to think about his own health. (This is now been realized, so it is not yet finished)
AMMC was from the beginning designed to promote healthy living awareness and this is a way to do it

Well this was the ground floor, I hope you enjoyed reading about it, if you like to visit do use the teleport link, near the top of the page. When you have visited it, let me know what you think .
Smile you also find green barrels with text click here to support AMMC, by all means feel free to click
Next week the first floor, this is the hospital part of AMMC.

till next week Vera

memorial

Ha all

 

November 22 at 2 PM PDT, these pictures were taken, in a virtual world we remembered a real person.

Someone who had a dream doctors that actually listened to patients, she began a virtual hospital to assist her students to become better doctors.

That virtual hospital (AMMC), grew,students from all over the world joined.

 

Dr Ann Buchanan’s dream grew, beside training she also was active in the ACS support groups, but her health declined and she had to leave SL, leaving AMMC in the hands of others, not long ago she passed away.

 

But she will not be forgotten, what she started still exists (AMMC hospital),

by starting AMMC, she touched many of us, because her personality shined through her avatar and cause of that personality, many gathered on the memorial moment for her. I like to thank all who came, I also like to thank several organizations, including ACS and Mayo clinic, who sent representatives, smile but the representatives also came as private persons

 

(picture when Poppy Zabelin from ACS spoke)

This memorial moment was also a moment for all those present, help remember and give it a place. The memorial monument will stay on AMMC.

October 22 Pink ribbon

 

24 hours, weeks of planning, one dreamer, that got others crazy enough to believe in a dream! A dream to use a virtual world as a means to make a difference in the real world. A virtual hospital and a virtual club,raising more as 40.000 virtual dollars were raised in 24 hours, money that directly went to American Cancer Society, for the breast (cancer) awareness, not the virtual ACS but the real one.

 

To use a virtual world to make a difference in the real world, is not new, in fact this whole website revolves around that idea. But to raise over 40.000 virtual dollars with a limited amount of people is an astonishing success!

Beside the fact that money was raised, a lot of people took a second, to think about breast cancer

 

I like to thank 3 people from the virtual club specificity, Jordy Anna and Sydney, their names in random order , they were the main organizers for this event/dream.

Thank you 3 very much!!

 

What also like to do is to introduce you all to a finished department a month, no surprise this month the WHC or women health center, the main focus of the WHC is:

Breast (cancer)awareness and female reproductive system problems.

The WHC was originally created to give women who have been RL diagnosed with breast cancer an opportunity to experience some of the diagnostic steps in a virtual world first, ask questions get a note card about what to ask your RL doctor.

Result they are better prepared and hopefully a bit less anxious.

 

The WHC has set up a series of numbered diagnostic tools, avatars get in each step an explaining note card from that step. There is a mailbox system, when no staff is around the can ask their questions and will be contacted a.s.a.p. Also there is a pretty good web link that allows visitors to access in SL a very good website about breast (cancer) awareness.

AMMC illuminated in pink

AMMC is back :-)

Ha all

After being away for some month AMMC is back thanks through the work of our founder Dr Ann and some individuals in SL, who’s names are hard to spell correct. 

AMMC will stay as Dr Ann intended it to be,a virtual place to support RL education, but also a place where all citizens of Second life could come to for answers on medical/health questions. AMMC is a work in progress but it will be finished

AMMC will have in the future: emergency, imaging department anesthesia surgery and recovery on the second floor, as well as nursing stations and a nursing class room. On the first floor the staff changing room, (staff entering AMMC already dressed in scrubs will see my very disappointed face), general practice, mental health, teen clinic and pharmacy.

On the third floor is the women health division, on that floor the women health center with focus on breast (cancer) awareness and gynecology and one office for general health a new addition is a section for domestic violence and a station for workshops.

Extra, circumstances made it possible for me to buy AMMC to secure it ‘s place in secondlife, originally AMMC was backed financially by a Canadian college, that could easily afford it, for me as private person it is a different case so donation to keep AMMC a float are very welcome

greetz Vera

Now to business, this is the place tadaa drumroll……………………………………

This a picture of the place but it might change here and there

AMMC in Relay for Life

Ha all

No real news about AMMC hospital, finding land etc.
But some AMMC members walked in The Relay for Life of Second life.
As earlier on this website explained Second Life is virtual world, seen by some as a game.
But this game, and all the people helping during Relay for Life in  Second life, all the people who were present  helped raise roughly 370.000 dollar for the American caner society not bad for a game .
But first what is Relay for Life? I place a web link here it would take a long time to explain this wonderful event and by all means do visit that site!
Fact is that this real world event has a virtual world counter part and under here, i give you an impression of this virtual event and what it did for the real world.
http://www.relayforlife.org/relay/whatisrelay

Relay for Life in Second Life

When arriving in the Relay for Life welcome area you see 69 flags representing all the nationalities actively  participating in this event.

Explanation posters for those who never were in Relay for Life before and all were greeted by volunteers who welcomed everyone and answered questions.

Of course also the start of the track

People walk in Relay to celebrate (the survivor lap),this lap begins immediately after the opening ceremonies and during this lap only survivors of cancer or caregivers are on the track

to remember (the luminaria ceremony), lumnarias are sort of candles, people can name these candles after loved ones who lost their battle against cancer

And to fight back, this is an event were participants pledge to fight back cancer, spread awareness, or and this is my addition if you have cancer this ceremony can be a big help for you.

Along the track teams made awesome creations, to make the event a beautiful experience, but also found very creative ways to raise money.

This money is processed by “donation kiosks” , to prevent fraud.
What also was heart warming that a lot of time people cheered on those walking the track.

Again here a link to a website about Relay for Life in Second Life
http://www.relayforlife.org/relay/secondlife

Also information was available and broadcast-ed on stream people told their stories.
This event is every year in Second life, i have been part of it since i came in Second life,
and whether you are AMMC member or stumbled on this website and this article by mistake,
i hope to see you again next year during Relay for Life.

greetings Vera Zhaoying

(disclaimer this web entry is not pre approved by ACS , but i hope to edit this article later that it has been approaved

 

Ha all

Date: January 29
time: 10 AM PDT
loc. : AMMC conference/information center
by : Brede Mc Donnel

topic: Terminal care,patients with psychological distress and
new medication protocols.

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  note this speech is given in the virtual hospital AMMC,

please use the link to visit us in Second Life

 

Unless death comes quick and unexpected, dying is a process.
During 2 earlier speeches in this theme we could learn a lot about this process.
Allmedical personal from the Prof to the nursing aid, will play a role in this process of a terminal patient. No matter how many books you read or written, you are part of the last journey of a person.

This alone is i think a very good reason to attend this meeting and if you were not present during the earlier 2 ask the text of the full series.

This meeting will handle the dying patient in severe distress, mental distress.
This is a minority of the cases but where you, no matter doctor nurse, nursing aid, family or friend can make a difference for this patient. As extra point the new medical protocols for this patient group will be addressed.

Every one interested is warmly invited to attend and you don’t have to be an AMMC member to attend

regards Brede Mc Donnell and Vera Zhaoying