Vellum Information

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About

Vellum Information is a research and development platform focused around information visualization, web and data mining and analysis, healthcare and global health technology and data utilization. We have a firm foot in open-source technology and public datasets, and believe that the best solutions are found in the root. It is our job to unearth these depths and make your answers accessible. Computer science is really an art. They do not teach that in school, but the truth of it is that computers have a common language, and there are infinite dialects of it spoken around the world. Current projects include: Heath information technology and public health matters (and how the two meet). Information visualization and beautiful data. This is a mantra for 2011: Make it simple, make it beautiful. Data can and should be straighforward and appealing. The era of static tables and charts is past. Database development, web and application deployment and design - expert system design, case-based reasoning systems, knowledge management, and AI applications. A keen interest in the Cloud and how it can be utilized to deploy an application across endless instances, which ties firmly into the rest of our projects. Data/web mining and analysis, text mining, and content analysis. Semantic content and ontology creation. Publishing several reports, as well as working on some academic presentations and publications. Look for us on Amazon and Google Books.

Open positions

Working in Data: ORDER CAREERS, DESC

On-site

I’ve had the opportunity to work in health data for a while now. There are most definitely gradations and ranks in the data verse career list. In my first role as a health technologist, I learned a massive wealth of experience and practical knowledge about what works and how to achieve small (and large) goals. Working at smaller health care centers, often somebody will need to do double-duty in the clinic. For my work at Ke Ola Mamo in Honolulu, I not only built out the Cognos engine for our analytics, but digitized paper records, helped developed workflows for case managers, and customized…

Academic Experiences in Computer Information Systems: Associate vs. Graduate Education

Hybrid

I had the chance to catch up with my brother-in-law over the weekend, and cross-compare notes about our educational paths. I am finishing my Masters in Information Systems (MSIS), and he is half of the way through his Associates in Computer IS at Portland Community College in Oregon. I am attending Drexel via online courses, and he is attending a hybrid online/in-class program at his local community college.I felt that there was an opportunity to give a perspective about IT programs, especially CIS, at the undergrad and graduate levels – so I interviewed him and have added relevant material f…

Working in Healthcare IT

On-site

Part of the appeal of working in IT is that there should be a constant stiving to learn and excel. Programming and technology depends on being cutting-edge, staying ahead of the curve. As someone who works at Symantec once told me: ‘Technology is an arms race – you’ve got to do it better than all the other guys out there.’ Of course, Symantec is security software, so his view may be a little more militaristic than, say, a data analyst. Anyways, I digress. Another part of the allure is that IT is in huge demand: the job market is booming, and I don’t really forsee a time where humanity will h…

Healthcare Quality Metrics: An Annotated Bibliography

On-site

Healthcare Quality Metrics Health Resource and Service Administration http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit/toolbox/RuralHealthITtoolbox/PatientQuality/metrics.html Description: A quality metric allows a user to quantify the quality of a selected aspect of care. The Health Resource and Service Administration website explains the different types of quality metrics a professional would use to measure healthcare access, outcome, patient experience, process, and structure. The Health Resource and Service Administration website also provides additional resources for healthcare quality metrics. Keywords…

Data Visualization Resources: An Annotated Bibliography

On-site

Data Visualization Resources The St Louis Federal Reserve http://research.stlouisfed.org/ The St Louis Federal Reserve Economic Data series is perhaps the most comprehensive repository of time-series data. It also offers an in-browser, cross-platform, data visualization tool. The time series are collected from a huge variety of US government sources, as well as a number of international organizations such as the OECD and World Bank. The FRED tools, including charts, graphs and maps, are extremely simple and user-friendly. They lack the flashy design of other data visualization kits, but pr…

SQL Programming Resources: An Annotated Bibliography

On-site

SQL Programming Resources Coursera/Stanford “Introduction to Databases” https://www.coursera.org/course/db One of the biggest names in Massive Open Online Courseware (MOOC), Coursera has a huge database of university level courses. This offering from Stanford University has 9 units devoted to SQL programming, in addition to providing a comprehensive introduction to databases. It was one of the first courses offered by Coursera and remains one its most popular. The SQL units are introductory, making this an excellent place to begin. The course includes all of the best features of a Courser…

What Does a Data Analyst Do?

On-site

What does a data analyst do? As a data analyst, someone typically handles data coming from or going into a data warehouse or business intelligence system. They compile the reports, verify the quality (integrity), and use the data to assist executive- and senior-level staff to make informed company decisions. The work can also include information visualization, statistics, and/or database application design, depending on the needs of the organization. Examples of data warehouses (possibly) include Salesforce, SQL Server 2008, Oracle 11i, and mySQL. These relational database management system…

The Penn Data Store and Medical Data Integration

On-site

Here is the second poster presentation from the NEDB 2013 conference at MIT. The conference was on Feb. 1, 2013, and was a boat-load of fun. Abstract As a premier research institution, the University of Pennsylvania harbors numerous databases: these run the gamut from clinical, research, and financial, to genomic and neurological. Integrating all these disparate data sources has become a massive endeavor at the University’s Medical System. In order to accommodate the organization’s vast needs for data, and to assist accomplishing the objective of become a data-driven enterprise, Penn built…

Hot Jobs in Tech: Technology As An Individual Economy

On-site

First off, I wanted to share this infographic created by KForce, one of the staffing agencies that handles large corporate accounts. Take a moment and look it over. You’ll probably notice that architect positions and mobile developers are in high demand, which is supported by the high wages. Hot Jobs in Tech While the location matters to a certain degree, the key is that these are the top tech skill areas. Even without these specific skill sets, people in tech earn an average of roughly $88,000 a year (BLS). With the average American household earning a median of roughly $50,000 annually (W…

ICD-9 Conversion to ICD-10 Resources: An Annotated Bibliography

On-site

ICD-9 Conversion to ICD-10 Resources Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD10/index.html?redirect=/icd10 Description: ICD-9 code sets used in reporting medical diagnoses and impatient procedures are being replaced by ICD-10 code sets on October 1, 2014. This transition is required for everyone covered by the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) offers several resources to help with this transition. CMS has CMS ICD-10 Industry Email Updates to allow an individual to stay up to…

Epic Systems, Epic Certification, and the future of EMRs

On-site

Well, I just finished my second round of classes in the Epic EMR system. The first time, I trained in MyEpic/Radar and Reporting Workbench – and I successfully passed the certification exams for these two modules (for lack of a better term). I’m unaware of the official terminology for individual Epic system applications. Next, I will be taking the Resolute Professional Billing test. While I’m not going to go into specifics about the exams themselves (except to say that they are open-book, open-notes, and open-system), I would like to comment about the certification process. A popular questio…

The Future of Health Data

On-site

Here is the poster that I presented at the New England Database Conference 2013, held over at MIT‘s Stata Center in Cambridge, MA. I’ve also excised the abstract for ease of reading (and so that Google will zero in on this page.) ABSTRACT: Medicine is already becoming more dependent on the medical data contained within the medical record systems mandated by the Recovery Act. Doctors and medical practitioners have begun to shift into a data-based decision-making paradigm. The next great leap that data-driven medicine will take will involve assimilation of proteomic- and genomic-level database…

Leveling Up in IT

On-site

What is the difference between a junior and senior position? One pat answer is $20,000. If you are going into IT, a huge question is probably ‘how do I get to the top of my field?’ Well, IT has a few unique characteristics that make it a place where advancement happens quickly. For example, most IT staff do not spend more than five or six years before becoming a senior-level staff person (at least if they remain in the same field), and the average is probably closer to three years. This is also further verified by Glassdoor.com, Dice, and Monster, as well as Payscale and other career planning…

What Does an IT Manager Do?

On-site

I had a chance to catch up with my high school friend, who now works it IT. He’s been in tech for over 10 years, but originally has a BS in Economics, with a minor in CIS – this was back when state colleges offered things like CIS degrees in Oregon. The University of Oregon flip-flops on what it offers any given year, with funding allocated kind of sporadically; thus, the UO doesn’t offer a social work degree, even though it is a social service hub, and doesn’t have a CIS program, even with the tech field booming… Chris serves to highlight that people in IT often have it ‘in the blood’, or l…

Database Training Resources: An Annotated Bibliography

On-site

Database Training Resources Coursera/Stanford “Introduction to Databases” https://www.coursera.org/course/db Introduction to Databases from Stanford University was one of the first Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offered by Coursera in 2011, and has remained consistently popular. The course covers database design and the use of database management systems for applications. The course begins with the fundamental theory of database design, including the relational model and SQL. It moves on to cover contemporary issues in database management including JSON and NoSQL systems. The course u…

The Yin-Yang of Understanding Data

On-site

There are several issues with data. One is that it’s viewed with suspicion. Conversely, it is also held to sacrosanct integrity. I’d almost refer to this as the yin-yang of data understanding. When I come to findings or conclusions with healthcare data, people often refuse to give the data due credence. Largely this stems from political roots or an ingrained sense of self-knowledge (wherein the data assessor believes their own anecdotal evidence over the data itself). This is the yin portion of data perception. Within the other schema of understanding data is an over reliance on the data an…

Transitioning Careers into the Technical Realm

On-site

When I was in high school, I intended to be a .com boomster, and ride the digital era into that $1m jackpot. After I graduated from the illustrious Churchill High School, I went to community college and studied for a few terms – and then dropped out and stayed out for 5 years. During that time I worked for several social service agencies, volunteered at the local library, peddled goods at a Spencer’s Gifts, designed web pages, did odd job hardware repair, and generally fiddled around. Eventually I ended up settling on case management for five years, working with people with severe mental ill…

Big Data Analysis Tools/Resources: An Annotated Bibliography

On-site

Big Data Analysis Tools/Resources Chris Stucchio’s blog http://www.chrisstucchio.com/blog/2013/hadoop_hatred.html This blog makes this list primarily for one article: “Don’t use Hadoop – your data isn’t that big”, which provides a guide for deciding whether your data really qualifies as big data, based on its size, purpose, and expected future growth. And, given this decision, which suite of tools is best suited to your needs. The remainder of the blog posts deal with developer level problems in big data, as well as an assortment of economics-, and other news-related items. Keywords: big…