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<TITLE>2 Dec 2161 :: Part 2 Medical Consortium, San Francisco :: CMO's :: Dr Bose (Yorktown), Dr Corbett (Meridian), Dr Garroway (Intrepid), Dr Rowe (Challenger)</TITLE>
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// Medical Consortium, CMO Discussion Continued, Page 2 //<BR>
<BR>
::Snip> Admiral DeForest called the gathering to task, “I’d like to hear <BR>
what you people see as being essential and how those additions of tech and <BR>
information can be used aboard our deep space vessels and outposts. So, <BR>
everyone grab a hot cup and let’s get down to business.” ::End Snip><BR>
<BR>
DeForest himself picked up the coffee carafe and offered refills. People <BR>
found their seats around the table to the low murmur of conversation. Once <BR>
seated, he continued. “Weapons are important when we need protection, but <BR>
health concerns go on with or without aggression and war. This is a safe <BR>
place. You don’t have to lobby for anything. I’m already on your side here. <BR>
I was a practicing physician at one point, though a long time out of <BR>
practice now. I purposely didn’t give you too much time to prepare. I wanna <BR>
hear everything you need and want, your concerns and opinions. Just put it <BR>
on the table here for discussion and we’ll see what we have to work with. <BR>
Let me just open the floor to anyone who’d like to comment.”<BR>
<BR>
Liza spoke first "One of the biggest things that I found is we need to have <BR>
the power to Sickbay on a separate grid and if that's not possible to have <BR>
an immediate back up available. A redundant circuit so to speak. There <BR>
were a couple times, I found myself and my team working with hand torches." <BR>
She said "Perhaps a small power core in the store room, there should be <BR>
enough room to put one there." She suggested.<BR>
<BR>
“I agree,” said Emily. “Intrepid’s engineer found a way to set up just such <BR>
a separate grid and buried it in the sub-floor. So there is room for a more <BR>
dedicated system, even without taking up storage space.”<BR>
<BR>
“That was already on the plan for the refit. You’ll have your dedicated <BR>
grid, Doctors,” replied DeForest.<BR>
<BR>
Emily looked around to be sure she was not about to override someone else’s <BR>
comment. “I think my biggest ongoing challenge has been in terms of <BR>
effective diagnostics. When you are the only physician out there, there’s no <BR>
one to get a second opinion from. Everything from broken fingers to head <BR>
lice happens on a daily basis. I know there are some amazing improvements in <BR>
both hand scanners and sickbay equipment that would sure make me feel better <BR>
in just keeping my people healthy while they are out there. In fact, I’ve <BR>
read a few articles published from Dr Corbett on his recommendations on <BR>
exactly that issue.”<BR>
<BR>
Liza nodded in agreement "There are times I wish I had a second and third <BR>
set of hands even if it's just to treat minor problems that the nurses or <BR>
medics can't handle." She said "I've gone a long way in giving them extra <BR>
training aboard the Challenger but a back up doctor or computer program. <BR>
We've got the basics of holoprogramming could we do something with that?" <BR>
She asked.<BR>
<BR>
"Smaller scanners would also be a great advancement." She said agreeing <BR>
with Emily.<BR>
<BR>
Corbett listened to what the others said and smiled. It seemed all good <BR>
physicians thought alike and knew exactly what they needed. The only <BR>
question was whether or not Starfleet could make it happen. Pushing his <BR>
Stetson to the back of his head and leaning back in his chair he began to <BR>
unload his thoughts.<BR>
<BR>
"I know this is a think tank and from here many new procedures and equipment <BR>
will begin to be formulated; however, my concern is not with us, but with <BR>
the Corp of Engineers. The math boys seem to want to beat everything to <BR>
death to the detriment of advancement. How confident are you De that what <BR>
comes out of here can be instituted without too many roadblocks."<BR>
<BR>
DeForest sat up straight and pondered Corbett's remarks for a moment before <BR>
speaking. "That's what I'm here for Stile. You come up with the solutions to <BR>
your problems and let me worry about dealing with Fleet to get them <BR>
implemented. Now that's not to say you don't have a valid point. Some of the <BR>
advancements we come up with today may need the input from other <BR>
departments, but there are things that are moving behind the scenes that <BR>
will speed these things up tremendously."<BR>
<BR>
"That's fair De," Corbett said with a smile. "With that said here is my two <BR>
cents when it comes to some of the areas we need improvement on. Battle is a <BR>
part of exploration and contact with other species, I wish it were not, but <BR>
that is the reality. On multiple occasions I have had to utilize one of the <BR>
ship's cargo holds as a minor trauma area."<BR>
<BR>
Corbett paused for a moment and saw every head nod in agreement. "Now this <BR>
goes along with Dr. Rowe's comment on being the only doctor aboard and <BR>
relying on paramedical staff to handle things when we can't physically be <BR>
available. Let's face it no matter how good our corpsmen are they are not <BR>
physicians. I like the idea of having this backup physician so to speak. I <BR>
have read the basic science behind this holoprogramming and think it has <BR>
merit, but suffers from limitations. The problem is treatment.<BR>
<BR>
“From what I've read we would need to have a dedicated room for this <BR>
technology and as far as I know it has only been used to recreate <BR>
environments. I know you can experience tactile interaction through the use <BR>
of force fields, but that won't help a preprogrammed doctor with the <BR>
fine motor skills it would need to accomplish complex medical procedures. I <BR>
think a first step would be to create a computer simulation that we can <BR>
download the Fleet medical database into, then tie it to the imager and a <BR>
modified hand scanner and use it as an adjunctive supervisor to our medics. <BR>
What I mean by this is that there have been times and not so long ago, I <BR>
might add, that I was not physically able to help my medics. I can see them <BR>
accessing this simulation and have it assist them in diagnosis and even in <BR>
critical emergencies walk them through procedures. It's not as ideal as <BR>
having another physician, but I think it might be a good first step."<BR>
<BR>
Liza listened to what Corbett was saying "That would be a good stop gap <BR>
measure until we can perfect the holoprogramming." She said "It would give <BR>
the paramedical staff the advantage of more freedom, but it would also give <BR>
us the extra help we need in crisis situations." She was quiet for a moment <BR>
"What about having two of the paramedical staff that are fully trained on <BR>
the use of this program and they can work the minor injuries and if it works <BR>
well, we expand it to more complex things." She looked around the table <BR>
"Ultimately we are going to be responsible for anything that happens in our <BR>
Sickbays or trauma bays.. but I'd find it a bit more comforting with this <BR>
kind of option available." <BR>
<BR>
“Excellent point, I think we would be remiss if we didn’t do that.” <BR>
Corbett replied then took a sip of coffee and waited a moment to see if anyone<BR>
had anything else to add before he continued.<BR>
<BR>
"I'd like to continue with diagnostics, specifically the imager. While this <BR>
is an excellent diagnostic and treatment tool it lacks the ability to show <BR>
you a three dimensional microcellular picture in real time. However, through <BR>
some tinkering I was able to find out that its computer programming has the <BR>
capacity to allow for it. So the problem then comes from its ability to <BR>
accurately distinguish cell lines and differentiation. I believe that we <BR>
could create different radiopaque biomarkers for each cell type that the <BR>
machine could read and assemble into a three dimensional picture allowing us <BR>
to better understand the disease state of our patients and even get more <BR>
precise in targeting our treatments."<BR>
<BR>
DeForest tapped a couple of keys on the projection system keyboard and a 3-D <BR>
schematic display of a standard NX Sickbay appeared on the screen behind <BR>
him. He turned around with his pointer and marked the current imager. “From <BR>
what I have gathered from the Engineers involved in the physical space <BR>
upgrades of the NX ships, space for such new equipment is feasible. The <BR>
newest state of the art equipment will replace the current imaging tech and <BR>
take up less space, to boot. Can these improvements you are describing be <BR>
incorporated into either the new equipment, or into the space freed up by <BR>
the upgrades?”<BR>
<BR>
“It shouldn’t be that difficult.” Corbett answered, but felt he better clarify the <BR>
nuances for the departments involved. “Star Fleet Medical will need to tag the <BR>
various cell lines we have identified to this point, but the actual upload <BR>
shouldn’t take the engineers more than a day. I will forward over the specs<BR>
I drew up for the old imager and the techs can update it for the new equipment”<BR>
<BR>
All this was just music to Emily Garroway’s ears. So much of what she had <BR>
read and dreamed of appeared to be happening before her eyes.<BR>
<BR>
Liza nodded in agreement and made some notes to provide her with a jumping <BR>
off spot for some research. "Going along with Corbett's statement about the <BR>
Cargo Bay as a minor trauma bay, would it be possible to dedicate the <BR>
majority of a deck to the medical department, so that we can have minor <BR>
trauma, surgery, recovery everything in one area instead of one thing here, <BR>
one thing there and we're having to run from one end to the other."<BR>
<BR>
“Medical is placed pretty completely into the center of the ship for <BR>
protections sake. If Sickbay is compromised, the ship is in pretty bad shape <BR>
to begin with. We don’t want to put ALL our eggs in one basket, so to speak, <BR>
but the upgrade designers have taken into consideration better use of the <BR>
cargo facilities on E Deck. The internal cargo holds adjacent to Sickbay, on <BR>
both port and starboard, will have new hatchways opening directly into the <BR>
corridors left and right of Sickbay. I recommend you also “remind” your Ops <BR>
Officer of that fact, so they can stock those holds appropriately in case <BR>
they are needed in an emergency,” explained DeForest.<BR>
<BR>
The conference was extensive, covering all manner of medical and Sickbay <BR>
concerns. Lunch was provided, during which informal discussion continued <BR>
between the physicians.<BR>
<BR>
After the meal, Admiral DeForest took the floor again. “I’d like to make one <BR>
final announcement. The NX has been a proud and prestigious ship. But with <BR>
the changes being made all around, she is a new ship and a new ship deserves <BR>
her own separate identify. It has been decided that all the refitted ships <BR>
will now be designated as NCC. This designation comes from a long line of <BR>
historical aerospace classifications. So, hence forward, the NX-04 will <BR>
become the USS Challenger - NCC-04; the USS Yorktown – NCC-05; the USS <BR>
Meridian – NCC-06; and the USS Intrepid- NCC-07.”<BR>
<BR>
The Admiral paused for some brief applause, smiling at the obvious pleasure <BR>
on the faces of the doctors. He continued, “I expect more detailed <BR>
designations will be required as we add our Federation partner’s ships to <BR>
the Fleet, but no longer are you the NX Fleet Chief Medical Officers. You <BR>
are all members of the senior staff of the NCC Fleet. Congratulations. You <BR>
are part of an elite group and I am proud to know each one of you <BR>
personally. <BR>
<BR>
“I thank you for making the sacrifice to be with us here today. I hope it <BR>
has been helpful. I know I have a much better idea of the needs of our <BR>
medical officers, as well as the pleasure of knowing each of you <BR>
individually now. The coffee and tea will be kept fresh and hot for a while, <BR>
so if you choose to hang around to visit informally, you are more than <BR>
welcome to continue to use these facilities. Good luck to you all, and safe <BR>
sailing among the stars.” <BR>
<BR>
~~~<BR>
Admiral R DeForest <BR>
Starfleet Medical <BR>
San Francisco <BR>
(apb all) <BR>
& <BR>
Dr Liza Rowe <BR>
Chief Medical Officer <BR>
USS Challenger – NCC-04<BR>
&<BR>
Dr Zara Bose <BR>
Chief Medical Officer <BR>
USS Yorktown – NCC-05<BR>
&<BR>
Dr Stile Corbett <BR>
Chief Medical Officer <BR>
USS Meridian – NCC-06<BR>
&<BR>
Dr Emily Garroway <BR>
Chief Medical Officer <BR>
USS Intrepid – NCC-07<BR>
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