Christopher O'Connor, MD, began working at Duke University in 1983, just as Joseph Greenfield, MD, became the university's chairman of medicine. Greenfield is now retiring after a 55-year career. With the loss of such an experienced leader, O'Connor, now the editor-in-chief of JACC: Heart Failure, asks what such a retirement means for institutional memory.
With the loss of such an experienced leader, O'Connor, now the editor-in-chief of JACC: Heart Failure, asks what such a retirement means for institutional memory. In his Editor's Page, published July 31, O'Connor wonders how current healthcare systems can improve and optimize means of retaining institutional knowledge.
"Does institutional memory have meaning anymore?" O'Connor asks. "Information is changing so fast, and methods of learning have changed dramatically. Our design of training programs has also adjusted to maximize knowledge acquisition while reducing patient exposure. Why should we be surprised that institutional memory has diminished over time? The world of medicine has changed, and unlike other successful industries outside of medicine, so has institutional memory."
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Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.