From Norwalk

From Norwalk, CT

On Saturday, I finally took the MCAT, and after months of preparing I have at least a few weeks of peace before I find out my score. After all that time studying during the evenings and weekends, now that I finally have that time free I almost feel at a loss as to what to do with it! It’ll be nice to finally be able to participate in all those things I’ve been missing out on for a while.

Work has been going well. As always, the workload has been cyclical, with periods of relative calm mixed with periods of greater urgency. Right now the tide is coming in as we work to submit a couple of data-intensive funding applications, initiate a couple of quality improvement projects, and continue to see to the desultory series of minor issues that come our way. A couple of the major projects include the implementation of a new online module that will allow us to generate, send, and capture referrals to outside specialists electronically, and the commitment to a more sophisticated and rigorous process of tracking key data on performance and quality. It is an exciting time because our efforts now will pave the way for a significant increase in the capability of the health center to provide high-quality care to its patients, and the continued expansion of the health center.

Meanwhile, we have settled into Norwalk. It’s by no means the most exciting town in the world, but it’s a nice little place. Its main avenue is like Nassau Street on the water, hosting a fine array of bars, restaurants and stores. I have my set of favorite places to eat, I know the owners, and I know where to go to exercise and find a decent pickup game of soccer. On the weekend, the city still beckons.