About
“I said, “”Inside there’s a yes and a No.”” “”He said, “Follow the yes.”” (Shunryu Suzuki).
I have lived my life in the “Yes” of things, (YoT). I believe that one must be open to all things, those seen and those unseen, heard and unheard, and be willing to learn at every opportunity.
Furthermore, I have enjoyed many years of success in the healthcare clinical arena, from direct patient care, to research and application of implantable cardiac devices, to genetics, teaching and training. I took those successes and applied them to other companies as a business development consultant.
Now, coming out of retirement, I have positioned myself with the knowledge gained thus far to apply it to the healthcare cybersecurity arena. I look forward to the challenges of being a part of the fight for patient security.
As I look back over a long, successful career in the healthcare space, I have been fortunate enough to experience rapid change from the days of a pacemaker so large we were implanting them in the abdomen and tunneling the lead to the outside wall of the heart.
To today, where a wireless pacemaker can be implanted through a catheter and place in the internal wall with no leads. In those early days, when communicating with the device, the only option was to program the rate, up or down, and watch those changes on an EKG machine.
Today, that communication can take place over the phone or internet and is capable of downloading massive amounts of data for analysis.
One of the most critical functions of such a device now can be reprogrammed by a simple push of a couple of buttons, thousands of miles away. Secured data, are they really? Can today’s digital security protect a patient’s device.
This is one of the reasons I came out of retirement, to be a part of making such medical equipment and devices safe and secure. Cybersecurity is the new frontier, and in some sad ways, it is like the wild wild west again.
With the new advancements in AI and the use of the likes of ChatGPT, securing healthcare digital infrastructure is even more important today. I see the need to stand on principle and look to new knowledge to help guide our healthcare digital world. I am reminded of a quote from an unknown author:
“Excellence can be attained if you care more than others think is wise, risk more than others think is safe, dream more than others think is practical, and expect more than others think is possible.” I take this message to heart and have come out of retirement to help fight the new challenges in the Healthcare.
I was blessed with a love for the outdoors, from hiking, backpacking, to skiing, fly-fishing, and mountain biking. Today, I still have a bucket list ride to ride the Great Divide and have a passion for fly-fishing, but as a Buddhist, my flies have no hooks. It’s a joy to feel that tug on the line, but knowing that that trout is not harmed in the chase.