We present the results from four stellar occultations by (486958) Arrokoth, the flyby target of the New Horizons extended mission. Three of the four efforts led to positive detections of the body, ...and all constrained the presence of rings and other debris, finding none. Twenty-five mobile stations were deployed for 2017 June 3 and augmented by fixed telescopes. There were no positive detections from this effort. The event on 2017 July 10 was observed by SOFIA with one very short chord. Twenty-four deployed stations on 2017 July 17 resulted in five chords that clearly showed a complicated shape consistent with a contact binary with rough dimensions of 20 by 30 km for the overall outline. A visible albedo of 10% was derived from these data. Twenty-two systems were deployed for the fourth event on 2018 Aug 4 and resulted in two chords. The combination of the occultation data and the flyby results provides a significant refinement of the rotation period, now estimated to be 15.9380 \(\pm\) 0.0005 hours. The occultation data also provided high-precision astrometric constraints on the position of the object that were crucial for supporting the navigation for the New Horizons flyby. This work demonstrates an effective method for obtaining detailed size and shape information and probing for rings and dust on distant Kuiper Belt objects as well as being an important source of positional data that can aid in spacecraft navigation that is particularly useful for small and distant bodies.
Mastering technical procedures is a key component in succeeding as a newly graduated medical doctor and is of critical importance to ensure patient safety. The efficacy of simulation-based education ...has been demonstrated but medical schools have different requirements for undergraduate curricula. We aimed to identify and prioritize the technical procedures needed by newly graduated medical doctors.
We conducted a national needs assessment survey using the Delphi technique to gather consensus from key opinion leaders in the field. In the first round, a brainstorm was conducted to identify all potential technical procedures. In the second round, respondents rated the need for simulation-based training of each procedure using the Copenhagen Academy for Medical Education and Simulation Needs Assessment Formula (CAMES-NAF). The third round was a final elimination and prioritization of the procedures.
In total, 107 experts from 21 specialties answered the first round: 123 unique technical procedures were suggested. Response rates were 58% and 64% in the second and the third round, respectively. In the third round, 104 procedures were eliminated based on the consensus criterion, and the remaining 19 procedures were included and prioritized. The top five procedures were: (i) insert peripheral intravenous catheter, (ii) put on personal protection equipment, (iii) perform basic airway maneuvers, (iv) perform basic life support, and (v) perform radial artery puncture.
Based on the Delphi process a final list of 19 technical procedures reached expert consensus to be included in the undergraduate curriculum for simulation-based education.
The Veterans Administration (VA) has been committed to academic affiliate training partnerships for nearly 70 years in efforts to enhance veteran-centric health care. One such effort, the VA Nursing ...Academy (VANA) program, was developed in 2007 in response to the nationwide nursing shortage and began as a five-year pilot with funding competitively awarded to 15 partnerships between local VA medical centers and schools of nursing. The VANA program evolved into the VA Nursing Academic Partnership (VANAP) program following the initial pilot.
This article describes the development and evolution of the Charleston VANAP, which includes the Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center (RHJ VAMC) and the Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing (MUSC CON).
The VA Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA) funded a large portion of the initial five years of the Charleston VANAP. Once the national funding source ceased, the RHJ VAMC and the MUSC CON entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to offer in-kind contributions to the partnership.
The Charleston VANAP is the only program in the nation to offer three different nurse trainee programs and this article highlights some of the more notable achievements from each program.
The Charleston VANAP is a comprehensive partnership between the RHJ VAMC and the MUSC CON that truly demonstrates a commitment to assure that the very best care be provided to Veterans, our Nation's heroes.
