for his utilization of social media to herald a new era of political campaigning in 2004 through Howard Dean’s presidential campaign. More recently, Trippi authored ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,’ a book which explains how the radical changes taking place in media and on the Internet are transforming many aspects of our lives by more evenly distributing power. It will be interesting to hear how Trippi envisions grassroots efforts being used to change healthcare.
What is the San Diego tie-in to BIL:PIL? Our region is known for our myriad world-class research institutions and a thriving biotechnology hub, and perhaps lesser known for bridging the gap between science and healthcare, until recently. UCSD’s Division of Translational Research and Scripps’ Translational Science Institute are newly formed and aim to train basic researchers on the impact of academic science in medicine. UCSD Medical center has gotten good ratings for being a ‘wired’ hospital, and has recently appointed a Founding Chief of Biomedical Informatics, who will bridge the UCSD Medical Center scientists with technologies that will help them to understand, diagnose and treat patients.
San Diego’s mix of biotech and high tech also makes it an ideal location for BIL:PIL, as it will be a place for forging alliances to make important healthcare innovations. The San Diego tech-savvy community is also no stranger to the ‘unconference’ idea, hosting Internet/computer focused BarCamps. These events become ‘the place’ for advancements in disparate fields, because they’ve shown the power of interdisciplinary, user-run events. Indeed, such events often form quickly and gain exposure through San Diego’s active Twitter community, which is ranked 6th in the number of users among global cities, impressive for a city that ranks much lower when considering its population.
Who should attend BIL:PIL? Anyone who is passionate about the future of healthcare. Granted, the talks may be somewhat technical, but I think the opportunities to learn what’s new in the field, and talk with those passionate about the cause is worth it. You’re likely to meet scientists, doctors, patients/advocates, communications professionals, among others, and get an overview of the future of healthcare. Of course, this is an important issue for us all personally, but it is also relevant to jobseekers in many sectors. What’s most exciting about BIL:PIL may be the fact that it puts the future of healthcare in the hands of the people who care and have the skills to elicit change. Even better? They want to hear what you have to say.
