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April 2006 MATRIC NEWS
Greetings from Keith Pauley
Part of the Security Solution

With Homeland Security firmly established as a national priority, West Virginia must become a major part of the national solution due to geography, topography, and demographics.

Homeland Security encompasses both man-made and natural disasters—such as 9/11 style terrorism, bird flu and Hurricane Katrina.

Due to our proximity to the East Coast population centers, such as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York, West Virginia may be significantly impacted by large numbers of people who may be displaced after a significant homeland security event. At the Second Homeland Security Summit hosted by Senator Rockefeller, the issue of planning for this influx was discussed and preparations are being made.

The mountains, climate and geology of West Virginia also offer significant protection from homeland security events, such as radiological, chemical and biological attacks, wide-spread inclement weather, and volcanoes or earthquakes. Because of the state’s natural topography, either these events are improbable or become very localized and isolated. This feature makes West Virginia an ideal location for homeland security communication and response centers.

Furthermore, with no large cities and a relatively homogeneous ethnic population, West Virginia is not likely to be a target for terrorism.

With leadership from Senator Rockefeller, West Virginia can play a significant role in assisting the nation in preparing for and responding to homeland security issues and events. MATRIC is poised to provide the types of technical expertise required to protect our nation.

MATRIC Part of Another Winning Team
Mark Dehlin   MATRIC and GeoControl Awarded NASA IV&V Tools Lab Work

MATRIC, in partnership with GeoControl Systems, has been awarded a five-year contract valued at $1.75 million to operate the NASA Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Tools Lab in Fairmont, WV. The contract calls for MATRIC and GeoControl technical staff to develop advanced analytical tools for the evaluation of the quality and safety of software systems on all NASA spacecraft, including the International Space Station, Space Shuttle and Mars Exploration Vehicles.

The Tools Lab supports the NASA IV&V Facility Mission of ensuring that “mission-critical software and systems are of the highest quality and are reliable and safe by applying software and systems expertise and tools, while researching new approaches, and deploying innovative solutions”. The magnitude of this task, coupled with the resource constraints under which it must be accomplished, dictates that effective tools in trained hands are essential.

MATRIC and GeoControl look forward to the opportunity to participate in, and improve, the practice of IV&V in the NASA community.

Photo Credits: NASA

Systems Engineering
Jason Cooper   Cross-Pollination to the Healthcare Domain

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a joint report in 2005 titled “Building a Better Delivery System: A New Engineering/Health Care Partnership.” This report highlighted the importance of engineering in transforming the delivery of healthcare in the United States. It details a systems approach framework towards solving the many paradoxes in our complex healthcare system. At the core of these solutions exists the “backbone of the health care delivery system” – information technology and communications systems. Without reliable, available, and secure health information, our healthcare capacity will not evolve.

In a prior report (2001), IOM provided detail regarding the lack of engineering expertise applied to healthcare delivery at the operational level. That report noted six interrelated dimensions of quality where systems engineering techniques could lead to an overall transformation of the healthcare paradigm: safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, and equitability. MATRIC researchers are mindful of the necessity for applied engineering techniques in our cost-conscious healthcare systems.

MATRIC has the aptitude to assist in leveraging decades of engineering knowledge to the healthcare domain. As a member of the West Virginia eHealth Initiative, MATRIC engages West Virginia’s healthcare experts from all sectors (e.g., academia, private, and governmental). MATRIC Health and Life Sciences offers technical assistance, technology assessments and evaluations, as well as independent analyses and testing capabilities for the healthcare industry. In this role, MATRIC hopes to positively impact healthcare not only in our home state, but nationally as well.

Photo Credits: NIH-NIEHS

Resources
Keith A. Pauley  

What Americans need to know about bird flu? http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AvianFlu/








Terrorism Research Center
http://www.terrorism.com/










GeoHazards International is a non-profit corporation focusing on earthquake safety.
http://geohaz.org /index.htm






 

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