Time: 8:30-10:00 am
Location: Zoom: https://kcdigitaldrive.zoom.us/j/86196851791
The month we get to engage with two really great developments in the Kansas City area.
The first presents an opportunity to learn more about the University of Kansas School of Nursing’s MetaVersity program. We encountered the early strides of this program when Dr. Kesa Herlihy, the Simulation Education Program Director at the School of Nursing, joined with one of our regular members, Doug Hohulin, to win KC Digital Drive’s AR/VR Developers Challenge. The team then received a grant of 50 Oculus 2 Quest headsets from Meta to launch their efforts as a program. Fast forward to the present, and Dr. Herlihy will be teaching two classes in the Metaverse involving 37 students from the Kansas City and Salina Medical Centers.
Compared to on-campus immersive solutions like physical manikins and simulation labs, the Nursing School views its solution as unique as it leverages immersive virtual reality (VR) nursing education to provide students access to their instructors and virtual campus remotely where they can learn about the body and its systems as well as simulate care for patients of all different socioeconomic statuses, races, genders, ages, and sizes who would otherwise be unavailable to these students. Transitioning from a solely on-campus curriculum to a widely accessible program of study will allow students from all cities and regions in both Kansas and across the country to complete a traditional nursing baccalaureate degree from a nationally recognized nursing program and serve the communities they live in. In short, using a VR immersive nursing school program will increase access for students to pursue nursing education and address the critical need for more nurses.
In addition to her role as Simulation Education Program Director, our presenter, Kesa Herlihy, Ph.D., R.N., C.N.E., coordinates and oversees The Lab Learning Spaces. Dr. Herlihy graduated from Penn Valley Community College with her Associate of Applied Science in Nursing in 2006. Soon after, she completed her RN-BSN at the University of Kansas School of Nursing in 2008. She then went on to complete her master’s of science degree with an emphasis in Nursing Education at the University of Utah in 2010 and her Ph.D. at the University of Kansas School of Nursing in 2017. Dr. Herlihy worked as a pediatric, and float-pool nurse before moving to full-time educator in 2010.
Our second presentation touches upon the yearning we often highlight in regard to being truly effective with the application of technology. We will look at SoulFIRE Health which offers standardized, digital content in nutrition, healthy activities and healthy behaviors for professional use. In a single, easy-to-use Platform, SoulFire targets the work of Community Health Workers, Health Departments, Diabetes Educators and Workplace Wellness Coaches. Offering 300+ unique pieces of content created by registered dietitians and exercise physiologists, the professional community can offer digital handouts and engagements directly with clients, patients and families with confidence. SoulFIRE recently won pilot projects in four Kansas counties through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas and NXTUS NXSTage Community Health & Vibrancy Pilot Competition.
Our presenter will be Rebecca MacKinnon, a long-time innovator and contributor to start-ups in the Kansas City area. Ms. MacKinnon holds an Executive MBA from University of Missouri and a B.S. from Kansas State University. She is an entrepreneur and an accomplished Growth Strategy Consultant for early stage, high growth technology companies. She has served as a reviewer of educational programming for HIMSS Annual Symposia Proposals, a member of the Angel Capital Association Education Committee and an Angel Investor in companies at various stages of the ecosystem.
Early in her career, Ms. MacKinnon led the spin-out of technology from an M&A transaction within a healthcare provider organization. As Founder/CEO of BeyondNow Technologies, Inc, a high-growth, health tech business, She achieved greater than 50% YOY growth for nearly a decade from 1994 to 2003, when it was acquired by Cerner Corporation. After completing her work with Cerner, she started 5th Dimension Strategies, assisting other technology entrepreneurs in managing growth.
Ms. MacKinnon demonstrates the unique ability to strategically assess the environment and internal organization capabilities, develop competitive strategies to strengthen market position and implement go-to-market plans through key strategic partnerships. She continues her work as a business consultant with high growth and tech-enabled businesses.
Ms. MacKinnon has won numerous awards and was recognized for her business achievements as a Smithsonian Laureate, Deloitte Fast 50, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist, Springboard Alumni and Healthcare’s Best in KLAS.