The mostly grey skies over Seattle didn't bother me; I was inside walking around the convention center and attending AcademyHealth sessions. AcademyHealth has grown over the years that I have been attending, and the science has become far more sophisticated and complex in keeping with the health services issues being addressed.

As usual, I made the rounds at the post sessions, scouting out potential manuscripts for the journal. I spent time with previous doctoral students, listening with some pride at their new career achievements. Naturally, networking and planning collaborations was a major activity. It's always difficult to know whether those conversations will prove fruitful. So, this year I am being more proactive than in the past and doing my part to follow-up and actualize the potential.

With the ever shorter time between the release of an RFP and the date due, we all must have a grant ready for minor changes. There is no longer time to generate something new. The shorter proposals are nice, but also harder, requiring a highly advanced skill in writing and explaining.

After AcademyHealth, I spend the morning in Longview WA for the KRISP Project. I did a session with the public health nurses on the PDCA cycle. After a year of bi-monthly meetings, the lights are going on. They began to generate a set of possible, very doable QI projects which would increase their efficiency. They actually sounded excited about the possibilities. After the session, we all went to lunch. It was reassuring to hear them say that they are no longer going merely because they were told to go to my sessions. For at least a moment or two, I felt like we were all nurses sharing the same passion for our communities and patients. It was good.