X-Message-Number: 17878 Date: Fri, 09 Nov 2001 16:55:03 -0700 From: Jessica Lemler <> Subject: This Week at Alcor The following can also be viewed on our webiste at: <http:www.alcor.org>http:www.alcor.org Week of November 5 through 11, 2001 Mathew Sullivan, Facility Operations Manager & Patient Care Manager Cryotransport: Project Future Bound UK and Canada continues as follows: 1. Completed four perfusate cases and five plate frames. 2. Shopping for supplies. Partial review of our cryotransport checks lists with a former employee of Alcor, and we discussed the complicated issues surrounding postmortem transfers of our international members. Spent a little time coordinating with Dr. Lemler regarding a member overseas who is seriously ill and in intensive care. We encouraged his friend to transfer him to the US as soon as possible and avoid a likely scenario where he could end up being straight frozen if he is pronounced in Israel. We were informed he is continuing to improve, his friend felt he was not ready to be transferred yet. Hopefully, this will occur in the near future. Facility Operations: Overhauled Alcor's computer network on the advice of an Alcor member: 1. Searched the web for network information. 2. Shopped for network supplies. 3. Identified and labeled network cables, with assistance from James. 4. Removed six hubs which had been placed throughout the facility and added two donated Ethernet switches. 5. Installed two category 5 lines for two computers. 6. Reset computers to proper network configuration. 7. Tried to upgrade Jennifer's network card, but I had some problems, so I reinstalled the old one. Exchanged my office for the copy room. This had nothing to do with the recent breaking of a window. I had been planning to make the exchange for several months. I also had to reroute the Inter-Tel communication line to the new office. Since both Jessica and I moved our offices at the same time, I had to reprogram both of our new phone extensions. Our phone directory needs a new directory recording to list us at our correct extensions, so you may want to take note that I am now at ext. 120, and Jessica is at ext. 115. Both Hugh and I received a call from an outside researcher who had some questions and concerns about our current protocol that is still in the developmental stage. The primary concern was about postmortem cooling of local hospice patients. The researcher is confidential, so I cannot elaborate any further on the subject. Attended Alcor's Board meeting. Joe Hovey, Accounting Manager I did not finish the monthly billing until yesterday, Nov. 8! Too many other things going on. Cancelled four memberships because of non-payment of dues. Two of them were long time members. Very sad, but they have simply dropped out of sight. Worked only a half day on Monday because of necessary attendance at P.C. Trust Board meetings on Saturday, Nov. 3 and Alcor Board meeting on Sunday, Nov. 4. Received good feedback on the prospective Alcor Officers and Directors liability insurance coverage. We have gone ahead and ordered the policy. Working on a new marketing plan for next year based on assumptions of promised funding being delivered and on hiring a new employee to manage it, both of which look likely. The usual day to day paper transactions and updates. Bank deposits, data entry, keeping an eye on the cash flow, etc. Hoping to settle the payables and receivables issue between Alcor and Cells4Life by next week. Lots of time taken up with moving to new quarters. Packing, moving, and unpacking. Hope to be done by the middle of December. Dr. Jerry Lemler, President, CEO This has been a most productive week for me. I should admit to you I did my part in helping our Diamondbacks win the World Series. My son, Lt. Russell Lemler, flew in from his post at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, and we attended Game 1 together (a victory). Caught the rest of the excitement on the tube. I was back in Southern California Monday at a scientific planning meeting (along with Board Member Michael Riskin). Wednesday was particularly hectic, as I was interviewed for a TV spot in the morning, and then along with Hugh Hixon and Jessica Lemler (thanks to you both!), welcomed Bob Fern's visiting Death and Dying class from Mesa Community College in the evening. Actually, Friday was even busier. In the morning I granted an interview with a graduate student from Boston, who is writing his thesis on cryonic suspension. In the afternoon I participated in another television interview, this time with a Brazilian network. Our various CryoFeasts are coming together, and the announcements have been posted. We're having 6 altogether! My wife, Paula, and I are splitting up, (just for the CryoFeasts, I'm happy to report). She'll be traveling to Judy and Mark Muhlestein's Tucson gathering, while I'll be in Wilmington, Delaware, to attend the East Coast inaugural event, hosted by Lisa Lock and Michael Seidl. I hope to see many of you there! Jennifer Chapman, Membership Administrator My recent Board report addressed the issue of membership cancellation, whereby the current protocol was presented for consideration. In an attempt to ensure that both the interests of the client and the interests of Alcor are being adequately protected under such circumstances, the Board of Directors requested that Dr. Lemler and I join in a discussion of the primary issues. The first issue discussed is how quickly membership termination should take effect after Alcor receives notice of a funding deficiency. As stated in my report, the member had previously been granted 30 days to resolve the deficiency, but this was recently changed to grant Alcor the right to immediately terminate the membership. This change was made to minimize the possibility that Alcor might be required to provide services to a member with inadequate funding. After Dr. Lemler concluded that there is minimal risk involved with maintaining the membership for a reasonable time span, 30 days was deemed appropriate. The terms of reinstatement were also resolved and will hereafter be contractually specified. Each cancelled member will be eligible for reinstatement for 90 days, although Alcor has no obligation to provide services until all reinstatement requirements have been satisfied. This includes proper execution of all membership documents, as may be requested by Alcor. Further, the proposed funding arrangement must satisfy the funding requirements that are in effect at the time that reinstatement is being requested, except that Alcor will honor the suspension amount referenced in the original contract. If these requirements are not satisfied during the reinstatement period, the cancelled member must reapply to establish an active membership. It is intended that the decisions presented herein will apply to all current and future members, unless otherwise notified. Written notification of these changes will be presented to current members in the various publications released by Alcor, including the Alcor Forum and our website. Mike Perry, PhD., Patient Care Assistant This week I continued work on the "Tech News" column for the magazine, obtained and installed some needed software (Microsoft Access, FrontPage), attended the Alcor meeting (Sunday), and prepared for a bulk nitrogen delivery (this morning [Friday]). In some minor ways I assisted Mathew in rewiring our computer connections. Early this week I received email messages sent by a virus from several different addresses, none at Alcor HQ, and alerted the staff. This virus apparently grabs random snippets of files and mails them, together with a copy of itself, to others on the address list, from whence it can spread further. (It is also said to look for legal terminology in your document files, and if it finds enough, to crash your hard drive. Thus attorneys are especially at risk.) Fortunately, a virus protection program recently installed on our machines, Norton Systemworks 2002, appears to have caught this problem--at least for us. It scans both incoming and outgoing messages. Hugh Hixon, Facilities Engineer Friday, various administrative things. Pick up Carlos Mondragon at the airport. Saturday, talk with Carlos. Present the electronic security system proposal to the Patient Care Trust board. Approved. Sunday, Alcor Board meeting. Electronic security system approved by the board. Monday, transferred ambulance title. Administrative stuff. Tuesday, more administrative stuff, staff meeting. Research on the internet. Wednesday, write a reply for Cryonet. Some breadboard work on a new perfusion system. Conversation with California consultants. Thursday, memo to Dr. Lemler. A little breadboard work. Jessica Lemler, Administrative Associate/Webmaster I have had a busy and productive week this week. On Sunday, we had the Board Meeting, so some of my time this week has been spent working on the Minutes and compiling a requested attendance list for the Board Members and Advisors. I also met with Dr. Lemler to work on an advertisement we hope to run sometime next week. On Wednesday evening, I stayed late to help give a tour and question/answer session to a visiting class from a local community college, and I found this to be quite interesting, as many of the students were people my own age, and their questions were questions I had asked myself when I first became interested in cryonics. Thursday I attended a workshop for Notary Publics, where I learned the "dos and don'ts" for notaries. All I have to "do" now is obtain a bond and file with the Secretary of State's office and, as Hugh said this morning, I will be "notorious." Today, as I do most every Friday, I am working on posting the "This Week at Alcor", and ensuring I have completed everything on my "to do list" for the week. I apologize for not having any new pictures to share with you this week-- I have not had any time to get the digital camera out and catch anyone off guard. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=17878