Dr. Roland Eavey, director of ear, nose and throat pediatric services at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, is leaving to become chairman of the department of otolaryngology at Vanderbilt Medical Center. He'll also be director of the Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Hearing and Speech Sciences.

When Ed blogged about his awful outpatient experience at Mass. Eye and Ear in July (he got there for a 2 p.m. appointment with an eye specialist, then kept getting shuffled around until he finally saw the guy at 5:30), he got letters and phone calls of apologies - and promises that next time things would be better.

He reports:

... Today, I am happy to say they kept their word. ... Kudos to Mass Eye and Ear for listening to its patients and actually doing something about its problems.

Computer networks can do some wonderful things these days. Like, if one of your surgeons postpones some day surgery, your recovery department could be notified, so employees there don't have to have to waste time and money mystifying/annoying parents by a) Calling them to ask how their kid's recovery went and b) Despite being told that their kid didn't have surgery, then following up by mailing them a detailed questionnaire on how their kid's recovery went.