During these exciting days of medical innovation, with developments ranging from advanced robotic surgery to nanoparticle-based cancer treatments, it's easy to forget that simple actions can also advance patient care in equally dramatic ways.

UMass Memorial Health Care Inc. plans to use software from a Lexington company to electronically prescribe controlled substances such as opioids, a move aimed at smoothing procedures for doctors and patients while preventing fraud.

UMass Memorial said Tuesday it could begin using some elements of technology from Imprivata Inc. in four to six months.

Other features of the technology will go into effect when the hospital system switches to a new electronic health record system next year.

The UMass Memorial Health Care management system is built on the foundation of engaging every one of our caregivers every day in improving the quaity and efficacy of the care we deliver. All of our caregivers huddle regularly with management to discuss performance in their business unit and provide leadership with valuable feedback on problems they are experiencing and ideas for how we can improve results. This is embodied in our mantra: "Everyone, Every Day."

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Dr. Dina Kandil, a pathologist at UMass Memorial Medical Center, recently found herself needing to be at two places at once. Two patients, one at the University campus, the other at Memorial, were both in surgery. Both needed her expertise.

Diagnosed with prostate cancer eight years ago when he was 65, Raymond Fuller had no family history of the malignancy, but he’s afraid he might have started something.

After all, a disease that can be inherited has to start with some generation and Fuller is concerned that he might have passed a genetic legacy for prostate cancer on to his 27-year-old son.

Of course, his son has already inherited one other thing from his father that alone would make him a high risk for prostate cancer — being African-American.

The drink carts had just started to roll down the aisle on United Airlines flight 670 Saturday night when Jane Palermo saw a woman shake her husband several rows in front of her. 

He wasn’t waking up, Palermo noticed. The wife shook him again. No response. 

Arthur M. Pappas, M.D., the first chairman of the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, died on March 22, 2016 at the age of 84. A former team doctor for the Boston Red Sox, Dr. Pappas was born and raised in Auburn, Massachusetts; he and his wife lived in the house in which Dr. Pappas was born.

Dr. Pappas leaves behind his wife, Martha Pappas, Ed.D.

The family held a private burial service, with plans for a Celebration of Life to honor Dr. Pappas near the date of his birthday in July.

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In a little more than a year, the team of coders, hardware experts and project managers he oversees is due to flip the switch on a new electronic medical records system for the sprawling UMass Memorial Health Care network of hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices.

It’s a project estimated to cost $650 million to $700 million in hardware, software and labor over 10 years. About 300 people are working on it, focused on bringing to UMass Memorial a medical records system developed by Epic Corp. of Verona, Wisconsin.