20 Nov

Posted at 15:01h in Uncategorized by
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Yesterday I had the fortune of reading a really good article that was posted on HealthLeaders Media entitled: "Why e-Scheduling May be Healthcare's Most Valuable App", by Scott Mace. I have to say that this is something that I am very hopeful for and completely agree with Scott's insight and commentary on how scheduling is a big bottle neck within healthcare. I know from working inside of healthcare for part of my career that most of the...

19 Nov

Posted at 23:57h in Uncategorized by
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I had the privilege of joining the Healthcare Price Transparency Tweet Chat last night. (#hcpt more on simpler here) During the conversation a few topics came up about patients understanding pricing better, the cost of healthcare, and being able to access the information. This made me think, I am not sure how many healthcare organizations actually understand what their internal cost is to produce a specific episode of care for patients, let alone most healthcare professionals...

17 Nov

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The following is a true patient story: 68 yo male presents to his primary care physician due to complaint of radiating back pain on the right side, lower flank. 4 weeks prior patient had a full check up and yearly exam, clean bill of health, with exception for diabetes mellitus that has been controlled for previous 4 years by diet and exercise. Primary care physician orders an ultrasound. Results are a finding in the right ureter....

14 Nov

Posted at 22:43h in Uncategorized by
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Imagine a loved one going into the doctors office and learning that he or she has colo-rectal cancer. Now imagine that they are told it has already spread to other areas inside of their body. Can you imagine the scene, the conversation? Can you even fathom understanding or remembering the rest of the conversation after you heard the words, "You have metastatic cool-rectal cancer." I know I can't, and I work in this crazy world of...

10 Nov

Posted at 18:35h in Uncategorized by
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Yesterday, Saturday, November 9th, was the funeral services and visitation for my father. Between the hours of 11-1 many people from the various chapters of my father's life stopped to pay their respect, share their stories, and to say their final good-byes to my father. Then at 1pm, everyone congregated, and the ceremony started. We proceeded up to the front of the church. My father was placed front and center of the alter, baptismal candle lit,...

04 Nov

Posted at 11:43h in Uncategorized by
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This past weekend I spent parts of Saturday and Sunday with my mother and father. My mother had specifically asked me to come over on Saturday due to a few of my fathers relatives coming to visit. She just needed the additional emotional support. During the visit, my mothers sister, husband, and her four children and their significant others all stopped over as well. As soon as my Godmother (mom's sister) entered the house she was...

23 Oct

Posted at 00:39h in Uncategorized by
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My phone goes of at 4:59 pm and I look to see who it is. It is my mother. Text message reads: PORT WILL BE PLACED TOMORROW @ 10 WITH CHEMO TO FOLLOW. INTERVENTIONALIST DOING IT. I respond: OKAY. HOW'S DAD DOING TODAY? Mother replies: ABOUT THE SAME JUST MADE HIM THE DRINK WITH PROTEIN YOU GAVE HIM AND BANANA. Me: ARE THEY GOING TO ADDRESS THE ASCITES? Mother: THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION. NAVIGATOR SAID WE WOULD SEE...

21 Oct

Posted at 23:39h in Uncategorized by
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Today is Monday October 21st and my father had an appointment to see the Nephrologist. This was one of the first appointments I was not able to attend, but I know he is in good hands being that my mother is a nurse. Nephrologist was checking on my father's right kidney, due to having a stricture of the ureter, and what was the trigger to finding the lesion in the pancreas, and his eventual diagnosis. So...

21 Oct

Posted at 13:01h in Uncategorized by
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Stopped in at my parents this evening after running some errands. As I walked into the living room my father sat there in his big recliner. His hair was all disheveled, thinning still, and when I leaned down to give him a hug and a kiss I noticed that his skin was damp from perspiration. I asked y father how he was feeling. His response was simple, "If I didn't have this pain in the front...