Dear Medicine I am not a physician. I am not an oncologist. I am not a radiologist. I am not a NP. I am not a PA. While I do have a clinical background, education, and spent many years in the clinic caring for cancer patients, and then an administrator, you merely see me as a “patient advocate.” For the last 2 decades I have amassed many friends that are in fact physicians. Some are retired now. Some are...
I used to think being a leader meant that you had to be picked. That you had to be elected. Or nominated. Or chosen. Being a leader meant you had to have a special title. You had to be the President, or VP, or Director, or Head of ‘insert committee here’ or group. I used to think being a leader meant that you had been anointed by others to be able to make decisions, speak up, and...
I have to agree that Dolly Parton is a 74 year old badass bosslady who can do anything, has done it all, and still is influencing our culture in a big way.?The theme that isn’t being discussed in the challenge is how @dollyparton has overcome so many challenges. From being born in the middle of no where, to a family that had hardly anything, to being a woman in business that is often overlooked,...
Over the past decade I have had the privilege of working on the industry side in medicine. I have learned a lot about the overall sale process. When I was an administrator making decisions about capital equipment I had a process. I’d work closely with the physicians and physicists. I’d be responsible for the return on investment (ROI) and making the internal business case based on the clinical preference(s) of our clinicians. I don’t believe there was ever...
A huckster is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as one who peddles, sells, or advertises in an aggressive, dishonest, or annoying way. Last week was JPM in San Francisco. It’s billed as the globes largest investment symposium in the healthcare industry. It brings together industry “leaders,” emerging and high-growth companies, innovative technology, and the investment community. It’s basically a meeting of hucksters pushing hugs, drugs, and cures for super bugs. All in hopes of gaining a few investor bucks. In...
Today I was asked a rather odd question. If you had the chance to ask a Healthcare/Hospital CEO 5 questions, what would you ask? I started to think about it. What would I ask if I was in front of a CEO? What question is relevant? What question would they be intrigued with and discuss more? At first I began to think of all the generic consulting questions such as: What are your biggest challenges? Where do you need the most...
I have been writing. A lot. I have written very personal and emotional stories. I have written a few pieces on my professional work, my experiences, and the many challenges I experience on a daily basis. I have written a few pieces that are edgy, or direct, or some may even say inflammatory. Typically when I write I publish immediately. I don’t leave time to edit, review, or think about what I have written for fear of letting my inner...
I made a promise to myself that I was going to take time and make sure that I try to write, edit, and ship a new post 5 days a week. This week I only achieved 3 out of 5 days. In school that would be a failing grade. In basketball a 60% from the free throw line would make me the guy to foul at the end of the game. From the 3 point line it would...
Each day I am inundated with emails, calls, texts, DM’s, likes, loves, and comments. I take the time to read comments and do my very best to respond to each and every single one of them. At times there is an email, a voicemail, or a comment that is negative, snarky, or points out that I may be wrong. When I first started out, I would read the negative feedback and have an immediate reaction. A set feeling...
It’s the beginning of the travel season for me. With that means more airports, more security checkpoints, and more lines. I will be the first to admit that having “status” is very nice. It means shorter lines, help when issues arise, and a bit more legroom. (Good thing since I am about as a tall as smurf wearing a bowtie.) I always find it interesting when I walk up to the security lines and see which lane...