I always enjoy visiting San Francisco

I just came back from a very short trip to San Francisco and I was reminded of all the different reasons why I enjoy visiting this "mecca" of innovation. In Silicon Valley, so much is happening in the world of health information technology, mobile health, and social media. You're constantly surrounded by innovation and interesting ideas. There's also never a dull moment in that interesting city. I wish I could have spent some more time in SF, but it was a quick trip. I was primarily in SF because our education company was developing some education with several pulmonologists who were all attending the 2012 American Thoracic Society (ATS) conference. You'll see a new CME activity related to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) coming out on our website CMEcorner.com.

I also enjoyed a nice chat with a few different people as we talked about the evolution of the pharmaceutical industry, medical writing, and in mobile devices and computers.

My next major business trip will be in Chicago. I also enjoy visiting Chicago and it seems like I find myself there several times each year for various meetings, conferences, and events.

MIT and Harvard recently announced edX

Online education has reached a new level recently. Plus, the business model behind education may be facing some disruptive innovation because of edX.

Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently announced edX, a transformational new partnership in online education. Through edX, the two institutions will collaborate to enhance campus-based teaching and learning and build a global community of online learners.

EdX is a joint partnership between The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University to offer online learning to millions of people around the world. EdX will offer Harvard and MIT classes online for free. Through this partnership, the institutions aim to extend their collective reach to build a global community of online learners and to improve education for everyone.

EdX is a Cambridge-based not-for-profit, equally owned and funded by Harvard and MIT. The first set of courses will be announced in the summer and will begin in the Fall 2012.

Learn more about edX here.

Hospitals employ almost 20 percent of all physicians

As more physicians choose an employment model, what will happen to independent physicians? What will happen to those physicians who are still in private practice?

These days, hospitals and health systems are seeing more requests from independent physicians about employment options. Hospitals are acquiring independent physician practices and offering compensation packages that include financial incentives (bonus payments) that are linked to patient satisfaction ratings and clinical performance and health care quality. These types of financial incentives may currently only be 3-5% of total physician compensation, but it is expected to increase to about 7-10% of physician total compensation.

If you are still in private practice, do you see yourself staying in that model until you retire? Or, will you be one of those independent physicians switching to an employment model?

If you are interested in learning more, read the Sullivan Cotter's 2011 Physician Compensation and Productivity Survey Report by Sullivan, Cotter and Associates, Inc.

Evisors: find a career coach

What happens when you get two Harvard MBA graduates starting a company designed to provide expert advice? You get Evisors. 

Consult with leading experts to help you and your business succeed.

If you're already an expert, you can become an advisor on Evisor as well to generate some supplemental income.

Evisors is looking for professionals at all levels, from analysts to senior executives, with domain expertise in:

• Careers - Job Search, Resumes, and Interviews
• Admissions - Prep School, College, and Grad School
• Business - All Industries and Functions

Learn more here: http://www.evisors.com

5 simple reasons why physicians should join Doximity

Connect with other physicians in a secure, private online network. Here are 5 reasons why physicians should join Doximity (I copied the following directly from the Doximity page):

1. Reconnect. Stay in touch with colleagues, former classmates and co-residents. Over 80% of US physicians already have a message waiting for them.
2. Save time. Get phone, fax and back office numbers in seconds. Over 700,000 MD profiles with education, training, certifications, publications, and more.
3. Get noticed. Make your practice more visible to our 50,000+ active physician users by filling out your profile or uploading your CV.
4. Fax anywhere. Get your own free digital fax line. Send and receive faxes from your mobile phone or the web. No charge.
5. Earn honoraria. Clients paid over $100 million to MDs last year for research, 2nd opinions, and medicolegal consulting. Average rate is $500/hr.

You can join here: https://www.doximity.com

Job Posting: Medical Officer

Job Posting:

Medical Officer
The Henry M. Jackson Foundation
Bethesda, MD 20817

The Henry M. Jackson Foundation (HJF) is seeking a Medical Officer to support the Division of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (DAIDS) of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) as part of the HJF-DAIDS Program., located on Rockledge Drive in Bethesda, Maryland. HJF provides administrative and management support to DAIDS.

DAIDS was formed in 1986 to develop and implement the national research agenda to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Specifically, the mission of DAIDS is to help ensure an end to the HIV/AIDS epidemic by increasing basic knowledge of the pathogenesis and transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), supporting the development of therapies for HIV infection and its complications and co-infections, and supporting the development of vaccines and other prevention strategies.

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The HIMSS Virtual Career Fair is Today

Today, HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) is having a virtual career fair from 11am-7:30pm CT. You can "attend" this career fair virtually by sitting in front of your computer.

The Virtual Career Fair is a state-of-the-art, web- based event for connecting qualified clinical and non-clinical health IT job seekers with recruiters nationwide.

Learn more and register here.

Pharmaceutical Executive May 2012

If you have an interest in learning more about the pharmaceutical industry, make sure to read the Pharmaceutical Executive magazine on a regular basis. Get familiar with the terminology and the key issues that impact the pharma industry today. You can read the May 2012 issue here (digital issue).

Generating supplemental income through telemedicine

These days, a growing number of physicians are eager to leave clinical practice to enter the non-clinical business world of health care. However, there is also an opportunity to generate income by virtually "visiting" patients using your webcam and a secure telemedicine portal that offers patients direct access to physicians 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You could sign up to provide care through one of these portals, but you'll need to be familiar with interstate telemedicine regulations governing medical licensure. Otherwise, you could end up on a news story because you were practicing medicine in a state (treating a patient who lived in another state) where you did not have a medical license.

The issue concerning medical licensure and telemedicine is a hot topic right now. Many regulatory bodies recognize that telemedicine is a cost-effective way to deliver care, but many physicians face barriers regarding the issue of interstate medical licensure. It's rather cumbersome to get a license in every state. Plus, some states have requirements that literally make it impossible for you to get a license unless you live there.

I've been writing about telemedicine on one of my other websites (see those stories here) and I will be continuing to follow the telemedicine industry closely. There are many overlapping themes with mobile health (mHealth) and telemedicine given that the technologies are converging and mobile devices are becoming powerful telemedicine tools as well. Get familiar with telemedicine because you won't want to miss the opportunity to monetize those virtual visits with your patients. The next major trend will be some sort of concierge televisit through the use of smartphones and tablets.

Operations Integration Administrative Residency

If you are a medical student, resident, or fellow, have you considered an Operations Integration Administrative Residency, Internship, or Fellowship? Johns Hopkins University has a unique program that may be of interest to you. Here are some of the details:

The residency experience at the Johns Hopkins Health System’s Department of Operations Integration is a matchless opportunity. The focus of the residency program includes projects to conceive and implement the healthcare delivery model of the future; designing and applying patient-centered best practices; and the integration of safety, quality improvement, and innovative technologies in hospital and health system design and administration.

The combination of four acute care hospitals, multiple ambulatory care programs, a homecare practice, a managed care contracting entity, and several physician/academic group practices offers qualified applicants an opportunity to gain valuable work experience in a variety of healthcare delivery and support settings. Residents work closely with executive leadership, senior clinical, non-clinical, and financial administrators, physicians and nurses to conceive and implement plans and procedures for patient care, business improvement, and program development.

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