Executive Health Resources (administrative medicine)

If you're trying tired of practicing clinical medicine, how about a career switch to administrative medicine? Consider this as a blend between medical management and business management. After all, I think we all recognize that health care is a business. You won't find any residencies or fellowships that focus on the specialty of "Administrative Medicine."

Executive Health Resources (EHR) is a company that provides different types of services, including:

• Medicare and Medicaid Clinical Compliance Management
- Concurrent Admission Review and Certification (Inpatient vs. Observation Status)
- Surgical/Procedural Setting Review and Certification
• Medicare and Medicaid Denials Review & Appeal Management
- QIO, MAC/FI and RAC Denials Management
• Concurrent Commercial Payor Denials Management
• Retrospective Commercial Payor Denials Management
• Length of Stay Management
• ER Admissions & Transfer Center Mgmt.

The acronym "EHR" is widely used to refer to electronic health records, so don't get that confused with this company. Here's a bit of history regarding this EHR (from their website):

Founded in 1997, EHR, The Physician Advisor Company™, is nationally recognized as the leading provider of real-time, point of care, expert Physician Medical Management Solutions that improve hospital revenue integrity and maintain the highest level of quality of care and regulatory compliance. EHR's expert physicians, the EHR Physician Advisors, provide hospitals and health systems with an outsourced operational, technological, and clinical resource to achieve the hospital’s goal of effectively managing clinical care while maintaining sound financial performance.

They appear to be hiring for a Physician Advisor. What are the qualifications? M.D. or D.O. with 3+ years of post-residency inpatient clinical practice preferred. Medical licensure mandatory; Board Certification preferred. To learn more, visit: http://www.ehrdocs.com

Rutgers Mini-MBA: Strategic Healthcare Management Program

If you're been thinking about getting an MBA but you're not ready to make that level of time and financial investment, then perhaps you may want to look at the Rutgers Mini-MBA: Strategic Healthcare Management Program. If you complete this course, you could transfer your credits if you choose to apply to the Rutgers MBA program. I just got a brochure in the mail about this opportunity. The curriculum for the Strategic Healthcare Management Program involves:

ENVIRONMENTAL DYNAMICS

• Future Challenges in Healthcare: Globalization, New Technologies, Talent, and Competition
• Public Policy and Healthcare Economics
• The Healthcare Marketplace: Evolving Stakeholders, Decision-makers and Payers

FINANCIAL PRINCIPLES FOR BETTER DECISIONS

• The Principal Financial Statement: Understanding Healthcare Transactions
• Financial Tools for Healthcare Decision Making

ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

• Designing Effective Healthcare Organizations
• Supply Chain Management
• Medical Technology Systems
• Quality and Safety
• Practice Management

STRATEGIC TRANSFORMATION

• Ethics and Social Responsibility
• Strategic Marketing and Positioning
• Market Dynamics and Strategy Development
• Managing Strategic Transformation in Healthcare

They also offer other Mini-MBA programs in:

• Business Essentials
  
• BioPharma Innovation
• Finance Essentials
• BioPharma Entrepreneurship

You can learn more by visiting: http://www.cmd.rutgers.edu
Register by September 1 and use the code SHCEB to receive a 10% discount.

Thinking About a Business Degree?

Healthcare professionals (especially physicians) who are interested in non-clinical careers often have a strong interest in business. However, they also frequently lack proper education and training in business. How many business majors do you know who went to medical school? Chances are, most of the people who were pre-med were either biology or chemistry majors. Business degrees can improve your market potential and also increase your salary if you find the right position. If you don't think you have time to pursue a business degree, keep in mind that many programs allow you to take a single course at a time. This way, you can take your time and get an MBA over several years. If you're not in a rush, this may be a good option.

I've always wanted to pursue an MBA. In fact, I'm seriously thinking about taking some courses this fall. I need to look at my workload and my schedule to see if this makes sense. I just finished my MPH last year and I would like to have a little break from studying, but if I'm going to take my time to get a business degree, then I'd like to start sooner rather than later. I've been collecting information from several different business schools and researching my options. If I don't start this fall, then I may begin some courses next year.

7th Annual MD/MBA Conference

7th Annual MD/MBA Conference in Dayton OH
When: April 17-19, 2009
Where: Wright State University School of Medicine and College of Business
Want to learn more about this event? Click here.

You may think that most people who pursue a combined MD/MBA plan to pursue non-clinical careers, but that may not be true. An MBA can be very beneficial to help you run a more efficient practice or hospital. If you stop to think about it, medical management is really a form of business administration, so if you're properly equipped, you'll be better at it.

Many Questions Related to Residency and Non-Clinical Careers

I've received quite a few questions recently on the Student Doctor Network about residency, clinical medicine, and careers in non-clinical medicine. Here's the bottom line: you'll have many more career opportunities if you complete a residency and become board-certified in a medical or surgical specialty. Of course, if you're stuck in the middle of a very long residency and you really don't enjoy your work, then you may want to consider switching to a shorter one. You can still find opportunities if you don't complete a residency, but make sure to do your research so that you understand your options.

Also, you don't need an MPH or an MBA to succeed in the non-clinical world. Although these degrees help, they aren't necessary.

Major Growth of Small Businesses

Because of the current economic climate, I think we will start seeing many different types of small businesses start to pop up everywhere. Corporate executives are getting laid off and many are having a difficult time finding a new job. Others are going back to full-time school with hopes that opportunities will be available when they graduate. Entrepreneurs are getting excited because our country is entering uncharted territory and there are some unique business opportunities. If you're a practicing clinician, you probably have more stability compared to people working in banking/finance/investments/etc. However, I feel that this is also a unique time for clinicians to put their heads together and come up with some opportunities to leverage the potential future needs/wants of doctors and other healthcare professionals who may face some major changes under this new administration. We all know that healthcare IT is moving forward with tremendous traction because of Obama. This includes EHR/EMR/PHR and other elements of health-related information technology. We also know that if some type of universal healthcare coverage rolls out, then primary care clinicians will have additional burdens placed on them. So, what are we to do? Start a company? Are you ready to take out a small business loan? Will the banks be willing to provide loans during times of such economic uncertainty?

Online MBA at a "Top Tier" B-School

Is it possible to get an online MBA through a "top tier" b-school in the USA? I suppose it depends on how you define "top tier."

BusinessWeek has a list of top 30 full-time business schools. Within that list, Indiana University (Kelley) is the only school that offers a true online program. Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) is also on that list of top 30, but the online program they offer is very selective and you have to live within specific cities to participate in that program.

Thunderbird is considered a "second tier" school by BusinessWeek. They offer an online MBA. Arizona State (Carey) and Babson are other "second tier" schools that offer an online MBA degree.

There are many other schools that are ranked on BusinessWeek (either for their Executive MBA or their part-time MBA). Some of them also offer online programs. Schools that come to mind include: Drexel (LeBow); the University of Florida (Warrington); Villanova; U Mass Amherst (Isenberg); and several others.

I find that the phrase "online MBA" or "distance learning MBA" can be leading because some programs still require a considerable time on campus. Therefore, it's important to clarify and to differentiate which programs are 100% online. I often meet physicians and medical students who are interested in online MBA programs. Most of them are interested in the didactic learning and less motivated by the social networking aspects of b-school. I suppose it really depends on your reasons for pursuing an MBA and your overall career goals.

MD, MBA Program List on the Student Doctor Network

There's a great list of MD, MBA (or MD/MBA) programs on the Student Doctor Network

If you already have your MD and you're thinking about B-school, then you've come to the right place. I have some resources here about getting an MBA for physicians and other healthcare professionals.