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Through the years of healthcare innovation and reform, even going as far back as the 1990′s, one of the favorite rallying cries of administrators is delivering and offering “patient centered care.” When I first heard the phrase, as a manager in an acute care hospital, I thought, “Um, isn’t that what we WERE delivering?” I . . . → Read More: “Patient Centered Care? Absolutely! I’ll Get to That Right After My Meeting.” Many thanks to the planning committee and volunteers who made the 2012 RN-AIM (Registered Nurse Association in Michigan) Annual Conference a smashing success! This year’s theme for the conference, on September 20th and 21st, was “Nurse As Advocate” and I was honored to be invited to give the keynote presentation to kick off the meeting. . . . → Read More: Six Lessons for Nurse Advocates We recently had a case in California which required us to frequently communicate telephonically with the nursing staff. We had the required signed HIPAA release on the chart (multiple times, in fact, as it continued to get ‘lost’) as well as the family’s verbal authorization to speak on their behalf with the clinical team. . . . → Read More: Nurse Practice Act? C’MON……. Last week a good friend had bilateral knee replacements and chose to ‘buy up’ for her recovery by selecting the hospital’s “Concierge Unit.” Many hospitals now offer such a unit, requiring patients to pay out of pocket per night in addition to their expected insurance payment. In my friend’s case, it was $40o each night. . . . → Read More: $400 Per Night and Still No Benadryl Ointment!! There is so much energy, money, and planning that goes into a vacation, especially if it’s a family vacation, that it’s worth taking some time to think about the ‘what ifs.’ No doubt we all want our vacation memories to be positive. So think about adding these seven tips (below) to improve . . . → Read More: Vacation? Don’t Leave Home Without Reading This! Earlier this year, I made a promise to myself that I would schedule an appointment with a dermatologist. After all, as I have shared with you before in other venues, my childhood vacations on the beach at Wildwood, NJ were often marred with an enthusiastic sunburn. And it’s also quite likely that years of playing . . . → Read More: A Promise I’m Glad I Kept. Somehow it seems appropriate a few days before April 15th to write that the two things absolutely certain in our lives are death and taxes. And on April 16th, we recognize the 5th Annual National Healthcare Decisions Day. Seems like good timing, yes? This date was created to “inspire, educate . . . → Read More: Death is Not Failure The other day I was giving a presentation to a new client and his account management team. Following my presentation describing our services, our success with clients and how new referrals would work as we begin our new partnership, I was surprised when the company’s president interjected his summary to the room. “We partnered with . . . → Read More: “For Betty and Her Team, It’s Personal.” Since 1970, January has been recognized as National Blood Donor Month. Here are some good-to-know facts about our country’s blood supply from the American Red Cross: The demand for transfusions is growing faster than donations. Less than 38% of the US population is eligible to donate blood. Blood cannot be manufactured—it can only come . . . → Read More: Resolve This Year To Give Blood This week, I was driving on the PA Turnpike en route to Hershey Medical Center where I was planning to visit a patient and her family. During my trip, I checked in by phone (hands free, bluetooth!) with another client whose dad was recently diagnosed with cancer. Our plan was to talk that day so . . . → Read More: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Hershey |
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