Last week I traveled to Lowell, Massachusetts, by way of Boston, to attend a strategic planning meeting with the team at Lowell General Hospital (LGH). My firm is starting a new project with LGH and we were there to get a briefing on the assignment. We first worked with the folks at Lowell General Hospital in 2007 and they have accomplished a ton over the last three years. This is definitely a community hospital on the rise, and in many ways it's what a community hospital ought to… Continue

What a busy couple of weeks. Last Friday (January 22, 2010), speaker submissions were due for the 2010 SHSMD annua… Continue

I am looking for constuctive input on a new blog (called Mind the Gap) which explores evidence-based strategies for improving the quality of physician-patient communications across all media.

I am particulary interested in what role if any hospitals with employed physicians see themselves having in helping their physicians improve their patient communication skills and capabilities.

You can find Mind the Gap at the following URL:… Continue

You've no doubt heard the news that Apple is set to release a new tablet PC this week. That got the folks at Medic… Continue

This morning in the New York Times, brought to my attention by Ann Nickels, is an article outlining the report released last month by the National Center for Health Statistics that gives a portrait of American health in the first half of 2009. According to the report, there is good news and bad news.

Here's an excerpt from the story (Source: New York Times, January 26, 2010):

"Americans report that they have been exercising more. Nevertheless, more than a quarter were obese in… Continue

After 35+ years in the private practice of dentistry, I have observed some common challenges we encounter as health professionals. I have shared this with doctors in other fields, and I hear the same challenges. As a group, healthcare professionals are dedicated to their profession; however, without proper education in business, we have had to learn through the "School of Hard Knocks". We make a living from the patients we see, but we leave some business decisions to others or just wing it as be… Continue

Are reporters using social media as a resource when writing stories? I've always maintained that most repor… Continue

A virus can be a serious threat to the world but just like dengue, vigilance can be the answer for its extinction. People
should know what to do before, during and after dengue breakouts. We shouldn’t panic and let fear ruin our mindsets to think clearly and realize what we need to do to survive and surpass a disease. Also, our hospitals need to be prepared for anything. They need to be fully equipped on any disease that might resurface anytime, anywhere. Hospitals should have their own tools to… Continue

I thought I'd seen it all when I received a mailer a couple of years ago promoting the Blingy Awards. In general… Continue

Okay, this post falls under the category of shameless self-promotion packaged within useful content. In the past I’ve written about Hive Marketing; it’s the practice of taking a small group of brand advocates and activating them on behalf of the organization. You bring them together in a group, allow them to share information with others who share their love for the brand, and give them the tools to go forth and serve as brand ambassadors. Ideally, these energized supported leave the hive and cr… Continue

A January 12, 2010 article in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune details the efforts of Hennepin County Medical Center to go green; this, despite a $25 million budget deficit. HCMC is a 465 bed academic medical center and Level I trauma center located in downtown Minneapolis. It is really remarkable what… Continue

Yesterday I came across an article in Managed Healthcare Executive Magazine titled "Green initiatives growing among healthcare facilities." Lately I've been writing a lot about the green movement… Continue

I'm fortunate in my line of work to have the opportunity to visit medical centers across the country. For the las… Continue

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR for short is a commonly used method for saving lives. It is employed by professional medical experts and laypersons alike and as a result, it has extended the lifespan of countless individuals. However, some persons may ask themselves why taking a CPR course is necessary. Below are some of the common statements given as an excuse to not take a course in CPR.

“Why would I want to learn to CPR? That’s what 911 is for.”

The first response team… Continue

I received a Google Alert yesterday that linked to an article about the third annual Whole Grains Challenge put on… Continue

Today in my Healthy Dose e-newsletter from Modern Healthcare, they referenced a story from Reuters about the cost of a single MRSA surgical site infection. The article highlights a number o… Continue

Each year my friends at Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia, SC produce a holiday TV commercial. They handle their advertising in-house, so it's their production, not the work of an advertising agency. This year they decided to take on cancer care with their holiday spot.

This new commercial features the story of a cancer patient who happens to be struggling while in the hospital during the holiday season. They worked to make this an honest and ultimately uplifting portrayal of what some… Continue

Founded by a local Firefighter/Paramedic and Registered Nurse, Hearts & Hoses delivers comprehensive, up-to-date education in life-saving techniques from experienced medical professionals who currently use them in emergency situations. Following AHA guidelines, they provide courses in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and Basic Life Suppo… Continue

With advances in cardiology, it seems that some form of Heart Surgery will become more common. It will be interesting to see how insurance companies handle the increase in demand. In Europe, International Medical Insurance companies are also dealing with the same issues. How will companies handle increased demand. How wi… Continue

After writing my post last week that listed healthcare marketing blogs, I posted a conversation on LinkedIn asking other marketing professionals to share their favorite healthcare marketing blogs. Here… Continue