If you’re a practicing physician, your work life revolves around seeing patients, diagnosing and treating their conditions.  In that regard, technology plays a key supporting role.  As patient data is converted to the electronic medical record (EMR), you will have faster and easier access to radiology and lab reports, current prescriptions and prior conditions.  It’s a much better system than flipping through page after page of another doctor’s written notes, or wondering if the file is complete.

But the EMR is just one of the ways the continuing advance of technology is changing medical practices.  As network bandwidth keeps increasing, video will become an increasingly common form of communication from hospital to doctor, from doctor to doctor and from patient to doctor.  That evolution of video, combined with the rapid proliferation of smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, opens the door to new types of patient encounters.

Technology also creates new growth opportunities for your practice, by removing two big obstacles to office visits: geographic distance and time constraints.  For example, a patient could use a mobile device with a two-way video connection to describe her symptoms and send real-time images of the affected area, while you access her medical history from your database. Once you have made the diagnosis, you could send her an e-prescription for immediate downloading, and upload your notes and the video conversation to her EMR.  While “e-consultations” will not be suitable for all patients or practice areas, they are likely to grow in importance, particularly for general practitioners and primary care clinics.  So, keep building those technology skills to stay current with trends in healthcare delivery.

Having a strong social media presence is an important aspect of a healthcare job search strategy for administrators, physicians, nurses, lab techs, therapists and other professionals.  Recruiters today regularly visit LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to take a closer look at a potential job candidate.  Therefore, your information on those sites needs to be accurate and up-to-date, while highlighting your skills and experience.  Here are several suggestions for developing an effective strategy.

• Make a list of all your social media sites (including older ones like Friendster or MySpace) and see what your profile looks like.  You could do a quick online search for your name to be sure you have all the sites, and uncover any potential surprises. Remember that a recruiter can also do a quick search on your name. 
•  Update your profiles to reflect your current position, skills and accomplishments.  Make sure to highlight information that will support your job search, such as “15 years of hospital nursing experience,” or “strong financial skills including A/R management.”
• Be sure you have appropriate privacy settings for Facebook, particularly if you have uploaded personal photos or comments that you don’t want a potential employer to see.  Do the same thing for your Twitter account.
• Consider uploading a YouTube video where you discuss your accomplishments and career goals.  This gives a recruiter a chance to “meet you” prior to a face-to-face interview.  Include a link to your video in your job search emails or other social media accounts.
• Join relevant social media groups, including business, alumni and civic organizations.  It gives you a chance to network online, and make new professional contacts. It won’t get you a job, but it might open the door to your next interview!

One of the key provisions in the 2010 federal healthcare reform law focused on better coordination of patient care through the creation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).  The idea was to move away from the traditional fee-for-service model in which a patient might get multiple bills from different providers of diagnostic or treatment services. 

Under an ACO, those providers would team up to treat an individual patient across care settings, including doctor’s offices, hospitals, and long-term facilities.  The Medicare Shared Savings Program will reward ACOs that lower health care costs while meeting certain quality standards. 

 ”For too long, it has been too difficult for health care providers to work together to coordinate and improve the care their patients receive,” said U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius last April.  “That has real consequences: patients have gaps in their care, receive duplicative care, or are at increased risk of suffering from medical mistakes.   Accountable Care Organizations will improve coordination and communication among doctors and hospitals, improve the quality of the care their patients receive, and help lower costs.”

Now, after tinkering with the rules and incentive programs in 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency administering the voluntary ACO program, is ready to accept applications.   Analysts expect the first ACOs to launch in April.   The results will be followed closely by healthcare organizations throughout the country to see if this concept will make a difference.  But with its goals of lowering cost and providing more coordinated care, the ACO concept is clearly pointing the way to the future delivery of healthcare services.

Locum tenens physicians ensure continuity and quality of care for your patients, help preserve your referral networks, and generate revenue.  Though each client situation is unique, below are the top reasons we find our clients using locum tenens.

1. Coverage for a physician, who is on vacation, has taken ill or on maternity leave.
2. Often, clients need locum tenens coverage while perm recruiting.  This allows for continued revenue streams and patient care as well as preventing physician burnout within the existing practice.
3. Many of our clients utilize locums physicians to test new service lines and new markets to assess the potential for expanding revenue streams.
4. Clients enjoy the ability to work with a physician on a temporary basis prior to offering them a permanent contract.  This “working interview” scenario is an excellent option for the provider as well as the client and makes the transition to a new practice more seamless.
5. Supplemental staff.  Many clients like the flexibility that locum tenens give their practice.  They can have a reoccurring provider as a part of the staff without having to worry about a long term contract.

Many U.S. healthcare organizations offer their employees an incentive for referring job candidates.  They understand that employee referrals often generate high-quality applicants who would be a good fit for the position.  Typically, employees like to refer a friend, neighbor, associate or family member who has the skills, the experience and the personality to be a good match for the open position.

Offering referral incentives can benefit a healthcare system, hospital, physician’s group or laboratory company in a number of ways.  An employee referral incentive program frequently accelerates the hiring process and reduces recruiting costs.  In addition, these new hires are likely to get up to speed more quickly, enhancing organizational productivity, and stay in their positions for a longer period, improving overall retention and reducing turnover.

For job candidates, having an “inside” connection at a healthcare organization can also be highly beneficial.  Personal networking has always been one of the most effective ways to get a new job, even in an era of social media and online job search sites.  A friend or neighbor may learn about a new position before it’s advertised, and provide advice about how to contact the organization’s recruiter. In addition, that person could provide a personal reference, helping to smooth the way to a quick hiring.

Whether a candidate is seeking a full-time healthcare position, locum tenens employment, or a flexible temporary position, personal networking can play a key role in opening the door to a new job and a more satisfying career.

While going on a diet is the most popular New Year’s resolution, getting a new job is often close behind.  If that’s one of your goals for 2012, consider the advantages of taking a temporary position as the next step toward advancing your healthcare career.  There are a number of advantages to temporary employment through a nationwide staffing organization like All Medical Personnel, including:

• “Try before you buy.”  Taking a temporary position allows you to “try out” a new role before making a permanent commitment.
• Apply new skills.  If you’ve completed a training program or earned a new certification, you can put those skills to work right away in a temporary position, rather than waiting for an opening with your current employer.
• Making new career contacts.  Taking a temporary position is a good way to get “inside” an organization, making those personal contacts that are vital for moving ahead in your career.
• Flexible scheduling.  Temporary positions allow you to earn money, while accommodating your non-work responsibilities.  That can be particularly important if you have young children or need to care for a spouse, partner or aging relative.
• A new setting.  Many people enjoy their work, but relish a change of scenery from time to time.  If you’re a nurse, PT, lab tech or other healthcare professional, for instance, you may want to continue your career in a  new location.
• Solid benefits.  Staffing firms offer competitive salaries and benefits, providing the assurance of a paycheck while you’re working.
• Career advancement.  If you’re considering stepping into a managerial role, a temporary position may help you determine if this would be a good long-term fit for you.

If you’d like more information about temporary staffing positions, contact us today.  We can help make your New Year’s resolution come true!

For many of us, the last week of the year provides a brief respite from the daily barrage of emails, phone calls and work-related projects.  For others in the healthcare field, it’s business as usual.  After all, diagnostic, treatment and patient care services are needed 24/7/365.

Whether you are working, on vacation or somewhere in between, All Medical Personnel would like to invite you to take a few minutes to reflect on the past year.  Have you been able to move ahead toward your achieving your most important personal or professional goals?  What challenges have you had to face and overcome?  What have you learned from your experiences in 2011?

In an increasingly hectic world, it’s a challenge to find quiet time for yourself.  But it’s important to carve our a few minutes a day to think about your goals and direction in life.  Turn off the mobile phone, step away from the computer, let go of the steering wheel, and get back in touch with yourself.   It’s like using a GPS device to establish your current location on your life-long journey.

As 2011 draws to a close, we invite you to take advantage of your downtime and reflect on the future.  All of us at All Medical Personnel wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

If you’re a healthcare provider, it’s important to manage your online reputation.  That includes patient comments in Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites, ratings by third-party services and blogs by consumers and healthcare activists.  A physician, therapist, laboratory service or hospital that gets consistently high marks is more likely to attract a highly engaged patient looking for a particular service.  On the other hand, negative comments like, “My pediatrician didn’t like it when I asked her a question about my child,” or “I had to wait for more than an hour before I could get my blood drawn,” can make people think twice before choosing that provider.

In a busy world, it’s hard to find time to monitor these kinds of “viral” online comments or respond to them effectively.  But there are tools a provider, or the office staff, can use to maintain a good reputation.  One of the best places to start is setting up a Google alert through your free Gmail account. Go to www.google.com/alerts and type in your name, the name of your practice or name of your healthcare organization or any other key word.  Then, you’ll get a Gmail message whenever someone posts a blog, a comment or a news article containing those key words. 

Then, you can decide if you want to respond to those messages and the best approach.  For instance, if you see a comment from a patient, you can pick up the phone or send an email so you can discuss the issue.  Or if the blog is simply wrong, you can respond directly to the person who posted the item or add your comments at the end.

Finally, it’s important to maintain your own web presence, such as a web site in your own name, a blog or a profile on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.  When someone searches for you, your site will usually be high on the list, ahead of other bloggers or rating services.  There are plenty of other ways to use social media effectively, but these tips can help protect one of your most important assets - your online reputation.

Annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage rose 9 percent from last year, according a recent national study. “This year’s increase is especially painful for workers and employers struggling through a weak recovery,” said Drew Altman, president and CEO, Kaiser Family Foundation. 

On average, U.S. workers pay $4,129 and employers pay $10,944 toward those annual premiums, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Educational Trust 2011 Employer Health Benefits Survey released in late September. 

The study noted that the 9 percent increase in premiums was much greater than the average rise in workers’ wages (2.1 percent) and overall inflation (3.2 percent).  Since 2001, family premiums have increased 113 percent, compared with 34 percent for workers’ wages and 27 percent for inflation, the study said.

There was a particularly interesting finding for insurance professionals who are tracking the impact of federal healthcare reform:  2.3 million young adults were added to their parents’ family health insurance policies.  Since young adults are more likely be uninsured than other age groups, the changes to the law have clearly expanded coverage in this population segment.  “In the past, many of these young adults would have lost coverage when they left home or graduated college,” said Gary Claxton, lead author of the Kaiser study.

In addition, the study found that 31 percent of covered workers are in high-deductible health plans, facing deductibles for single coverage of at least $1,000.  Covered workers in smaller firms (3-199 workers) are more likely to face those high deductibles, with half of workers in smaller firms facing deductibles of at least $1,000, including 28 percent facing deductibles of $2,000 or more.

For the insurance industry, the broad expansion of health coverage to young adults is likely to increase the need for service and claims representatives and managers.

For job candidates at all levels, there’s something to be said for the enduring value of politeness.  In a digital world, where text messages now outnumber voice mails, it’s important to remember that “tnx” does not equal “thank you.”

When applying for a position, it’s a good idea to include the word “please” somewhere in your cover letter.  You might say, “Please review the attached resume,” for example.  That might sound old-fashioned, but being polite creates a professional tone to your correspondence, and subtly indicates that you are a candidate worthy of consideration.  The recruiter might not notice the word, but he or she will pay a little more attention to your credentials.  And sometimes that’s all it takes to proceed to the next stage of the hiring process.

After you’ve gotten a positive response to your application, it never hurts to say “thank you” in your email to the recruiter.  You could say something like, “I look forward to our interview next week and thank you for your consideration.”  Of course, saying “thank you” is even more important after your interview.  A handwritten note or a courteous email message expressing your appreciation will be noticed by the recruiter.  Even if you aren’t hired immediately, your application is likely to stay in the recruiter’s active file.  After all, good healthcare professionals are always needed by hospitals, outpatient facilities, physician offices, laboratories and ancillary service providers.  Show the recruiter that you are a true professional who deserves that job!