WaterCooler Collaboration

Bracing for an Uncertain Future

Richard Clarke, President of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, wrote a great editorial on bracing for an uncertain future in Modern Healthcare, January 16, 2012, page 23.  Briefly, he predicts that because of the political stalemate in Washington, the majority of the entitlement cuts will be borne by healthcare providers.  I would like to focus on [...]

US Healthcare Issues in 2011

Introduction During a recent ACHE faculty conference call, we brainstormed about US healthcare issues in 2011 that are likely to have an impact in 2012, including: 1) Revenue-Expense considerations: The growth of medical tourism and support from payers for its continuation and expansion Increasing community pressure to take away hospitals’ tax-exempt status Implications of the green [...]

Saluting Our 9/11 Heroes

Driving to Maine to cover surgery this weekend, I sat transfixed in the car, listening to stories of our September 11 tragedy, of the countless first responders and other citizens who gave their lives to help their fellow men and women survive.  I stayed transfixed in front of the TV set where I was staying [...]

Collaborative Preparation for Hurricane Irene

To my readers: This is a note that Carl Taylor dashed off to me at 7 AM, concerned about my whereabouts on my return from covering a surgeon’s practice in Maine on Monday, September 29. Carl is Assistant Dean of the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and Director of the National Center for Disaster Medical Response.  [...]

Collaborative Legacy: Remembering Mark Haines

I remain shocked and saddened by the sudden death of CNBC commentator Mark Haines at age 65.  Mark was one of the founding broadcasters of the CNBC morning show with David Faber and Joe Kernan.  Like Tim Russert, who was also taken from us way too soon, he personified journalistic integrity and displayed a passionate pursuit [...]

Collaborative Healthcare Reform

Yesterday, a friend asked me, “Ken, do you feel comfortable speaking on healthcare reform?” “Heck no,” I replied. “It is changing way too fast for anyone to feel like an expert.  The word ‘Facilitator’ appears after my name,  to clarify my role as someone who brings data for group discussion rather than someone who acts [...]

Collaborative Healing

This morning, I learned that a member of my daughter’s college class died about 1 AM as a result of a stabbing at a fraternity house on campus.  As she and I talked, I felt for what she was going through, especially when she said, “I never thought that something like this would happen on [...]

Collaborative Intelligence: A Brief Review of Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s Chasing Life

This will be my last blog post for 2010.  Yesterday, I learned that my upcoming book, Getting it Done: Experienced Healthcare Leaders Reveal Field-Tested Strategies for Clinical and Financial Success, is in production for a May 2011 release.  I will receive copy edits on all 16 chapters over the next 10 weeks, for which I [...]

Collaborative Politics: The Essence of Trust

I believe that collaboration emanates from people of different backgrounds depersonalizing their differences in a cause (like patient care) that is larger than self.  In After the Elections: How to Ensure that Healthcare Has a Local Impact, I wrote about four things that we could do to demonstrate that we are listening to patient health [...]

Collaborative Commissioning

It was a proud family moment when my son was commissioned as Ensign in the US Navy Friday, May 14, 2010. The oath of office that he took reads:  I solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic; that I will bear true [...]

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