SEATTLE – (April 15, 2015) – Virginia Mason is featured in a new book about an innovative approach to business management that empowers employees and transforms organizations, titled “The Lean CEO: Leading the Way to World-Class Excellence.”

Authored by Toronto-based journalist and facilitator Jacob Stoller, the book documents the successes of 28 visionary chief executive officers – including Virginia Mason Chairman and CEO Gary S. Kaplan, MD – who radically changed their businesses by using lean principles.

Led by Dr. Kaplan, Virginia Mason embraced lean principles and methods of the Toyota Production System and, more than a decade ago, adapted them as a management system for health care called the Virginia Mason Production System (VMPS). This system enables Virginia Mason team members to identify and eliminate waste (i.e., anything that does not add value) in their jobs with the goal of improving quality, safety and patient experience.

Today, Virginia Mason is recognized as one of the best and safest hospitals in the U.S. by Healthgrades, The Leapfrog Group and other independent organizations. For 10 straight years, Dr. Kaplan has been named one of the most influential health care leaders in the nation by Modern Healthcare magazine. Also, more than 5,000 people from 20 countries have attended VMPS seminars offered by the Virginia Mason Institute.

“The Lean CEO” features an all-star cast of senior leaders from a variety of organizations, including global manufacturers Ingersoll Rand and Herman Miller, the states of Connecticut and Washington, historical icons such as Wiremold, and many more. Stoller provides contextual background as Dr. Kaplan and his peers candidly explain how they galvanized their organizations around delivering excellence to customers. The result is a wealth of practical advice on topics such as:

• Leading and empowering people;
• Building transparency and trust;
• Tuning into the customer experience;
• Aligning strategic direction with day-to-day operations;
• Instilling a corporate-wide culture that promotes safety and quality;
• Creating a learning organization.

Published by McGraw-Hill, the book is being praised for providing insight into what it means to truly lead an organization. “Finally in this book we learn the lesson so often missed,” said Jeffrey K. Liker, professor, University of Michigan and author of “The Toyota Way.” “Lean is a total enterprise approach to adaptation and prosperity that must be understood and owned by the CEO.”

About Virginia Mason
Virginia Mason, founded in 1920, is a nonprofit regional health care system in Seattle that serves the Pacific Northwest. Virginia Mason employs about 6,000 people and includes a 336-bed acute-care hospital; a primary and specialty care group practice of more than 460 physicians; regional medical centers throughout the Puget Sound area; and Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled-nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the U.S. designed and built specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS. Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason is internationally recognized for its breakthrough autoimmune disease research. Virginia Mason was the first health system to apply lean manufacturing principles to health care delivery to eliminate waste, lower cost, and improve quality and patient safety.

To learn more about Virginia Mason, please visit Facebook.com/VMcares or follow @VirginiaMason on Twitter. To learn how Virginia Mason is transforming health care and to join the conversation, visit our blog at VirginiaMasonBlog.org.

Media Contact:
Gale Robinette
Virginia Mason Media Relations
(206) 341-1509
gale.robinette@VirginiaMason.org

SOURCE: Virginia Mason

Even for people with insurance, medical care from hospitals can be more expensive than leading alternatives like House Call Doctor Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 16, 2015 | PRESS RELEASE

Dr. Michael Farzam is a board certified physician in Los Angeles. Avoid spending the average equivalent of 3 to 4 car trips to and from the traditional doctor’s office, and to and from the pharmacy. Meanwhile, preserve your valuable time by steering clear of busy Los Angeles traffic.

According to surveys from the Commonwealth Fund and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation analyzed by the Huffington Post in an article published on May 20th, Americans are getting increasingly burdened by rising out-of-pocket medical expenses. One of these surveys found that 25 percent of privately insured individuals do not have enough money in their bank accounts to pay the deductibles they would have to incur from costly emergency room visits. One of the main reasons for this is that hospital costs continue growing every year, and hospital managers decide to pass the expenses on to the patient. Yet,according to Michael Farzam, M.D. with House Call Doctor Los Angeles, house call doctor services that do not have the high overhead costs associated with operating out of a brick and mortar office are able to charge patients comparably low fees for their care. Dr. Farzam is one of these doctors, having worked in the LA area as a house call doctor for over a decade. According to Dr. Farzam, “Cost-effectiveness is just one of several advantages that house call medicine has over a trip to the hospital.” Others include:

• “Less Guesswork” – Most times, patients never truly know what they are going to get out of a trip to the emergency room… or how much of their total insurance deductible it’s going to cost them. They are often matched with whatever doctor is available, only to receive an unknown quality of care for an unknown quantity of money. “Often, patients can leave an emergency room visit with more questions than answers on both fronts. This is especially true for Los Angeles travelers, who are unfamiliar with the area’s hospitals and have no idea where to go for quality medical care.” With House Call Doctor Los Angeles, patients can stay in their hotel room and have a quality doctor come to them with a clear idea of their likely fee. And, because patients are able to speak with a physician over the phone before their appointment, they can be sure that the doctor is prepared for the appointment and comes with everything needed to treat their medical needs.
• “Patients Stay Where They’re Comfortable” – Likely the most obvious advantage of House Call Doctor Los Angeles is that patients are able to stay in the comfort of their own home while receiving care. Terrible, stress-inducing Los Angeles traffic aside, once patients arrive to the hospital or urgent care facility, they often have to wait a long time in a cold and uncomfortable waiting room surrounded by other sick patients. Dr. Farzam and House Call Doctor Los Angeles gives patients the option of remaining where they feel most comfortable and secure while they are waiting for their physician to come to them.

About Dr. Michael Farzam

While House Call Doctor Los Angeles does provide a variety of urgent care services, many patients also choose the option of having Dr. Farzam on retainer as a year-long family concierge doctor. Nevertheless, whatever one’s medical needs may be, they can call House Call Doctor Los Angeles for medical care today at 310-849-7991, or visit them online at http://www.housecalldoctorla.com.

SOURCE: http://www.prweb.com/releases/DrFarzam/DeductibleCosts/prweb12786839.htm

TODAYS GUEST Bret Jorgensen, Chairman and CEO of MDVIP

LISTEN TO ENTIRE INTERVIEW — Click Here — “Exploring Concierge Medicine with Bret Jorgensen, Chairman and CEO of MDVIP” (JUNE 2015)

JUNE 22, 2015 – Bret joined us to discuss Concierge Medicine as a continuation of our recent focus on Healthcare Consumerism.  Yes, I used both of those words in the same sentence.  Statistics show that Patients are now responsible for 27% of the cost of healthcare and that is expected to grow to over 50% within 3-5 years.  Specifically we discuss the following with Bret:

1. We are hearing the debate and discussion of Healthcare vs. Sick-care getting louder and louder. What is your perspective on this discussion?
2. What do you think is driving the growth of this model?
3. How does MDVIP choose their doctors?
4. What is the patient mix of the practices?
5. How do patients benefit most from the model? Is it all about convenience and better access to the doctor?
6. Is there published data that supports the success of the model?
7. How does the concierge model provide  work with other infrastructure in the U.S. Health System like  Health Spending Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts and higher deductible plans?

Visit MDVIP on the Web and follow them on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIN!

About MDVIP

“MDVIP started as an idea — an idea that was sparked in the minds of a few visionary doctors who were seeking to rekindle their passion for medicine once again, who knew there had to be a better way to fully care for — not merely treat — the patients  who flooded their waiting rooms and who believed the healthcare system had lost its way. The MDVIP model was created with the hope and vision of bringing more life to more lives — both young and old — by putting impersonal healthcare practices and tactics aside, and embracing a new way of healing. MDVIP has always put the patient at the heart of everything we do. We see patients as people — not numbers or charts — but unique individuals with their own personal story. And, because we are all different, healthcare should be designed specifically for your needs, your goals and your aspirations. MDVIP seeks to achieve this by combining the high-tech tools of today and the high-touch practices of the past to make patients and doctors happier and healthier.” (from http://www.mdvip.com/what-is-mdvip/who-we-are)

Bret’s Bio

Bret Jorgensen is the Chairman and CEO of MDVIP, the nation’s largest network of consumer-focused and funded, personalized primary care physicians. Previously, he was CEO of MDVIP and led the successful sale of the company to Procter & Gamble in December 2009. He remained an active member of the Board returning in June 2014 to lead MDVIP after the repurchase of the company by Summit Partners, in which he participated as a minority investor. As Chairman and CEO, his 25+ years of innovative leadership experience in healthcare and proven track record in fundraising, execution and value creation are guiding the strategic direction of the MDVIP organization.

Currently Mr. Jorgensen is also Chairman of Crossover Health, a novel worksite health provider offering technology-enabled health services to large self-insured employers, and a Board Director of the Kravis Leadership Institute. Prior to MDVIP, he was CEO of InSight Health, a $300 million diagnostic imaging business with 2,400 employees where he completed a financial restructuring, and Directfit, an IT services company that he sold to TEKsystems. Earlier in his career, Mr. Jorgensen co-founded TheraTx, a publicly traded, diversified healthcare services business with an innovative, point-of-care, information technology solution. As Director and President of TheraTx Health Services, he was responsible for five operating divisions with 5,000 employees when the company was sold to Vencor for $550 million. TheraTx was recognized as the second fastest-growing public company in America by Inc. magazine in 1995 when Mr. Jorgensen received the “Entrepreneur of the Year” Award in Healthcare.

ATLANTA, GA — JULY 31-AUG 1, 2015

Mr. Jorgensen has held Board Director Appointments for numerous public and private companies, primarily in the healthcare field. Additionally, he has served as a strategic advisor to several companies, including, most recently, Qualcomm Life (mobile health) and Advanced ICU Care (tele-ICU). Mr. Jorgensen was a member of Scripps Institution of Oceanography Director’s Cabinet and Big Brothers of San Diego Board and Presidents’ Council (he was former “Big” for 10 years). He is Chairman Emeritus of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) of San Diego and has served in numerous YPO regional and international roles. He graduated cum laude in economics from Claremont McKenna College.

SOURCE: MDVIP; http://www.intrepidnow.com/healthcare/exploring-concierge-medicine-with-bret-jorgensen-chairman-and-ceo-of-mdvip/

By Catherine Sykes, Publisher, DPC Journal, Concierge Medicine Today, DocPreneur Press

Catherine Sykes, DPC Journal Publisher and Managing Director

JUNE 22, 2015 – Today, attitudes towards both Concierge Medicine and its demographically diverse and very different familial companion, Direct Primary Care, have undergone significant changes since the signature of the Affordable Care Act in 2010.

Even according to a June 2015 article written by the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL and an interview with our Editor, Michael Tetreault of Concierge Medicine Today stated … “Concierge Medicine [and DPC] has evolved, and no longer is the practice limited to well-heeled patients. Even people on fixed incomes and modest means seek the extra attention and access doctors provide.”

RELATED STORY
DPC Journal Editor (Tetreault, May 2015): “Be Proud to call yourself DPC: If you are a Direct Primary Care (direct care) doctor … own it, be proud of it, brand it your own … because your fellow colleagues (nearly 300, Source; The DPC Journal 2015 Annual Report, June 2015) certainly are also.“

Membership Medicine has become more accepted and DPC clinics today are now more diverse in their customer base, provide low-cost monthly memberships and are progressively building a large following among savvy employers, Gen. Xers, Millenials and capturing some very impressive employers in certain markets across the U.S.

READ MORE … The Four Modern-Day Distinctions of Direct Primary Care In America, (C) 2014-2015. The Direct Primary Care Journal

But while the era of the high-priced, high-end, Concierge Doctor stigma in the minds of many Americans has changed and is changing, Direct Primary Care is the next brand invited to the stage … showing doctors in small towns and suburban metropolitan areas that the personality and patient make-up can be as diverse and unique as the doctors offering it.

The Greatest Challenge The Industry Is About To Take On …

Policy aside, today, the free market medicine community of physicians (including both Concierge Care providers and Direct Primary Care doctors) have a faithful patient following that faces a new challenge. Sadly, it’s a chronic condition ailing millions of people across the country. Education. Admittedly, it may just be the most formidable obstacle doctors have yet faced.

As we monitor the chatter on social media, read the story threads written by thousands of opinionated people about free market healthcare delivery solutions used across America, we are beginning to see a growing community of people that believe doctors, particularly primary care and family medicine physicians, are the problem. Concerns around private-pay clinics — which typically bundle physician access with uninsured services for a monthly, quarterly or annual membership fee — are soon going to be center stage fodder for ‘the queue-jumping patient’ in the coming years ahead.

JULY 31-Aug 1, 2015 — ATLANTA, GA

For example, a reader just last week wrote a letter to the editor and said … Source: Tampa Bay Times (Letters, June 2015): ‘This artfully worded gibberish describes an arrangement under which people contract directly with a doctor to self-pay their charges. Insurance — that pesky “third-party payer system” — is not accepted. Does this sound like a good idea for expanding health care to Floridians? What it sounds like to me is an excellent “innovation” for Florida legislators instead of their current insurance coverage provided largely by the taxpayers.’

The educational obstacles and discussions you will have in the coming years ahead will probably challenge your spirit, frustrate you, humble you and, at times, defy logic. So what are we to do? What are the questions you as a physician need to know the answer to when asked by your patients, new patients, school administrators, local businesses and even the media?

The answer can be found in a recent call we had with a DPC doctor in Missouri a few weeks ago.

U.S. Congressman Tom Price, MD, Member of the Congressional Healthcare Caucus, Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget and Member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, will be the keynote speaker at the Concierge Medicine Assembly in Atlanta, GA August 1st, 2015. Photo Credit: http://www.peachpundit.com/2011/08/22/congratulations-congressman-tom-price/

RELATED STORY/EVENT (ATLANTA, GA — Friday, JULY 31, 2015)
B2MD: Working with Employers and Local Businesses (ATLANTA, JULY 31, 2015) — Addressing How DPC and Concierge Care Practices Work for/with Employers; Study a Snapshot of Who Is Currently Doing It; Creating a Profile of an Ideal Employer; What Are Employers Looking for? A Profile of Receptive Employers; Determine Your Unique Selling Points; Uncover Objections You Need to Be Prepared for; How to Find Employers in Your Area and more. Speakers: Catherine Sykes, CEO/Publisher, Concierge Medicine Today and The Direct Primary Care Journal and William “Bill” Bennett, CFP, CFCI, Chairman, WORKsiteRx.

She said … “You (The DPC Journal) are the only ones who told me that patients will actually be angry and upset that our practice is changing to a DPC monthly subscription payment model.”

Another story came to us by way of email from a doctor in Colorado. He informed us that a new patient walked in their door with a page ripped right out our 2015 DPC Consumer Guide. It was the page titled “The 40 Questions You Should Ask your DPC Doctor Before You Join.”

The physician writes … “At first, I was impressed. Then, 25 minutes later and 15-questions in, I was starting to get annoyed. Ten minutes later and 4 more questions, the patient left, no membership received. The next day, her entire family of 5 walked in the office and signed up! I was impressed and over joyed. What I learned from that encounter was that my staff and I had some real work to do in overcoming some common objections and serious questions that our community of new patients want answers to. We went back to the drawing board as a team/staff and went thru the “40-Questions Checklist” and we are now very confident we can provide the answers to the questions our patients need and want to know.”

It is no secret that there are thousands of people across America who benefit from old-fashioned, modern-day healthcare delivery solutions such as those used inside Direct Primary Care and Concierge Medicine practices.

However, the reverse is true as well.

There are millions of people across America who do not agree with free market healthcare delivery models. Mainly those used in Membership Medicine (Concierge Medicine, Direct Primary Care practice’s, etc.) and inside Convenient Care Clinics (Walgreens, Minute Clinics, CVS) Urgent Care Centers, etc.

It doesn’t matter what name your adopted practice model is entitled or what flavorful language you put into the FAQs on your web site … there are simply some people strongly believe that not only should healthcare be a ‘right’, but that everyone should also be allowed to use their health insurance cards as yet another form of credit in a debtor enabling society. Be prepared to answer their questions like the examples above did.

The Voices Against Free Market Healthcare Will Only Get Louder In The Years Ahead. So, Be Ready.

Free, WHITE PAPER — Media Training Guide

Comments about subscription healthcare, retail medicine, Direct Primary Care and even Concierge Care will defy logic. Opinions will be loud, boisterous and at times truthful. Usually these opinionated comments and stories will center around their guiding principle that what you are doing in your practice just simply isn’t right.

RELATED STORY
December Is National Direct Primary Care Awareness Month

“We’ve got a big divide here,” said one Texas-based Concierge Doctor. “This is about changing the culture that has taken hold … one that believes [primary care] doctors are greedy and uncaring. Our country is divided on healthcare affordability and who should pay for it. We’ve got some very difficult conversations ahead of us amongst those who practice in DPC and Concierge Medicine business models. We want to win all people’s hearts and minds with incredible care and great customer service. But, I’m going to have a tough time making a living assuming the best in people. I’ve got to be willing to engage in some difficult conversations with strangers, some of my new patients and a few of my current patients who strongly disagree with how I should get paid. I will show as much grace and understanding as I possibly can. That’s my job. Sometimes however, we have to pay a price for our principles and ethics … but we either pay for them or with them.”

What’s interesting as we watch these discussions unfold in social media and across the online atmosphere is that many of the same objections people had with Concierge Medicine ten years ago are now the same objections people are raising with Direct Primary Care. More important however, is the long-term educational strategy and discussion doctors must begin using in the years ahead to combat this chronic illness that ails our country. Consumers need to be educated on the realities and benefits of Membership Medicine. Mainstream media cannot be relied upon as the voice for this movement.

NEW RELEASE — now available! It took nearly 3 years to write … The Doctor’s Guide to Concierge Medicine (nearly 400 pages of industry insight plus, over two dozen physician contributions compiled in one book) — On Sale $129.95  (Reg. $189.95)

To learn how you can be a voice, contact The DPC Journal or Concierge Medicine Today for more information and helpful talking points and tips. Direct: 770-455-1650 or editor@directcarejournal.com.

RELATED STORY

CMT CANADA: Alberta called weak on rules for private clinics

“If you think we have it bad …” said one Texas physician to Concierge Medicine Canada.

RELATED STORY

Copeman Healthcare Centre Setting Standard for Private Clinic In Canada.

RELATED STORY

ALBERTA, CANADA: ‘Under a new standard of practice rule, physicians cannot promise or provide preferential access to insured services to patients who are already paying them fees for uninsured medical services.’

In Britain, The Government Is Paying Nonprofits To Find Innovative Ways To Reduce The Cost Of Health Care.

By Ben Schiller

MAY 28, 2015 – As governments struggle to meet the cost of delivering social services, many are turning to private capital and new funding models called “pay-for-success.” Instead of funding a service itself, governments will contract with outside groups to deliver certain pre-determined outcomes. For example, New York City has a contract with Goldman Sachs and Bloomberg Philanthropies to cut the rate of re-offending at Rikers Island prison. Goldman and Bloomberg fund the project, which is carried out by local nonprofits. If the consortium reduces re-offending by certain amounts, the city agrees to pay a higher rate of return to the investors than otherwise.

Also called “social impact bonds” or SIBs, the world first saw this model appearing in 2010 in the U.K., which has continued to embrace the idea. Its latest project is in the north of England, in Newcastle, and it aims to improve the health of a specific population of 11,000 people who make most use of the national health care system, the NHS. It’s funded by Bridges Ventures, which has now set up 13 S.I.B.s in total, and it’s been the called the first SIB for health anywhere (though California has experimented with a similar idea for asthma patients).

Reuters, By Lawrence Hurley

WASHINGTON (Reuters) JUNE 25, 2015 – The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the nationwide availability of tax subsidies that are crucial to the implementation of President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law, handing a major victory to the president.

The court ruled on a 6-3 vote that the 2010 Affordable Care Act, widely known as Obamacare, did not restrict the subsidies to states that establish their own online healthcare exchanges. It marked the second time in three years that the high court ruled against a major challenge to the law brought by conservatives seeking to gut it.

Chief Justice John Roberts was joined by fellow conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy and the court’s liberal members in the majority.

“Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them,” Roberts wrote, adding that nationwide availability of the credits is required to “avoid the type of calamitous result that Congress plainly meant to avoid.”

Shares of hospital operators, health services providers and insurers rallied broadly following the court’s decision to uphold the subsidies. Top gainers included hospital companies Tenet Healthcare Corp., up 8.8 percent, and Community Health Systems Inc., up 8.5 percent.

The decision means the subsidies will remain not just in the 13 states that have set up their own exchanges and the three states that have state-federal hybrid exchanges, but also in the 34 states that use the exchange run by the federal government.

The case centered on the tax subsidies offered under the law, passed by Obama’s fellow Democrats in Congress in 2010 over unified Republican opposition, that help low- and moderate-income people buy private health insurance. The exchanges are online marketplaces that allow consumers to shop among competing insurance plans.

The question before the justices was whether a four-word phrase in the expansive law saying subsidies are available to those buying insurance on exchanges “established by the state” has been correctly interpreted by the administration to allow subsidies to be available nationwide

Roberts wrote that although the conservative challengers’ arguments about the plain meaning of the statute were “strong,” the “context and structure of the act compel us to depart from what would otherwise be the most natural reading of the pertinent statutory phrase.”

SCALIA DISSENTS

Justice Antonin Scalia took the relatively rare step of reading a summary of his dissenting opinion from the bench.

In his reading of the statute, “it is hard to come up with a reason to use these words other than the purpose of limiting credits to state exchanges,” Scalia said.

“We really should start calling the law SCOTUScare,” he added, referencing the court’s earlier decision upholding the constitutionality of the law. SCOTUS is the acronym for the Supreme Court of the United States.

The ruling will come as a major relief to Obama as he seeks to ensure that his legacy legislative achievement is implemented effectively and survives political and legal attacks before he leaves office in early 2017.

The current system will remain in place, with subsidies available in all 50 states. If the challengers had won, at least 6.4 million people in at least 34 states would have lost subsidies that help low- and moderate-income people afford private health insurance. The average subsidy is $272 per month.

A loss for the Obama administration also could have had a broader impact on insurance markets by deterring younger, healthier people from buying health insurance, which would lead to premiums rising for older, less healthy people who need healthcare most, according to analysts.

The Concierge Medicine Assembly (Atlanta, GA) JULY 31-AUG 1, 2015 — Click here to receive updates.

The Democratic-backed law aimed to help millions of Americans who lacked any health insurance afford coverage.

The Obama administration has hailed the law as a success, saying 16.4 million previously uninsured people have gained health insurance since it was enacted. There are currently around 26 million people without health insurance, according to government figures.

Leading up the high court’s ruling, Obama warned of far-reaching consequences of overturning a law that he said had become “woven into the fabric of America.” In a June 9 speech, Obama said taking away health insurance provided under the law to millions of people who need it the most “seems so cynical.”

Conservatives have fought Obamacare from its inception, calling it a government overreach and “socialized medicine.”

Opponents repeatedly but unsuccessfully sought to repeal it in Congress and launched a series of legal challenges. In 2012, Roberts, a conservative appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, cast the deciding vote in a 5-4 decision that upheld the law on constitutional grounds, siding with the court’s four liberals.

The current case started as a long-shot legal challenge by conservative lawyers that oppose the law. Financed by a libertarian Washington group called the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the lawyers recruited four people from Virginia to be the plaintiffs. The lead plaintiff was a self-employed limousine driver named David King.

They are eligible to receive the subsidies but oppose the measure because they object to the Obamacare “individual mandate,” which went into effect in 2014, that requires individuals to obtain health insurance.

A district court judge ruled for the government, as did the federal appeals court in Richmond, Virginia. But the Supreme Court then agreed to hear it.

The challengers said that the four-word phrase in the law indicates that only people who have bought insurance on state-established exchanges qualify for the tax-credit subsidies.

The Obama administration, backed by the healthcare industry, said other provisions in the law made clear that Congress intended the subsidies to be available nationwide regardless of whether states set up their own exchanges or leave the task to the federal government.

The case is King v. Burwell, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 14-114.

(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham)

SOURCE: http://news.yahoo.com/supreme-court-upholds-key-obamacare-insurance-subsidies-141618866–finance.html

By The DocPreneur Institute

JUNE 25, 2015 – Leaders are readers, period. As you well know, Docpreneurship can be a minefield of new and hard-to-navigate data and experiences. From managing staff to defining a vision for your medical practice. And it doesn’t come with a manual.

Luckily, there’s a multitude of excellent books from founders, VCs, physicians, best-selling authors and CEOs who have seen through it all.

Here’s a collection of some of the best books on concierge medicine, direct primary care, marketing, branding, startups, management, leadership, and entrepreneurship we recommend for anyone from seasoned Docpreneurs to those just starting out.

CLICK HERE TO READ ALL TITLES …

Source: The DocPreneur Institute

A Chicago startup that promises a doctor to your door in two hours …

By Meg Graham, Blue Sky

JUNE 24, 2015 – Orunje, a health care platform to facilitate house calls with contracted physicians and nurse practitioners, launched Wednesday in Chicago. Individuals will be able to use the platform, pronounced like the color, to request a doctor or nurse to their home, office or hotel room for a flat rate within two hours.

“We can get cookies delivered, you can get hairstylists to come to your home; why can’t doctors come to your home like they did in the ‘50s?” asked Pardeep Athwal, Orunje’s co-founder and CEO, currently completing his residency for radiology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.

Patients create an account online and answer questions, describing symptoms and medical history and providing payment information. Visits cost $99 for a nurse practitioner and $169 for a physician.

Appointments in Chicago are available seven days a week during daytime and early evening hours. The company doesn’t accept insurance, but Athwal said he plans to soon accept it.

Orunje, a health care platform to facilitate house calls with contracted physicians and nurse practitioners, launched Wednesday in Chicago. Individuals will be able to use the platform, pronounced like the color, to request a doctor or nurse to their home, office or hotel room for a flat rate within two hours.

SOURCE: http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/ct-orunje-pardeep-athwal-bsi-20150624-story.html

Author: PriMed | InLight EHR | 2015-2016

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Falmouth doctor Catherine Krouse has abandoned the conventional care model for what’s called direct primary care. Patty Wight reports on the decision by some Maine doctors to abandon the conventional treatment model for what’s called direct primary care.

FALMOUTH, Maine | May 20, 2015 – Many primary care doctors commit to the profession because of their passion for caring for patients. But the reality of the job often requires doctors to pack each day with patient appointments. As time with patients shrinks and administrative tasks swell, the quality of care can suffer.

Out of frustration, some Maine doctors have decided to abandon the conventional treatment model for something called direct primary care.

Last July, Catherine Krouse was just about done with her career choice. Fresh out of medical school and her residency in family medicine, she didn’t feel eager for her future. She felt jaded.

“I knew for myself that signing a contract with a conventional model would be the end of me, that I wouldn’t go back,” she says. “I’d probably quit medicine.”

The DocPreneur Institute, an educational industry resource — offers a wide-array of mp3’s, recommended reading guides, professional access to DPC industry mentors and coaches and more … without a sales pitch from a consultancy. Click here to learn more …

Quit, because Krouse says the way health care has evolved, patients often come second to the other demands on doctors:  Filling out reimbursement forms. Calling insurance companies to battle for claims. Reviewing and signing off on stacks of patient paperwork.

“You just end up getting drained and drained and drained,” Krouse says. “And then when your cup is completely empty, then you just get guarded and angry. And then you put up walls, and that really creates barriers.”

So Krouse decided to set up a direct primary care practice. Earlier this month she opened Lotus Family Practice in Falmouth. She doesn’t accept insurance. Instead, she charges patients a monthly membership fee. “So it’s very direct. It’s just patients and doctors. There’s no one else in between.”

Membership is $60 a month for adults, $20 for kids. It covers an unlimited number of visits, which last about 45 minutes. Patients can also call or text Krouse any time they want. She also provides generic drugs at wholesale cost. Those savings alone, she says, can cover the cost of membership. “Pennies. They cost pennies.”

So, is direct primary care too good to be true?

“I don’t think it is,” says Dr. Mike Ciampi, one of a handful of physicians in Maine who practice direct primary care. The model is gaining traction nationally, but is relatively new to the state. Ciampi started using it at his South Portland practice about a year ago.

“Medicine in general – the way you survive is fill your day up with as many sick patients as you can,” Ciampi says. “And I really wanted to do something different. I wanted to maintain the health of my patients.”

Ciampi went from a traditional practice of 2,000 patients to a practice that currently has 150. He needs 300 to be sustainable, but would like to grow to 500 or 600. He has a convert in patient Karl Ronhave.

“I pay a yearly fee, and I can see him as many times as I want,” Ronhave says. “And it allows him to do more doctoring. And I think that’s – to me as a consumer – that’s really the most important thing.”

Ronhave has diabetes. He needs to see a doctor at least four times a year. Last year, he saw Ciampi nearly once a month. He says he has a better understanding of his health and more strategies to deal with issues that crop up.

Direct primary care doctors recommend patients carry catastrophic insurance to cover serious health needs. Ronhave has employer-based insurance. But he says his $50- a-month membership doesn’t add up to an extra expense.

“I’d say I’m probably saving a little bit of money doing it this way,” he says. “I don’t think it’s huge savings. But the difference is the quality of care I receive, I perceive to be much stronger than what I was getting before.”

Catherine Krouse says patients in direct primary care practices are less likely to need referrals to specialists, which also saves money. “A lot of things can be handled by the primary care physician. They just don’t have time to.”

At Lotus Family Practice, Krouse has added a slightly different spin to the direct primary care model. She includes yoga classes in the monthly membership. “I talk about it all the time and I encourage people to do it, but I think it’s really hard for a lot of people to go home and do it, to find the right resources, find the right teachers – or cost is a barrier, you know?”

The direct primary care model, she says, allows her to move beyond just treating illness to focusing on health, well being, and the individual patient. And that’s the kind of doctor that Krouse has always wanted to be.

Tune in to Maine Calling Thursday, May 21, for a discussion on direct primary care.

SOURCE: http://news.mpbn.net/post/awash-paperwork-maine-doctors-abandon-conventional-treatment-model

Nicole Blazek, Senior Clinical Content Editor 

June 12, 2015 | NEW ORLEANS — Nurse-practitioner led preoperative care can reduce surgical cancellation rates by increasing the number of patients medically optimized for surgery and may provide additional revenue for surgical practices, according to a speaker here.

“Nurse practitioners are well poised to lead interdisciplinary teams to improve preoperative care coordination,” said Aaron Sebach, DNP, MBA, FNP-BC, at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners 2015 meeting.

Preoperative care is often uncoordinated and lacks standardization, which can lead to unnecessary surgical delays, cancellations, and increased healthcare spending.

However, the idea of establishing preoperative evaluation clinics to facilitate timely preoperative evaluations and ancillary testing in one convenient location has been around for nearly 20 years, according to Sebach.

To determine the effectiveness of a NP-managed preoperative evaluation clinic at a large multi specialty orthopedic practice in Maryland, Sebach and colleagues compared surgical cancellation and missed revenue outcomes in a convenience sample of 121 patients undergoing surgical procedures performed from Oct. to Dec. 2014 with a 571 patients who underwent standard formal preoperative clearance, and 450 patients evaluated by a primary care provider.

The NP-led preoperative evaluation consisted of: testing and onsite xrays based on evidence-based practice guidelines; a 45-minute NP evaluation; additional testing and specialist referrals as necessary; and NP-made surgical clearance decision. Follow-up with real-time care coordination between the patient, NP, surgeon, and surgical coordinator was ongoing.

The patients in the NP-led clinic had just a single cancellation resulting in $4,276 in lost revenue compared with 36 cancellations and $184,480 of missed revenue in the standard care group, and 35 cancellations and $180,204 of missed revenue in the primary care group (P<0.01), the researchers found.

“Surgical practices should consider the addition of NPs to coordinate preoperative care,” Sebach said. “Offering preoperative testing and evaluations in one convenient location  will further reduce surgical cancellation rates.”

Reference

1. Sebach A et al. Poster Session. “Development of a Nurse Practitioner-Managed Preoperative Evaluation Clinic Within a Multispecialty Orthopedic Practice.” Presented at: AANP 2015. June 10-14; New Orleans. 

SOURCE: http://www.clinicaladvisor.com/aanp-2015-annual-meeting/np-preoperative-surgical-care/article/420322/

JUNE 10, 2015 – The Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) authorizes the innovative payment model referred to as direct primary care, and more commonly known as “concierge medicine.” Under the direct primary care model, patients can access comprehensive coverage of basic healthcare services for a flat monthly fee.  Such services generally include guaranteed same-day or next-day visits with no waiting times. Concierge medicine is becoming increasingly popular in states where it is allowed.

Read More ›

SOURCE: http://www.healthlawyersblog.com/Legislation-Concierge-Medicine-Michigan

July 31-Aug 1, 2015  … The Concierge Medicine Assembly is a two-day educational format event (Atlanta, GA) — Click here to learn more…

EXL/CMT “Concierge Medicine Assembly” | July 31 – Aug. 1, 2015 | Atlanta, GA

• Organizers: EXL Pharma/EXL Events/CMT
• To Advertise, Call: 1 (866) 207-6528 — (Be sure to Mention CMT referred you for special rates)
• REGISTER Online: Click Here
• Registration@exlevents.com
• Call: 1 (866) 207-6528
• A two-day educational setting, learn from doctors and industry leaders alike as they address topics such as the principles doctors have utilized when facing challenges like acquiring new patients; how to notify patients about your new business model; PPACA obstacles, including maintaining a healthy staff culture; how to work with your local businesses and mid-size employers; the process of accepting insurance; and much more.

You Just Need a Doctor

Julie Latz is certified as a Food Psychology Coach through the Spencer Institute.

Julie Latz is certified as a Food Psychology Coach through the Spencer Institute. To get Julie’s weekly newsletter, please go to http://www.peacefuleater.com.

JULY 1, 2015 – After spending 45 years living life as a binge eater, obsessed with food and diets, it is hard to believe that now I get to coach other binge eaters who are suffering so that they too can enjoy the sweet taste of freedom from food addiction. And that’s because 4 years ago, not only did I lose 50 pounds and finally learned how to keep it off, but I kicked my binge eating habit to the curb for good.

• LAST WEEK … PATIENT CARE IN-FOCUS: How to Spot Binge Eating Disorder Children. ~Julie Latz
  
• IN TWO WEEKS … How To Identify Binge Eating In Your Patients.
  

When people think of eating disorders, they normally think of anorexia and bulimia but believe it or not, the one that is most prevalent is something called Binge Eating Disorder. This affliction affects about 3-5% of women and 2% of men. In fact the diagnosis of Binge Eating Disorder was added to the DSM-5 in May, 2013. This stands Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Prior to this most recent manual, Binge Eating Disorder was diagnosed as “EDNOS” or Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified.

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In the past two decades more than 1,000 research papers have been published that support the theory that Binge Eating Disorder is a valid disorder. To me as a young child who went from diet to diet and binge to binge, this was a valid disorder for sure, although I never understood what was wrong with me and why I was so obsessed with food and felt compelled to eat whether I was hungry or not.

So what exactly is Binge Eating Disorder and how do you know if you have it? It is defined as recurring episodes (at least once a week for at least 3 months) of consuming a large amount of food in a short time compared with others. People feel a lack of control during a binge episode which is accompanied by distress over their eating, feelings of shame and guilt and they don’t let others know how much they really eat because they do most of their bingeing in private.

People with Binge Eating Disorder feel compelled to eat huge quantities of food whether they are hungry or not and they liken it to the behaviors of an alcoholic where there is a feeling of a lack of control. Binge eaters feel physically sick after they stuff themselves with excessive amounts of food and they just wish they could stop, but don’t see a way out of the madness of this behavior. They feel like food addicts and they generally go on diet after diet trying to find one that they will be able to stick to for the long-term hoping that the diet will ameliorate their problem.

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TECHNOLOGY: 5 Apps That Help You Eat Healthy When You Dine Out

Binge eaters look to numb themselves from emotions they want to avoid. They use food to give them temporary relief from their distress but once the binge is done, they are left bloated, hopeless and miserable. They feel like their lives revolve around food and that instead of eating to live, it’s more like living to eat. Generally binge eaters lose and gain large amounts of weight depending on whether they are dieting or whether they are bingeing. However, not all binge eaters are very overweight.

After trying practically every diet throughout my 45 years of bingeing, I finally realized that the reason I couldn’t break the cycle of my eating disorder was that dieting led to deprivation and the deprivation of my favorite foods led me right back to bingeing.

When I finally figured my way out of this crazy lifestyle, I had developed a method where there was no dieting and restrictions of food groups and that all foods were available to me. The challenge was to figure out a reason WHY I would want to eat my favorite foods in moderation since I was never able to do that in the past. Anytime a plan would restrict certain food groups, I could only resist the temptation for so long. By asking myself a few questions throughout the day it actually became easy and quite fun to live in what I refer to as the “Magic Zone” which is the very calm place where there’s no deprivation and no urge to binge.

• LAST WEEK … PATIENT CARE IN-FOCUS: How to Spot Binge Eating Disorder Children. ~Julie Latz
  
• IN TWO WEEKS … How To Identify Binge Eating In Your Patients.

About Julie Latz
(Sponsored Content)

Julie Latz is certified as a Food Psychology Coach through the Spencer Institute. To get Julie’s weekly newsletter, please go to http://www.peacefuleater.com.

Julie Latz is certified as a Food Psychology Coach through the Spencer Institute. Her clients rave about her simple yet powerful process to conquer Binge Eating Disorder.

Applying Julie’s simple method holds the key to eliminating your need to binge eat and stops your feelings of food obsession and addiction for good.

If you’re out of control with your eating and can’t seem to stop, Julie knows exactly how you feel. For 45 years she went through the yo-yo dieting/binge cycle time after time. Every few months her weight would go up and down 40-50 pounds.  She suffered the shame, guilt and embarrassment of feeling out of control that every binge eater experiences.

After discovering her simple yet highly effective method to take control of her own eating, Julie developed a system where she teaches people how to achieve freedom from food addiction without dieting or deprivation.

Through Julie’s program, clients report rapid results where they no longer feel compelled to eat privately and in huge quantities.

If you want to stop the insanity of yo-yo dieting and learn how to eat the foods you enjoy while losing the weight you want to lose, you can email Julie at julie@peacefuleater.com . Or you can take her quick assessment to see if Julie feels she can help you by going to www.30daystostopbingeeating.com/apply . To get Julie’s weekly newsletter, please go to www.peacefuleater.com .  You will get her free audio entitled “Learn how to Overcome the 5 Beliefs that are Keeping You Out of Control with Food” when you sign up for her newsletter.

References and Sources

http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/Eating%20Disorders%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/binge-eating-disorder/

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 06/23/2015 by OctaStaff in Private Financing News

Qliance Medical Management Financing

JUNE 23, 2015 – Qliance Medical Management Inc., Corporation just had published form D regarding $520,753 debt financing. This is a new filing. Qliance Medical Management was able to fundraise $520,753. That is 100.00% of the round of financing. The total financing amount was $520,753. This form was filed on 2015-06-22. The reason for the financing was: unspecified.

Qliance Medical Management is based in Washington. The company’s business is Other Health Care. The D form was filed by ERIKA BLISS PRESIDENT AND CEO. The company was incorporated more than five years ago. The filler’s address is: 2101 Fourth Avenue, Suite 600, Seattle, Wa, Washington, 98121. Erika Bliss is the related person in the form and it has address: C/O Qliance Medical Management Inc., 2101 Fourth Avenue, Suite 600, Seattle, Wa, Washington, 98121. Link to Qliance Medical Management Filing: 000138676015000001.

Analysis of Qliance Medical Management Offering

On average, startups in the Other Health Care sector, sell 68.60% of the total offering size. Qliance Medical Management sold 100.00% of the offering. Could this mean that the trust in Qliance Medical Management is high? The average investment size for companies in the Other Health Care industry is $1.16 million. The offering was 55.11% smaller than the average of $1.16 million. Of course this should not be taken as negative. Startups get financed for different needs and reasons. The minimum investment for this offering is set at $0. If you know more about the reasons for the financing, please comment below.

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What is Form D? What It Is Used For

Form D disclosures could be used to track and understand better your competitors. The information in Form D is usually highly confidential for ventures and startups and they don’t like revealing it. This is because it reveals amount raised or planned to be raised as well as reasons for the financing. This could help competitors. Entrepreneurs usually want to keep their financing a ‘secret’ so they can stay in stealth mode for longer.

Why Fundraising Reporting Is Good For Qliance Medical Management Also

The Form D signed by ERIKA BLISS might help Qliance Medical Management Inc.’s sector. First, it helps potential customers feel more safe to deal with a firm that is well financed. The odds are higher that it will stay in the business. Second, this could attract other investors such as venture-capital firms, funds and angels. Third, positive PR effects could even bring leasing firms and venture lenders.

SOURCE: Read more: http://www.octafinance.com/qliance-medical-management-520753-financing-erika-bliss-submitted-jun-22-d-form/82926/#ixzz3eB4UyqkV

Shirie Leng, MD | Physician | June 9, 2015

Out-of-context quote of the day: “We have no malls and no Walmart.  Recruitment is nearly impossible.”

The funny (or sad) part is the thought that anyone would consider the presence of a Walmart to be the defining element of a great zip code.  I don’t think Ms. Nelson really meant this.  I think she was pointing out that there’s not a whole lot of, well, anything, in Nebraska.  Nebraskans presumably like it that way.

Brown County Hospital has no doctor.  None.  Someone from South Dakota comes once a month to do paperwork and see patients.  So, Ms. Nelson has been providing the care in the emergency room at Brown County Hospital.  If she gets in real trouble, she goes online and speaks to the doctor in South Dakota.

Seeing this problem, Nebraska passed a law in March that said that nurse practitioners no longer need physician oversight to practice independently.  They’re doing it out of necessity.  The Nebraska Medical Society and the AMA predictably opposed this legislation, as they have in a half-a-dozen other largely rural states that have passed similar laws.

OK, fine, Dr. Wah.  If you believe that, then why don’t you help send doctors out there?  If the AMA wants so badly to prevent NPs from practicing independently, and believe me it does, mostly for turf reasons, where is the political advocacy for a reasonable cost of medical school, better tuition repayment, and increased Medicaid reimbursements?  Is Dr. Wah willing to go be the head of the physician team at Brown County Hospital?  No.  Neither he nor any other doctor is.

Instead of funding another study to “prove” that NPs cannot practice primary care as well as physicians, fund a primary care physician.  In Nebraska.  Preferably one that doesn’t like Walmart.

Shirie Leng, a former nurse, is an anesthesiologist who blogs at medicine for real.

SOURCE: