September, October, November, December have flown past without a blog. But, on December 31, I suppose it is natural to reflect back over the past 12 months.
One year ago today, I celebrated (with mixed emotions) my last day on faculty at Wright State after 18+ years of service. I didn't know where I would end up, except for a three-month agreement to provide coverage for a family medicine center in Cedarville. But look at the changes over the past year!
The new job at Epic- everything I have dreamed of!
The move to Madison- a big change for all of us, particularly Sharon and the boys. They have been exceptionally supportive and encouraging.
Chad's graduation- he is still finding his way in life. The college life is not cut out for him at this point in time. I hope and pray that the path he chooses will be sufficient to meet his needs, or that soon enough he will reconsider his future.
New church- we have been led to High Point Church in Madison, which is under the new leadership of a very bright and very young pastor. The church is a very sound, evangelical, Bible-believing church and we are beginning to establish some friendships.
So, what will the next 12 months bring?
The new job will continue to progress. We are finalizing all the Meaningful Use tools for the new version of the software, and I have several other projects lined up for 2011. I have also been working to develop my skills at doing sales demos- I had a successful audition today with the medical director of the sales team, and within a few more weeks I will probably be ready to do some sales trips- ideally not more than 2 per month.
We are hopeful to complete the membership class at High Point, and to get started with a small group for some more intimate fellowship.
We want to continue to travel back to Ohio when we can- although we are limited by Sharon's work schedule and Chris' basketball games. Once per month would be ideal, but we will take those opportunities as they arise.
Hope you will all keep in touch! Happy New year!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Meaningful Use and more family shenanigans
My last several weeks of professional time have been filled with analysis of the Final Rule on Meaningful Use.
In short, the government has designed a program to reward physicians for practice good medicine, and using Electronic Health Records to document the quality of care. It's our job as EHR developers to build the tools that the physicians will need to capture the data necessary to qualify for the incentive payments.
The long story is... the Final Rule on Meaningful Use is 864 pages long! Not just any old 864 pages, but 864 pages of Government Rules and Regulations :) So, our team of programmers, quality reviewers, and physician content experts has been grinding out the computer protocols ('rules') to assess 45 different criteria ('measures') for the docs to apply to their practices.
Most of the measures are quite sensible. For example:
In short, the government has designed a program to reward physicians for practice good medicine, and using Electronic Health Records to document the quality of care. It's our job as EHR developers to build the tools that the physicians will need to capture the data necessary to qualify for the incentive payments.
The long story is... the Final Rule on Meaningful Use is 864 pages long! Not just any old 864 pages, but 864 pages of Government Rules and Regulations :) So, our team of programmers, quality reviewers, and physician content experts has been grinding out the computer protocols ('rules') to assess 45 different criteria ('measures') for the docs to apply to their practices.
Most of the measures are quite sensible. For example:
- Don't overuse x-rays for patients with back pain;
- Make sure to counsel your smokers to quit;
- Be sure your patients get their flu shots and pneumonia shots...
The concepts are straightforward, but the government regulations are strict.
- Who is "my patient"? Someone who just came in once for a quick rash or runny nose? Or does the distinction require evidence of a more consistent relationship?
- What about the patient who is allergic to the flu shot? Or the patient who just doesn't want one? Are they going to be counted against my immunization rate?
And finally, the computer logic required to document these requirements is even more complex:
- "If the patient was seen at your office twice in the past 12 months, OR if the patient was in the hospital in the past 12 months, they are included in the denominator."
- "If the patient had the new onset of back pain, AND if they didn't have cancer, trauma, IV drug use, or evidence of nerve damage, AND if they did NOT have a previous episode of back pain in the 6 months before this episode of back pain..."
So, the logic involved in creating a rule within the EHR, both from the medical, technical, and governmental perspectives, has been a highly complex and thought-provoking endeavor. It is a very challenging and stimulating role, and I love this job more and more each day!
Life for the kids has not been nearly so stimulating. Four weeks in a new town with no school and no friends has made the boys bored and antsy. So, like any good brothers do, they cope by turning to each other. Not as friends, as TARGETS! Witness the hilarity of this recent exchange:
I am sitting in the family room with Paul, when Chris walks in. Suddenly I hear a ringing "SMACK"!
"Oh no...", I think to myself, "this is really going to escalate!"
Paul: "Chris!!! WHAT did you just hit me with?!?!?"
Chris: "A Fruit Roll-up."
Paul: "Oh.. we have Fruit Roll-ups? SWEET!"
Paul bounds away happily, headed to the pantry, and the situation ends without bloodshed.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Together again!
It has been a delightful past three weeks! Sharon and the younger two boys have arrived! I could not be happier.
The house sold successfully, after a heroic effort by Sharon to get it ready to market.
The kids are still pretty bored. Paul has taken up skateboarding, in addition to video games, and we are getting him a keyboard for his 13th birthday (which is TODAY!) Chris found a health club across the street which is open 24 hours and has a basketball court. They're both doing their best to stay occupied and stay positive. School starts September 1, so we are hopeful that the boys will make friends and get settled in better when the pace of life picks up for them.
We have really enjoyed the family time. The boys are home, and not running about, so we are having dinner as a family every night and watching '24' together. The kids have always been really busy with friends, and activities, but for this brief hiatus it is a true pleasure to just hang out together without all the running about.
We really didn't have time to get to know the community in Madison, so rather than purchasing a house, we are renting a townhouse. It's a good bit smaller than the Ohio house was, so we are spending a good bit of time sorting through the (embarassing amount of) stuff in the garage, to be kept / placed in storage / donated / recycled. Our goal is to be able to get a car into the garage before the snow hits!
A great piece of news is that Sharon has, indeed, been able to keep her job! We set up her workstation in the master bedroom, where she can open the windows and have daylight and fresh air while she talks. We are both very blessed and fortunate to have such great jobs that we enjoy!
This entry is mostly autobiographical, catching up with the details of life. I doubt if I will promote this one to the world. But in response to the critic who responded to my previous blog ("Is it really necessary for you to inform the WHOLE WSU FACULTY when you have something to say?")- my response is this: it's called, keeping in touch with old friends. I'll not speculate whether or not my critic is familiar with the concept :) But, I will keep my WSU friends appraised of topics of interest periodically, and send a special thanks to the respondent who enjoys my ramblings. I do have some academic ideas to float, so I hope it will be less then 3 weeks before I post again.
The house sold successfully, after a heroic effort by Sharon to get it ready to market.
The kids are still pretty bored. Paul has taken up skateboarding, in addition to video games, and we are getting him a keyboard for his 13th birthday (which is TODAY!) Chris found a health club across the street which is open 24 hours and has a basketball court. They're both doing their best to stay occupied and stay positive. School starts September 1, so we are hopeful that the boys will make friends and get settled in better when the pace of life picks up for them.
We have really enjoyed the family time. The boys are home, and not running about, so we are having dinner as a family every night and watching '24' together. The kids have always been really busy with friends, and activities, but for this brief hiatus it is a true pleasure to just hang out together without all the running about.
We really didn't have time to get to know the community in Madison, so rather than purchasing a house, we are renting a townhouse. It's a good bit smaller than the Ohio house was, so we are spending a good bit of time sorting through the (embarassing amount of) stuff in the garage, to be kept / placed in storage / donated / recycled. Our goal is to be able to get a car into the garage before the snow hits!
A great piece of news is that Sharon has, indeed, been able to keep her job! We set up her workstation in the master bedroom, where she can open the windows and have daylight and fresh air while she talks. We are both very blessed and fortunate to have such great jobs that we enjoy!
This entry is mostly autobiographical, catching up with the details of life. I doubt if I will promote this one to the world. But in response to the critic who responded to my previous blog ("Is it really necessary for you to inform the WHOLE WSU FACULTY when you have something to say?")- my response is this: it's called, keeping in touch with old friends. I'll not speculate whether or not my critic is familiar with the concept :) But, I will keep my WSU friends appraised of topics of interest periodically, and send a special thanks to the respondent who enjoys my ramblings. I do have some academic ideas to float, so I hope it will be less then 3 weeks before I post again.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Our corporate culture
It's a funny place, this company. Patterned after the Microsoft / Google model of casual dress and loosely structured work environments. It's made even more interesting by the corporate policy of hiring most of the employees straight out of college! A few amusing incidents have occurred along the way:
- My first day of class, we were instructed to "find a seat and grab a companion". I was rather alarmed at first, thinking, "I am a happily married man!" Turns out, "companion" is the company's buzz word for the training manuals :)
- My birthday occurred the second week of classes. Ironically, another trainee shares my birthday. She wrote a message to the 50 members of the training group, "Please feel free to join my boyfriend and me for dinner to celebrate my birthday." Since it was my birthday too, I RSVP'ed and went with a bunch of other folks to the celebration for my co-worker... who turned TWENTY-TWO !!!
- A few weeks back, my son Chris (age 15) spent the week here with me. I had just moved into a new office, with an extra desk. After helping me move, Chris sat down at the spare desk, put on his headphones, and started listening to some music on the laptop. The Division Assistant coordinating the move dropped in, and I asked her to have the extra desk removed. She said it would be fine, but then gestured at Chris and added, "after we get him moved into his new office".
- Finally... I still get the occasional call from job recruiters. When I tell them I have been hired at my new company, the response is typically, "Wow! They only hire the best and the brightest. You must feel like you're 21 years old working there." My reply: "Naw... I feel more like I am 100."
It's true, the hiring process here is based largely upon APTITUDE. The strategy is, find the best available talent, bring them on board while they are young, and you can train them with the skills and attitudes necessary for success. Of course, that doesn't hold true for the docs they hire, because the clinical experience adds credibility. But I still had to go through an entire battery of aptitude tests with my interview.
The success of the hiring strategy is evident in the success of the company. Here's a testimony to the quality of the people who work here:
http://histalk2.com/2010/07/07/histalk-interviews-daniel-barchi/
Monday, June 28, 2010
Certified!
It took 110 hours in class, covering 8 courses, 7 exams, and 6 class projects... but I *finally* achieved my first certification! I am now an officially recognized expert in the Inpatient EHR. For my next trick, I will go through training for the Ambulatory (outpatient) record, but by all indications that training is much less intense. After I am fully certified, I will be able to become more productive in writing updates for the software, and to do some occasional travel for customer support.
Wanna hear something even cooler? Check out this article from Sharon's employer newsletter!
RETAINING EXCELLENT HIGH QUALITY EMPLOYEES
By Diane Hoellerman
Sharon Little has been with Optum Health since October, 2007. She currently lives in Beavercreek but soon will be joining her husband in Wisconsin. Sharon’s husband was a Family Practice Physician for 18 years doing patient care, teaching, and research at WSU. Recently he switched his focus by taking a position with a company that makes integrated software for medical groups and healthcare organizations.
Sharon has 3 sons ages 12, 15, and 18. The oldest, Chad, will be graduating this year and plays in a band. The middle son, Chris, is still growing at 6’2” and enjoys basketball and the youngest son is 12 and a computer whiz!
Sharon said she joined Optum because she wanted a new challenge and a new way to develop her skills as a nurse. Her hobbies are reading and hanging out with family and friends.
Sharon may be moving soon and hanging out with new friends but her Ohio OptumHealth Family remains the same. She is taking her Optum Desk to Wisconsin because she requested a transfer and it was approved. We are excited that we were able to retain Sharon as a Team Member of our Ohio Family! Join me in wishing her a safe and speedy move.
CORRECTION: Chris is now 6'3"!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Moving Forward
It's a new experience, really, to change careers, change cities... it's a brand new life!
After 22 years in the same city, 18 years at the same job, 16 years in the same house, life begins to feel a certain degree of... sameness. Sharon says I have a "fierce" intellect- my mind is always active and always driving me to learn new things. So, with her love and her support, I set out to conquer a new domain of knowledge and experience.
I think that moving forward is healthy. It's a part of life in 21st century America. How many of you reading this have relocated in the past 5-10 years? How many of your friends have departed? How many of your current friends have arrived in that time period?
As my good friend Scott Richardson once stated, "Every move involves a push, and a pull." Of course, Scott came to Ohio from Texas, and has since moved on to Georgia, along with two other friends from my former employer. But he is absolutely right. In my case, the pull was obvious- I have been a passionate advocate for deploying information technology to improve the day-to-day practice of medicine since the beginning of my career.
The push, in many ways, was more subtle. It's easy to look back at the frustrations of my former existence as family physician-educator: patients never happy when you're away teaching, student interest in family medicine declining, and the ongoing battle to generate enough revenue. Unhappy patients, unhappy bosses, unhappy students. But the number one factor by far, in the push, came down to professional stagnation. The grind of teaching the same curriculum, juggling patient care and teaching commitments, was STIFLING to creativity and intellectual drive. I faced two choices- sit back, put my brain on cruise control, and simply grind through the day-to-day demands, or move forward. So, onward and upward!
The most touching moment of the transition happened on Thanksgiving Day 2009. As we were preparing to leave town for our holiday dinner, Mom fell and broke her leg. We had to cancel the trip and take Mom to the hospital. Dad and I sat in the cafeteria, over a lunch of bland processed turkey. In spite of Mom's health, and Dad's own advancing age and diminishing memory, he told me,
"David, when a man is 45 years old, he should be able to go where he wants and do what he wants to do. If there is an opportunity for you to find a good job and you need to move, you do it."
Those are words I will never forget. My curious mind, my passionate intellect, is a gift from God- but it was passed down to me through Dad. Even in the midst of his own family crisis, he urged me to move forward.
I am enjoying my new career in every way- it is everything I imagined! And I have many people to thank- my caring and intellectual father, my loving and supportive wife, and the God of the universe who has equipped me and given me this opportunity.
After 22 years in the same city, 18 years at the same job, 16 years in the same house, life begins to feel a certain degree of... sameness. Sharon says I have a "fierce" intellect- my mind is always active and always driving me to learn new things. So, with her love and her support, I set out to conquer a new domain of knowledge and experience.
I think that moving forward is healthy. It's a part of life in 21st century America. How many of you reading this have relocated in the past 5-10 years? How many of your friends have departed? How many of your current friends have arrived in that time period?
As my good friend Scott Richardson once stated, "Every move involves a push, and a pull." Of course, Scott came to Ohio from Texas, and has since moved on to Georgia, along with two other friends from my former employer. But he is absolutely right. In my case, the pull was obvious- I have been a passionate advocate for deploying information technology to improve the day-to-day practice of medicine since the beginning of my career.
The push, in many ways, was more subtle. It's easy to look back at the frustrations of my former existence as family physician-educator: patients never happy when you're away teaching, student interest in family medicine declining, and the ongoing battle to generate enough revenue. Unhappy patients, unhappy bosses, unhappy students. But the number one factor by far, in the push, came down to professional stagnation. The grind of teaching the same curriculum, juggling patient care and teaching commitments, was STIFLING to creativity and intellectual drive. I faced two choices- sit back, put my brain on cruise control, and simply grind through the day-to-day demands, or move forward. So, onward and upward!
The most touching moment of the transition happened on Thanksgiving Day 2009. As we were preparing to leave town for our holiday dinner, Mom fell and broke her leg. We had to cancel the trip and take Mom to the hospital. Dad and I sat in the cafeteria, over a lunch of bland processed turkey. In spite of Mom's health, and Dad's own advancing age and diminishing memory, he told me,
"David, when a man is 45 years old, he should be able to go where he wants and do what he wants to do. If there is an opportunity for you to find a good job and you need to move, you do it."
Those are words I will never forget. My curious mind, my passionate intellect, is a gift from God- but it was passed down to me through Dad. Even in the midst of his own family crisis, he urged me to move forward.
I am enjoying my new career in every way- it is everything I imagined! And I have many people to thank- my caring and intellectual father, my loving and supportive wife, and the God of the universe who has equipped me and given me this opportunity.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The Little Family visits Madison!
Finally, this Memorial Day weekend, Sharon and all three of the boys came up to visit!
A great time was had by all!
The biggest highlight was probably the tour of the office facilities. If you haven't been here, this place is the most colorful and creative office environment you could imagine. Every building has a different theme, with art works, decorations, and props galore. The conference rooms are also themed. The boys had a blast exploring everything from the Indiana Jones tunnel, to the Subway tunnel, and even the statue of Elvis! We didn't even make it to the training center to see the Star Wars rooms (Droids and Jedi), or the three auditorium sections (Shake, Rattle, and Roll) with the Blues Brothers themselves seated outside.
The Capitol building is another Madison landmark we got to check out. It's at the very center of downtown, and it is the very highest point in the city. From the Observatory on top, you can see pretty much the entire city, including both lakes which surround the isthmus that is central Madison. Check out this cool photo: http://www.joleneplautz.com/
From there, we moved on down to State Street. This is a six-block stretch which connects downtown to the University of Wisconsin campus. Lined with restaurants, clothing stores, arts and crafts, music stores, and people! Very reminiscent of downtown Yellow Springs, and a fun trek for the whole crew.
Last but not least, we went over for dinner and fireworks at the Brat Fest! (That's Brat as in Bratwurst... not brat as in the three sons we raised!) Good food, great music, and a fun way to cap off a long weekend of getting to know our future home. We listened to a remarkable local band, Rigel. Billed as a Celtic rock band, they played a variety of styles with flair. So much talent! (And it didn't hurt that Chad was smitted by the young lady playing the fiddle.) First time I have ever seen a young lady who could play the fiddle and riverdance at the same time! Check out their music at: http://www.rigelband.com/index.php
That's all I have for now. More thoughts ahead on "Moving Forward" with my career and with life. Thanks for dropping by!
A great time was had by all!
The biggest highlight was probably the tour of the office facilities. If you haven't been here, this place is the most colorful and creative office environment you could imagine. Every building has a different theme, with art works, decorations, and props galore. The conference rooms are also themed. The boys had a blast exploring everything from the Indiana Jones tunnel, to the Subway tunnel, and even the statue of Elvis! We didn't even make it to the training center to see the Star Wars rooms (Droids and Jedi), or the three auditorium sections (Shake, Rattle, and Roll) with the Blues Brothers themselves seated outside.
The Capitol building is another Madison landmark we got to check out. It's at the very center of downtown, and it is the very highest point in the city. From the Observatory on top, you can see pretty much the entire city, including both lakes which surround the isthmus that is central Madison. Check out this cool photo: http://www.joleneplautz.com/
From there, we moved on down to State Street. This is a six-block stretch which connects downtown to the University of Wisconsin campus. Lined with restaurants, clothing stores, arts and crafts, music stores, and people! Very reminiscent of downtown Yellow Springs, and a fun trek for the whole crew.
Last but not least, we went over for dinner and fireworks at the Brat Fest! (That's Brat as in Bratwurst... not brat as in the three sons we raised!) Good food, great music, and a fun way to cap off a long weekend of getting to know our future home. We listened to a remarkable local band, Rigel. Billed as a Celtic rock band, they played a variety of styles with flair. So much talent! (And it didn't hurt that Chad was smitted by the young lady playing the fiddle.) First time I have ever seen a young lady who could play the fiddle and riverdance at the same time! Check out their music at: http://www.rigelband.com/index.php
That's all I have for now. More thoughts ahead on "Moving Forward" with my career and with life. Thanks for dropping by!
Friday, May 21, 2010
My first assignment: E-Visits
My first assignment has been quite interesting! I am working to develop content for electronic patient visits, or "eVisits" for short.
What is an eVisit?
It's a structured interaction between a patient and a physician, which takes place over the computer. Epic users can log in to their medical record, and send a message to their physician describing a health concern. The physician receives an electronic message and responds accordingly.
Sound worthwhile? There is pretty compelling data to suggest that patients want to have the opportunity to seek treatment from their physician online. There is also support for the concept within the medical community. According to the Future of Family Medicine task force, up to 40% of office visits could potentially be managed electronically. This would save time for the patients, cut costs, and free up physician time for other activities.
Certainly, there is complexity involved on several levels.
Should the physician be reimbursed for this service? Absolutely! Some of the forward-thinking third-party payors are beginning to pay for eVisits, but there is a long way to go to make this part of the mainstream coverable services from all the major providers.
Is this service secure? We have techies working on that.
Are eVisits efficient and effective? That's where my role comes into play. The ideal eVisit will be focused on a defined topic, and collect enough information for the physician to make a clinical decision in a single exchange. If it requires more than one e-mail exchange to resolve the eVisit, then it is no longer convenient for the patient or the doctor. So, my role is to design the questionnaires for specific topics. The goal is to ask all the necessary questions to confirm the suspected diagnosis, and make sure something worse isn't happening, but to keep the questionnaire short enough that the patient can finish it comfortably.
Designing eVisit questionnaires is a fun challenge. It combines medical knowledge, clinical experience, decision-making, and technology. And, it is an important innovation which will move medicine forward in new directions in the years to come!
Most of my first seven weeks has been invested in training... a long story in itself. I'll describe that process in another entry in a week or two.
What is an eVisit?
It's a structured interaction between a patient and a physician, which takes place over the computer. Epic users can log in to their medical record, and send a message to their physician describing a health concern. The physician receives an electronic message and responds accordingly.
Sound worthwhile? There is pretty compelling data to suggest that patients want to have the opportunity to seek treatment from their physician online. There is also support for the concept within the medical community. According to the Future of Family Medicine task force, up to 40% of office visits could potentially be managed electronically. This would save time for the patients, cut costs, and free up physician time for other activities.
Certainly, there is complexity involved on several levels.
Should the physician be reimbursed for this service? Absolutely! Some of the forward-thinking third-party payors are beginning to pay for eVisits, but there is a long way to go to make this part of the mainstream coverable services from all the major providers.
Is this service secure? We have techies working on that.
Are eVisits efficient and effective? That's where my role comes into play. The ideal eVisit will be focused on a defined topic, and collect enough information for the physician to make a clinical decision in a single exchange. If it requires more than one e-mail exchange to resolve the eVisit, then it is no longer convenient for the patient or the doctor. So, my role is to design the questionnaires for specific topics. The goal is to ask all the necessary questions to confirm the suspected diagnosis, and make sure something worse isn't happening, but to keep the questionnaire short enough that the patient can finish it comfortably.
Designing eVisit questionnaires is a fun challenge. It combines medical knowledge, clinical experience, decision-making, and technology. And, it is an important innovation which will move medicine forward in new directions in the years to come!
Most of my first seven weeks has been invested in training... a long story in itself. I'll describe that process in another entry in a week or two.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Why Quit Medicine?
I am frequently asked this question... why quit medicine?
The answer is, I didn't 'quit' medicine. I made the decision to pursue a lifelong passion for technology, and its applications to improve health care delivery. It wasn't a decision to 'quit', per se, but to move forward.
As a high school student, I debated between three potential career choices: becoming a doctor, a computer programmer, or a high school chemistry teacher. The chemistry teacher option was quickly ruled out- it just seemed like it would quickly become the same thing, year after year- plus, the other options paid better.
I was still in the process of deciding, when the opportunity presented itself to apply for the combined 6-year BS/MD program at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine (NEOUCOM). The challenge of the program was appealing to me, and the invitation to reserve a slot in medical school was too tempting to pass up. Medical school admission was pretty competitive back then, or so it seemed, so at the tender age of 16 I committed to the medical school path and I hit the ground running!
From high school to medical school, medical school to Family Practice Residency. As a resident, I developed a passion for teaching, and decided to pursue this as a career. I completed a one year academic family medicine fellowship after residency, earning a Masters' degree in Education, then joined the faculty at Wright State University School of Medicine.
For 18 years, I practiced, and taught, Family Medicine. It was a most enjoyable career! The blend of seeing patients, teaching students, and doing some research proved to be stimulating and challenging. But, through it all, my passion for technology never waned- in fact, it grew stronger every year.
That passion led me to develop the Computers in Clinical Medicine elective for 4th-year medical students. Over a 10-year period, roughly 150 medical students worked with me to learn about the applications of computer resources to the patient care arena. In 2007, we implemented our first ambulatory EHR, and the benefits of technology became even more apparent!
The decision to transition to a full-time career in the computer industry began late in 2006. For many years, I had attended the meetings of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), where geeks like me hung out on an annual basis to examine uses for technology in medicine. After the 2006 meeting, I felt the deep desire to make this aspect of medicine more than just a hobby- to make it a career! I pursued additional informatics training, first at the NLM Woods Hole course, and then through the AMIA 10X10 program, and finally decided to begin examining the job market!
Long story short- I was very blessed and very excited when Epic posted a job description for the Clinical Informatics role. My experiences with developing, using, teaching, and evaluating technology resources with students made this a perfect fit for my skill set. In addition, Epic is a very stimulating and positive work environment, not to mention a strong player in the EHR industry with a very stable market position and a very positive outlook for the future.
So... I found a very stimulating job, pursuing my passion, in a great working environment. I honestly didn't 'quit' medicine... I fulfilled a lifelong dream to pursue a new challenge, in a way that will improve the practice of medicine for physicians and for patients for the rest of my career and beyond!
Charles Barkley, noted NBA analyst, hall of fame player, and amateur philosopher, once stated, "Any knucklehead can score." Well... in my more cynical moments... I feel that "Any knucklehead can see patients... but it takes a special kind of knucklehead to improve the practice of medicine."
The answer is, I didn't 'quit' medicine. I made the decision to pursue a lifelong passion for technology, and its applications to improve health care delivery. It wasn't a decision to 'quit', per se, but to move forward.
As a high school student, I debated between three potential career choices: becoming a doctor, a computer programmer, or a high school chemistry teacher. The chemistry teacher option was quickly ruled out- it just seemed like it would quickly become the same thing, year after year- plus, the other options paid better.
I was still in the process of deciding, when the opportunity presented itself to apply for the combined 6-year BS/MD program at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine (NEOUCOM). The challenge of the program was appealing to me, and the invitation to reserve a slot in medical school was too tempting to pass up. Medical school admission was pretty competitive back then, or so it seemed, so at the tender age of 16 I committed to the medical school path and I hit the ground running!
From high school to medical school, medical school to Family Practice Residency. As a resident, I developed a passion for teaching, and decided to pursue this as a career. I completed a one year academic family medicine fellowship after residency, earning a Masters' degree in Education, then joined the faculty at Wright State University School of Medicine.
For 18 years, I practiced, and taught, Family Medicine. It was a most enjoyable career! The blend of seeing patients, teaching students, and doing some research proved to be stimulating and challenging. But, through it all, my passion for technology never waned- in fact, it grew stronger every year.
That passion led me to develop the Computers in Clinical Medicine elective for 4th-year medical students. Over a 10-year period, roughly 150 medical students worked with me to learn about the applications of computer resources to the patient care arena. In 2007, we implemented our first ambulatory EHR, and the benefits of technology became even more apparent!
The decision to transition to a full-time career in the computer industry began late in 2006. For many years, I had attended the meetings of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), where geeks like me hung out on an annual basis to examine uses for technology in medicine. After the 2006 meeting, I felt the deep desire to make this aspect of medicine more than just a hobby- to make it a career! I pursued additional informatics training, first at the NLM Woods Hole course, and then through the AMIA 10X10 program, and finally decided to begin examining the job market!
Long story short- I was very blessed and very excited when Epic posted a job description for the Clinical Informatics role. My experiences with developing, using, teaching, and evaluating technology resources with students made this a perfect fit for my skill set. In addition, Epic is a very stimulating and positive work environment, not to mention a strong player in the EHR industry with a very stable market position and a very positive outlook for the future.
So... I found a very stimulating job, pursuing my passion, in a great working environment. I honestly didn't 'quit' medicine... I fulfilled a lifelong dream to pursue a new challenge, in a way that will improve the practice of medicine for physicians and for patients for the rest of my career and beyond!
Charles Barkley, noted NBA analyst, hall of fame player, and amateur philosopher, once stated, "Any knucklehead can score." Well... in my more cynical moments... I feel that "Any knucklehead can see patients... but it takes a special kind of knucklehead to improve the practice of medicine."
Monday, May 3, 2010
Greetings
Hello, and welcome to my new blog! Starting my new Epic adventure is an exciting transition in life. So much of our lives in Ohio were centered around friends, family, colleagues, and students... so much we feel as though we're leaving behind as we move forward!
But it is the 21st century now, and in the Cyber world you never really leave people behind- we are blessed with the ability to stay connected through the Internet. Many of my friends and family have expressed interest in my new adventure. How's the job? What will you be doing? What is Madison like?
So, here's the place for your updates. Stay tuned as the Journey unfolds!
But it is the 21st century now, and in the Cyber world you never really leave people behind- we are blessed with the ability to stay connected through the Internet. Many of my friends and family have expressed interest in my new adventure. How's the job? What will you be doing? What is Madison like?
So, here's the place for your updates. Stay tuned as the Journey unfolds!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
