The Power of Case Management & Other Interesting "Facts"

The following article has some great data on how case management has had an impact on long-term costs and increased health.

US Healthcare: Consumes 80% of World's Opioid Prescriptions

The US makes up 4.6% of the world's population, yet we consume 80% of the world's opioid prescriptions. That means Americans consume 83 pain killers for every one the average person worldwide takes. An opioid is a form of palliative treatment that addresses symptoms, not intended to heal the cause.  Basically, an opioid is synthetic heroin or opium. ABCNews.com writes about this in an article on the state of our healthcare system.

Seeing Pain on a Brain Scan

Researchers have been able to see "pain" on a brain scan for the first time. This development indicates that in the future, we will be able to pinpoint pain and the scale of that pain more effectively.

Halifax Hospital - Largest Whistle-Blower Case Yet?

​A lawsuit is ongoing in Florida that could produce one of the largest whistle-blower penalties ever for the Halifax hospital chain.  An internal employee of Halifax says she witnessed more than a decade of billing fraud, unnecessary hospital admissions, inappropriate spinal surgeries and illegal kickbacks to doctors which could amount to more than $200 million in damages. 

Dealing with Enemies and Conflict

Here is a great article on how two Best Buy power players, the Founder and the new CEO, went from enemies to a unified front.  The three main points on how the new CEO diffused the situation are as follows.

Who Do You Spend Time With?

I have spent hours thinking about and challenging this idea in my mind, but it keeps reproving itself to me over and over.  Consider who you spend the most time with, and most likely you are the average of those five friends in all areas of life:

Why the Pharmacy Stop is a Necessary One

A growing trend in our industry is "Physician Dispensing." This is when a medical provider sells the drugs from their office instead of writing a prescription and sending them to the pharmacy.

Some companies will go to physician offices and set up "vending machines" with the most common drugs to be sold.  Then physicians get a cut of the profits. 

Task Management vs. Outcome Leadership

I am sure all of you heard about the "ban" on large sugary drinks in New York City.  I was very happy to see that a judge overruled it (Comrade Bloomberg will appeal that ruling).  It was nice to see the judicial system play its proper role in controlling the expansion of government.

Hospital Fees, Minus the Actual Hospital

​There is a trend towards consolidation in the healthcare industry. We're seeing hospitals buying up medical provider offices (or forming them). The main financial advantage is that they can then bill at hospital rates or bill for things like room charges without the actual hospital overhead. This article documents one example of this practice in Boston.

Growing a Company Montessori-Style

I’ve been looking at schools for my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter and I was floored by the quality of education available today.  

One school, Near North Montessori, really stood out from the rest. It’s fostering a science and culture of learning that is unbelievable.  The days I remember of mindless memorization and hours of sitting bored and frustrated listening to lectures are no more. While I wish I could relive my school years, I realize, especially after my recent Montessori school visit, that I’m reliving those years every day alongside our Company’s 200+employees. I discovered that what we’ve been fostering for the past 14 years within the Company’s culture is based heavily on the Montessori method. Here are six common philosophies we share to develop the human potential: