MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'entrepreneurs'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:17:31 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159422&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FXE8ROHqjA7E%2F I’m taking a break from blogging this week so am rerunning some favorite posts from 2010. Please visit the original post to comment. This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with Castlight Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dena Bravata. David E. Williams: This is David Williams, cofounder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Dr. Dena Bravata.  She is Chief Medical Officer of Castlight Health. Dena, thanks for joining me today. Dr. Dena Bravata:            David, thank you so much.  It’s a pleasure to be here. Williams:            What is Castlight Health and why is it needed? Bravata:            Castlight Health is dedicated to making health care cost and quality information publicly ava... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159422 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:10:18 +0100 5159422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159426&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FPodcast%25208-19-11.mp3 GNS Healthcare is an analytics company that enables personalized healthcare. In this podcast interview, CEO Colin Hill describes the company’s supercomputer based, machine learning approach to hypothesis-free analysis, which goes beyond correlations to uncover cause and effect relationships. He also discusses the company’s novel partnership with the National Cancer Institute and hints at exciting announcements still to come. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159426 Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:59:55 +0100 5159426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050898&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fmedcpu.mp3 MedCPU is a real-time decision support platform that uses screen extraction and computerized analysis of structured and unstructured electronic medical record data to advise clinicians when they are deviating from clinical guidelines or compliance requirements. In this podcast interview, Americas CEO Dan Neuwirth discusses the company’s origins, technology and initial applications in decision support for obstetrics. He also describes the company’s compliance offering and plans to assist customers with the transition to ICD-10 coding and Accountable Care Organizations. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050898 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:43:52 +0100 5050898 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028742&cid=t_104236_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-research%2Fthree-powerful-reasons-entrepreneurs-must-hire-an-adhd-coach.php Based on over ten years of coaching, it seems that Entrepreneurs are more likely, than most people, to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, (ADHD). Unfortunately, many of these entrepreneurs have no idea they have adhd or how it is affecting their ability to do business. Studies have shown that 85 % of the US adult adhd population is undiagnosed and untreated. Research conducted, at the Add Coach Academy, addca, with adults diagnosed with adhd, indicate a higher percentage of them don’t understand how adhd shows up in their life. To add to this dilemma, most of the health care professionals diagnosing or treating adhd, don’t have the tools or time to explain the entrepreneur’s adhd challenges in language they will understand. Reason #1: An adhd coach supports t... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028742 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5028742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036344&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FBBxNSfcbefE%2F This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with OrganizedWisom CEO Steve Krein. David E. Williams:            This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Steve Krein, CEO of OrganizedWisdom.  Steve, I understand that you have some news to announce about Startup Health. Steve Krein:            Yes.  First of all, thank you so much for having me.  We are down at the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Data Initiative Forum in Washington, DC where, in a few minutes, we’re going to be announcing the launch of an initiative called Startup Health. It’s an initiative focused around inspiring, educating and providing resources to entrepreneurs who want to build h... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036344 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 12:00:27 +0100 5036344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921607&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fstartuphealth.mp3 OrganizedWisdom has announced StartUp Health, a strategic initiative to help health and wellness entrepreneurs tap into capital, education, mentorship and other resources to develop sustainable new companies. StartUp Health will be chaired by Jerry Levin, former chairman and CEO of Time Warner Inc. The organization is joining the White House’s Startup America Partnership, which is designed to spur entrepreneurship. In this podcast, OrganizedWisdom CEO Steve Krein explains the initiative and asks all who are interested to visit StartUp Health in order to “take the pledge,” which involves committing to support of the startup ecosystem and providing name, email and specifying the type of stakeholder you are, e.g., entrepreneur, investor, journalist. Share (Source: Health Bus... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921607 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:26:56 +0100 4921607 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036384&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FEmWKLvVci9M%2F This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with MedNetworks CEO Larry Miller. David E. Williams: This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Larry Miller.  He is CEO of MedNetworks,  a social network analytics company in health care.  Larry, thanks for speaking with me today. Larry Miller:            It’s a pleasure David. Williams:            You had a big summit meeting yesterday in Cambridge, MA.  How did that go over? Miller:            It went very well.  I’m a little biased of course, but we had a full house, as many people as the fire code would allow, which is always a good sign. People I talked to thought the program was quite good, with the right m... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036384 Tue, 10 May 2011 18:15:42 +0100 5036384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789440&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fmednetworks.mp3 MedNetworks offers technology to map, analyze and influence online and offline social networks in health care. The company grew out of groundbreaking research by Harvard Professor Nicholas Christakis. I spoke with MedNetworks CEO Larry Miller the day after attending a MedNetworks conference in Cambridge, MA. In this podcast interview Miller shares his impressions of the conference (including keynote speakers Juan Enriquez, James Fowler and Christakis) and describes how his company is helping its clients. It’s not exactly a surprise that pharmaceutical companies are working with MedNetworks to understand influence patterns. But MedNetworks is also working with health plans and hospitals that are trying to form Accountable Care Organizations. Network science is a new field, and Miller free... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789440 Thu, 05 May 2011 18:34:09 +0100 4789440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036406&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2F_Ur3OsldzV4%2F Jerry Levin, former CEO of AOL TimeWarner was interviewed on stage at the DTC National Conference in Boston this morning by Steve Krein, CEO of OrganizedWisdom, where Levin serves on the board. In this excerpt from the discussion, Levin discusses: His personal interest in personalized health care information after his diagnosis with Parkinson’s Lessons for health care from the disruption of the music industry How direct to consumer (DTC) marketers can get directly into the flow when patients are making decisions Why Jane Fonda told him, “Don’t f— with my husband!” Steve Krein: Why are you here? Jerry Levin: I have devoted my life to storytelling, mostly in entertainment and news. But I overlooked the fundamental stories of people’s lives. What is most elegant and importan... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036406 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:22:05 +0100 5036406 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036413&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FT7mpTJfA0sY%2F This is the transcript of my recent podcast with OrganizedWisdom co-founder Unity Stoakes. David Williams:            This is David E. Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Unity Stoakes, is co-founder and President of OrganizedWisdom.  Thanks for being with me today. Unity Stoakes:            Thank you so much David. Williams:            First of all, what do you mean by “Organized Wisdom”? Stoakes:            OrganizedWisdom is an expert-driven platform for health and wellness. One of the things we discovered five years ago when we launched it is was there was all sorts of great information on the web, but it was mixed in with random information, really a lot of junk.... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036413 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:41:53 +0100 5036413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636552&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Forganized.mp3 OrganizedWisdom encourages physicians and other health experts to move online and share wisdom through blogs, open forums and link sharing. In this podcast interview, OrganizedWisdom co-founder and President Unity Stoakes and I discuss the rapidly evolving online health care world. Topics we cover include: The “online health gap” and how it’s being closed by health experts How the vast world of online health care information should be organized and shared The interaction of online health care and traditional print media, in particular OrganizedWisdom’s partnership with Reader’s Digest What the future will bring and how OrganizedWisdom will take part Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636552 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:07:02 +0100 4636552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570637&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FQctksyAGkaY%2F Castlight Health deservedly tops the Wall Street Journal’s list of the hottest venture backed companies. That will earn it some name recognition and leads in the health care transparency market. Health Business Blog readers have known about Castlight for a while now: My predictions for 2011 post led off with a quote from Castlight CEO Dr. Giovanni Colella I conducted an interview with Castlight Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dena Bravata Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570637 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:03:27 +0100 4570637 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4343237&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FR_27I2Oay2E%2F This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with Immediate MedCare CEO, Jordan Rice. David E. Williams:            This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Jordan Rice, CEO of Immediate MedCare (IMC), which operates urgent care clinics.  Jordan, thanks for your time today. Jordan Rice:            You’re very welcome.  Pleasure to be here. Williams:            Jordan, what’s the concept behind IMC? Rice:            When we started doing consulting to set up urgent care centers over 30 years ago, we realized they would be a great solution in the future. We foresaw two huge shortages, which now we know are reality.  One was in primary care. We realiz... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4343237 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 23:31:06 +0100 4343237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331109&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FxTe-ORjesJI%2F This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with Inspire CEO Brian Loew. David E. Williams:            This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Brian Loew, he’s CEO of Inspire, a provider of online health communities.  Brian, thanks for being with me today. Brian Loew:            Likewise, thank you.  Glad to be here. Williams:            Tell me about the history of Inspire and what you offer. Loew:            We’re a five year old company founded by a group of friends who were all interested in health, the way our personal experiences have been shaped by difficult health issues and the way that we could use the web to improve things. When we star... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331109 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 04:46:21 +0100 4331109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322584&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FIMC.mp3 Immediate MedCare (IMC) is a leading urgent care clinic company, with ambitious plans to reach the 100 clinic mark. In this podcast interview, IMC CEO Jordan Rice and I discuss: Challenges in primary care and the emergency department that led Jordan to launch IMC and that continue to drive the company’s expansion The IMC concept of having paperless practices with upscale amenities The company’s staffing and employee motivation model The role of IMC and other urgent care clinics in the evolving ecosystem, including the fit with Accountable Care Organizations At about the 5 minute mark you can also pick up an interesting tidbit about the role of IMC in the launch of WebMD. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322584 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 21:07:09 +0100 4322584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314116&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FInspire.mp3 Inspire develops and maintains disease-specific online communities that connect patients, families, and caregivers for support and information. The company works with about 70 non-profit partner organizations and derives its income primarily from sponsors who are interested in accessing Inspire community members. In this podcast interview, Inspire CEO Brian Loew and I discuss the “e-patient” movement, ways patients interact in the communities, the pharmaceutical industry’s interest in working with Inspire, and ways that the company builds trust and allows members to control access to their own information. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314116 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:33:25 +0100 4314116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294709&cid=t_104236_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F28%2Fwhy-we-make-new-years-resolutions%2F It’s well known that New Year’s resolutions don’t have a high success rate. While many people opt to ditch the annual goal-setting event, about 40 to 45 percent of American adults set at least one resolution come New Year’s. Unfortunately for many, the results turn into a pattern: January 1, we start off determined to follow through on our goals. Excited and energized, we think that this year will be different from the last, when our resolutions went by the wayside. But come February or even mid-January, the majority of us have abandoned our goals altogether. So why do we continue to make resolutions every year even though so few of us follow through? One reason is the allure of starting from scratch. “The beginning of the year offers a fresh start and a clean slate,... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294709 Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:10:35 +0100 4294709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183279&cid=t_104236_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FY07_nK188sQ%2F By Tad DeHavenPresident Obama has proclaimed today to be National Entrepreneurs’ Day. The president who has brought us regime uncertainty, more regulations, more government intrusion into the economy, more debt, and is proposing to raise taxes on productive businesses and individuals wants to celebrate entrepreneurship? I was alerted to National Entrepreneurs’ Day via an email (not online) from the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The EDA email makes it clear that the administration wishes to celebrate political entrepreneurship, not market entrepreneurship. In his book, The Myth of the Robber Barons, historian Burton Folsom explains the difference: A key point about the steamship industry is that the government played an active role right from the start... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183279 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 21:00:35 +0100 4183279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4172187&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2F5h-yRvoY7DM%2F This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with Castlight Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dena Bravata. David E. Williams: This is David Williams, cofounder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Dr. Dena Bravata.  She is Chief Medical Officer of Castlight Health. Dena, thanks for joining me today. Dr. Dena Bravata:            David, thank you so much.  It’s a pleasure to be here. Williams:            What is Castlight Health and why is it needed? Bravata:            Castlight Health is dedicated to making health care cost and quality information publicly available. It’s needed because that kind of information is not readily available today. One of the things we do that is not publicly ava... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172187 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:00:18 +0100 4172187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4168076&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fbravata.mp3 The growth and impact of consumer directed health care has been hobbled by a dearth of real price information. Imagine shopping at a regular retailer, where neither the shopper nor the cashier knows the price of anything and where prices vary five-fold from one store to the next. That pretty well describes the current situation in health care. Castlight Health seeks to correct this problem. The company’s web-based tools provide personalized price information to consumers, giving them their actual out-of-pocket price levels for different services and providers based on their specific benefit plan. For example, a consumer scheduling a colonoscopy can compare out-of-pocket costs at various locations. Castlight also provides quality information and explains insurance jargon in plain lang... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4168076 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:00:18 +0100 4168076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119294&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FWM9cUuNVTE0%2F Lighthouse Learning, a new, independent producer of continuing medical education (CME) may have made a bigger splash than it wanted last week on the front page of the Boston Globe. The author devoted much of the article to Lighthouse’s rejection of pharmaceutical industry funding, which got a bunch of folks in the industry riled up. In my recent discussion with Lighthouse’s CEO, Jon Leibowitz, he clarified the company’s position on industry funding and presented a broader view of how the company plans to operate and differentiate itself. Excerpts from our interview are published below. David Williams: What was the motivation to set up Lighthouse Learning? Jon Leibowitz: We think there is an opportunity to do things differently; to create a fully independent provider of me... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119294 Fri, 24 Sep 2010 20:14:24 +0100 4119294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119323&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2Fr4pN-vZJaUo%2F This is the second half of the transcript of my recent podcast interview with Evan Falchuk, President and COO of Best Doctors. In Part I Evan shared his views on health care reform and information resources for patients and physicians. In this half he discusses Best Doctors, including a recent case involving his brother. David E. Williams: I want to turn now to speaking about your company, Best Doctors. Please describe what Best Doctors is and what you do. Evan Falchuk: We sell an employee benefit to companies that they give for free to their employees. We help people get the right diagnosis and the right treatment.  The way we do it is by collecting information from the patient, doing an interview, compiling records, having doctors analyze all the information and then consulting with exp... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119323 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:00:12 +0100 4119323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119324&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FWxdRuef4Fkc%2F This is the transcript of the first half of my recent podcast interview with Evan Falchuk, President and COO of Best Doctors. David Williams:            This is David E. Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Evan Falchuk.  He is President and COO of Best Doctors.  Evan, nice to speak with you today. Evan Falchuk:            Great to talk to you David. Williams:            It’s a been a couple of years since I had you on the blog and a fair amount has transpired in health care since then. Maybe we should start in with health care reform. Let me just ask you the big question: is it going to work? Falchuk:            I think it’s going to be a while before we know what wo... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119324 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:26:19 +0100 4119324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3862098&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F8%2Ffalchuk%25202.mp3 Evan Falchuk is President and COO of Best Doctors, an employee benefit company that provides members with access to world-class medical experts who review their diagnosis and treatment plan. It’s used by people facing serious medical problems who want additional expertise brought to bear. In this podcast interview, Evan holds forth on health care reform, health information technology, social media, quality ratings sites, patient navigation, and the role of Best Doctors. I first interviewed Evan back in 2008. Since then he’s started a blog of his own. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3862098 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 01:53:58 +0100 3862098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718518&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D3554 There’s a large and growing shortage of psychiatrists according to USA Today (Of all specialties, demand for psychiatrists is growing fastest). The article attributes the shortfall to lower earnings for psychiatrists relative to procedure-oriented specialties. Demand is growing while supply is declining. Reimbursement is a challenge, as I’ve described recently. I think there are some big business opportunities for psychiatric practices. In particular psychiatrists and other mental health professionals should step back and think about innovative ways to serve patients and boost their incomes. A particularly promising area is computer-based diagnostic tests and treatments. These can be done on a patient’s own time and require only modest time commitment from the mental heal... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718518 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 03:52:49 +0100 3718518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658934&cid=t_104236_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fexclusive-mediabistro-com-founder-laurel-touby-on-making-millions-marriage-and-moving-forward%2F Laurel Touby and husband Jon Fine at the Webutante Ball in NYC, June 8, 2010 A former freelance writer, Laurel Touby came up with the idea for her influential media company, Mediabistro.com, in 1994, and in 2007, sold it for a cool $23 million. (She didn’t pocket all of that, though.) Just back from an eight-month international sabbatical, Laurel took some time out to answer our 11 questions about marriage, making more money than her husband, and moving on after major success. Long before you sold Mediabistro (the company you founded) for many millions of dollars, did you care who made more money, you or your then-boyfriend? I would love to say that it didn’t matter, because I’m an emancipated woman who went to Smith College. But, it was nice to know that he could pay his part of... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658934 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:30:40 +0100 3658934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599569&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D3432 Before I harsh on MedWaitTime, which I will do shortly, I do want to say that the company’s heart is in the right place –to make life easier for patients whose doctors and hospitals are keeping them waiting. The company’s smartphone app and text messages let doctors notify patients that they are running late and lets emergency rooms provide information on waiting time. The idea is to avoid having patients arrive at the waiting room too soon –just like airlines do with their flight status notifications. I read about the company in today’s Wall Street Journal (Internet Tool to Curb Waiting-Room Time). There are a number of problems with the approach: As an experienced user of the airline flight status systems, I can tell you they are of little practical benefit... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599569 Tue, 25 May 2010 19:52:31 +0100 3599569 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585577&cid=t_104236_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fgame-changers-entrepreneurs-and-social-change-qa-with-rachel-weeks-of-school-house%2F We think the world needs more female entrepreneurs, and it also needs social change, so Blisstree is always on the lookout for role models who are taking matters into their own hands. We call these women The Game-Changers, and Rachel Weeks of School House is one of them. Check out our Q&A with Rachel to find out how she’s changing the rules of the game, and what advice she has for others who want to do the same: What does your company do? We create trend-driven collegiate apparel in a living wage facility in Sri Lanka. Then we sell it. How did you start it? On a Fulbright grant to Sri Lanka, with $20,000 from the time I was hit by a car in New York while I was an undergrad. I used that capital to hire our Creative Director, Colleen McCann, and to create our first samples. What m... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585577 Thu, 20 May 2010 19:07:43 +0100 3585577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538271&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D3377 This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with PartnerMD founder Linda Nash. David Williams: This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Linda Nash, CEO of PartnerMD.  Linda, thanks for your time today. Linda Nash: You’re very welcome. Williams: What is PartnerMD? Nash: PartnerMD is what we like to call a “membership medicine” company.  We’re not too crazy about the more popular term “concierge medicine.”  We are a company that provides health care to about 4,000 members.  We are the largest membership/concierge company under one roof in a single location in the U.S. that we have been able to identify. We also have an office in McLean and we run an executive physical bus... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538271 Wed, 05 May 2010 20:41:40 +0100 3538271 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3533968&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F5%2Fnash.mp3 Linda Nash is founder of Virginia-based concierge physician practice PartnerMD, which she describes as the largest such operation under one roof. In this podcast interview she discusses the challenges of traditional primary care practices and how these are addressed for doctors and patients in PartnerMD’s “membership medicine” model and executive physical program. Linda also addresses the overall implications to the health care system as a result of the growth of concierge practices, something she is well-prepared to do based on her experience as a member of Lt. Governor Tim Kaine’s Healthcare Commission, which focused on reducing costs in health care. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3533968 Wed, 05 May 2010 02:53:15 +0100 3533968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508309&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D3359 This is a transcript of my recent podcast interview with SeeChange Health CEO, Martin Watson. David E. Williams: This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Martin Watson. He is CEO of SeeChange Health, a health insurance company that’s just launching today.  Martin, thanks for speaking with me. Martin Watson: Thanks David.  Pleasure to be here. Williams: Martin you describe SeeChange as a value-based health insurance company.  What do you mean by that? Watson: Value based is really the next iteration in benefit design within the health insurance world. Our definition of value-based is the delivery of benefits that enables somebody to change their behavior, help better manage any conditions or jus... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508309 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:31:34 +0100 3508309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3499179&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F4%2Fseechange.mp3 SeeChange Health is a brand new health insurance company built on the concept of “value based design,” which provides incentives including lower co-pays and deductibles for patients who actively manage their health. For example, patients need to do three things (see their MD for a routine annual wellness visit, undergo a biometric session similar to a life insurance exam, and register with SeeChange’s online portal) in order to go from 80/20 coinsurance to 100/0,  see their out-of-pocket maximum drop from $3200 to $2200 and receive funding for their health incentives account of $200 for an individual or $400 for a family. The company is launching in Fresno, CA with $40 million in private equity backing. In this podcast interview, CEO Martin Watson describes the company&#... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3499179 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:54:26 +0100 3499179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3475932&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F4%2Fliquic.mp3 The Life Quality Improvment Center (Liquic) is an online portal that helps people improve their quality of life by connecting them with coaches, counselors and therapists for face-to-face or online interactions. In this podcast, Liquic CEO John Khoury discuss how the company is shifting from a traditional directory business to an online platform, how regulations limit the adoption of interstate counseling, and the pluses and minuses of online sessions. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3475932 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:28:32 +0100 3475932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3471905&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F4%2FAmy.mp3 In this podcast interview, Amy Rees Anderson, CEO of MediConnect Global describes the rationale for the acquisition of PassportMD, a consumer-oriented personal health record company that is one of the four vendors selected by the federal government to provide electronic personal health records to Medicare recipients under a pilot program. The acquisition is part of MediConnect’s ongoing strategy to transform itself from a B2B gatherer of medical records for legal and insurance purposes to a consumer-facing company that is part of the digital wave. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3471905 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:26:20 +0100 3471905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3335473&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D3163 This is a transcript of my recent podcast interview with Steve Goelman, CEO of Unique Wellness. David Williams: This is David E. Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speak today with Steve Goelman.  He is CEO of Unique Wellness, which makes super-absorbent adult briefs. Steve, how widespread is the problem of urinary incontinence? Steve Goelman: The numbers that we currently have is up to 25 million Americans experience some form of incontinence from moderate to heavy incontinence. It is a growing problem, especially as baby boomers age. Those affected range from pregnant women to war veterans to the mentally disabled.  (They’re not physically incontinent but unfortunately they’re not able to go to the bathroom properl... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3335473 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:56:41 +0100 3335473 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331436&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F3%2Fdiaper.mp3 About 25 million adults in the US suffer from urinary incontinence. The standard management technique –wearing adult diapers– isn’t great, as the diapers need to be changed often and can become smelly and uncomfortable. Unique Wellness offers a more absorbent product that only requires three changes per day. The company touts the control, confidence and comfort that can be achieved with its product, which is based on technology used by astronauts during their lengthy space walks. In this podcast interview, Unique Wellness CEO Steve Goelman describes the concept for his company’s product, and touches on the functional, economic and environmental benefits. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331436 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:49:28 +0100 3331436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3269772&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D3096 This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with Medco’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Epstein and DNA Direct’s CEO, Ryan Phelan. David Williams: This is David E. Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog. I’m speaking today with Dr. Robert Epstein, Chief Medical Officer of Medco Health Solutions and Ryan Phelan, founder and CEO of DNA Direct, which Medco has just acquired.  Thanks for speaking with me today. Ryan Phelan: Our pleasure. Williams: What is DNA Direct? Phelan: DNA Direct is a company that started here in San Francisco in early 2005. The services we offer primarily evolve around interpretation, information and resources around genetic expertise.  So in some ways David, you could think about us a virtual me... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3269772 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:18:48 +0100 3269772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262742&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F2%2Fdnadirect%25202.mp3 Pharmaceutical Benefit Manager Medco Health recently acquired DNA Direct, which provides genetic testing and support services for genomic medicine. The acquisition represents a broadening of Medco’s focus from pharmacogenomics to a fuller range of genetic tests, and helps DNA Direct continue its transition from its roots as a consumer-oriented play toward Medco’s model of working with employers and health plans. In this podcast interview Medco Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Epstein and DNA Direct CEO Ryan Phelan discuss the rationale for the acquisition and anticipated developments over the next few years. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262742 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:15:33 +0100 3262742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3246974&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D3075 This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with Quantros co-founder and CEO Dr. Sanjaya Kumar. David Williams: This is David E. Williams, co-Founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Dr. Sanjaya Kumar.  He is CEO of Quantros.  Dr. Kumar, thanks for your time today. Dr. Sanjaya Kumar: Thank you David. Williams: There is a lot of attention being given now to implementation of the HITECH Act. I wonder whether this concept of meaningful use is going to have a real impact on the care of patients. Kumar: Definitely David.  It is really an unprecedented era for such a large influx of dollars to be used to provide more digitization of health care settings and health care environments.  So there is a lot more data available ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3246974 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:43:54 +0100 3246974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243903&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F2%2FSanjaya.mp3 Quantros provides software and services to the health care industry, with a focus on safety, risk management, quality and performance improvement. I spoke recently with Dr. Sanjaya Kumar, CEO and founder about a number of current topics, including: The impact of “meaningful use” on patient care The role that non-payment for “never events” and avoidable errors is starting to have The IOM report: To Err Is Human –10 years later Quantros’s role in the health care ecosystem The new Quantros professional networking site: Clinical Cafe Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243903 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:30:54 +0100 3243903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197775&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D3030 This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with Practice Fusion CEO Ryan Howard. David Williams: This is David E. Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Ryan Howard, CEO of Practice Fusion.  Ryan, how are you today? Ryan Howard: I’m good. How are you David? Williams: Good.  Well we’re into 2010 now.  It’s been a few months since we spoke.  Tell me what milestones you’ve been hitting over the last few months and what some of your plans are for the coming quarter. Howard: Our last quarter was excellent.  We were very excited about how we ended up the year.  We delivered on our partnership with Salesforce.com and we now have a fully integrated personal health record that reside... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197775 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:05:54 +0100 3197775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3176009&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F1%2Fryan2010.mp3 I checked in with Practice Fusion CEO Ryan Howard yesterday for an update on the progress of the company’s free, web-based electronic health record. In this podcast Ryan discusses recent milestones including hitting the 25,000 user mark, adding e-prescribing, plans for a “chart share” feature to allow physicians to exchange patient records, the company’s personal health record,  progress toward Meaningful Use, customer support, the company’s recent fundraising and its business model. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3176009 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:05:39 +0100 3176009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3156563&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2983 This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with Lieberman Software CEO, Philip Lieberman. David Williams: This is David E. Williams, Co Founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Philip Lieberman, he is CEO of Lieberman Software.  Phil, thanks for your time today. Philip Lieberman: Yes, hello David. Williams: What products do you provide and what industries do you serve? Lieberman: Well David, Lieberman Software has concentrated for the last 20 years in the development of security software specifically to deal with the core issue of too many people having too much access to too much information for too long. We provide security tools that are used by large organizations and government organizations to manage the securit... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3156563 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:02:20 +0100 3156563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3153495&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F1%2FLiebsoft.mp3 Lieberman Software provides enterprise solutions for security and systems management. Its emphasis is on Privileged Identity Management solutions, which protect all-powerful administrator accounts from being compromised. The company has historically focused on the financial services and government markets. Lately, with the increasing penalties for health care organizations that lose control of patient information, they are building a successful practice in health care. In this podcast interview, CEO Phil Lieberman talks about the similarities and differences between health care and other market segments, how to strike the right balance between accessibility and security of data,  the particular security challenges of smaller health care organizations as they shift into the digital era, an... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3153495 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:25:40 +0100 3153495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3105150&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2947 This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with Qliance’s Dr. Garrison Bliss. David Williams: This is David E. Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Dr. Garrison Bliss. He’s co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Qliance Medical Management.  Dr. Bliss, thanks for your time today. Dr. Garrison Bliss: My pleasure. Williams: What is Qliance? Bliss: Qliance is a primary care focused medical practice.  We are currently located in Seattle and Kent, Washington. Our purpose is to completely remake the concept of primary care in such a way that we have a self-sufficient, highly effective patient centered health care system that can cover roughly 80% of what people need for medical care during thei... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3105150 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:26:22 +0100 3105150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3100918&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F12%2FQliance.mp3 Primary care in the US is badly broken. Physicians complain they are like hamsters on a wheel, trying to generate enough fee-for-service revenue to pay the bills. That leads to short appointments, less follow-up, and dissatisfaction on the part of physicians and patients. It’s no wonder that not a lot of medical students are intent on entering primary care. A number of attempts are being made to address the concern. Some physicians have started “concierge” practices that charge a fee on top of insurance payments. Others have affiliated with or sold their practices to larger health care systems, which subsidize primary care in order to bring in profitable referrals for imaging, surgery, etc. There is also a shift toward different payment models such as capitation, Promtheu... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3100918 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:31:02 +0100 3100918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3079450&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2925 This is the transcript of part 2 of my podcast with Humedica CEO Michael Weintraub and VP Corporate Development/Marketing Allen Kamer. You can read part 1 here. David Williams: I know Anceta has been in the works for a while, and that they’ve made some progress, but perhaps have struggled a bit. Why did they want to work with you, what did you offer that they were unable to do on their own? Michael Weintraub: They have been working on this for a while, because from a leadership perspective, they were early. They were on this topic for five years or so, because many of the opinion leaders in health care are AMGA member organizations. They’ve been expert at the application of information to drive efficiency and effectiveness, but it’s not something that all 330 of their org... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3079450 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:28:31 +0100 3079450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3071334&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2915 This is the transcript of part 1 of my podcast with Humedica CEO Michael Weintraub and VP Corporate Development/Marketing Allen Kamer. David Williams: What is the focus of the company? What are you bringing to the market that has not been available in the past? Michael Weintraub: We’re aiming to build a census view of health care in America.  What I mean by that is to build a large-scale informatics asset that various constituents can tap into to get a perspective on whatever question they might have, whether it’s a disease or a therapeutic area. The focus will vary depending on whether you’re a hospital, a large medical practice, a pharmaceutical manufacturer, biotech, the federal government, etc. We’re basically building a large-scale factory that is bringing in ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3071334 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:04:55 +0100 3071334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3067177&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F12%2Fhumedica2.mp3 Humedica is a new, venture-backed clinical informatics company that is making a big splash in the health care industry. In part 1 of my podcast with Humedica’s CEO Michael Weintraub and VP Corporate Development & Marketing Allen Kamer we discussed a variety of topics including the company’s aspiration to offer a “census view” of health care in America, the use of EHR-based feeds instead of claims, and the use of Humedica-generated information for business intelligence and clinical decision support. In part 2 we focus on: The company’s strategic alliance with the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) and AMGA’s Anceta collaborative data warehouse The connection between Humedica and efforts by the Federal government to establish meaningful use of elec... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3067177 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:49:38 +0100 3067177 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3059812&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F12%2Fhumedica1.mp3 Humedica is a new, venture-backed clinical informatics company that is making a big splash in the health care industry. In part 1 of my podcast with Humedica’s CEO Michael Weintraub and VP Corporate Development & Marketing Allen Kamer we discuss a variety of topics including: Humedica’s aspiration to build a “large-scale factory” to provide a “census view” of health care in America The company’s use of EHR-based feeds in comparison with earlier claims-based approaches Use of Humedica information for business intelligence and clinical decision support The company’s collaboration with AMGA’s Anceta collaborative data warehouse In part 2 we will talk about Humedica’s longer term plans to expand its data sources, customers, and ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3059812 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:16:26 +0100 3059812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3026924&cid=t_104236_158_f&fid=36018&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcaregiversbeacon.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Flife-of-senior-small-business-owners.html From thrift shop owners to RV park manager/owners, seniors who are small business owners balance the challenges of innovation to keep pace with change along with the doctor visits and health issues that come with the senior territory.Many seniors are still managing successful small businesses. Staying afloat in the present economy means inventing new strategies that are situation specific for the current times. Many seniors enjoy the independence and challenges of owning their small businesses, instead of retiring or working for someone else.One 93 year old woman I met was still going over to do maintenance tasks at the apartment building she owned and managed for college students' housing. She would arrive to visit with the student renters who might be around, change light bulbs or fix ga... The Caregiver's Beacon - Resources, Links, Ideas, News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3026924 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:56:00 +0100 3026924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3015380&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2871 In conclusion, they’re not inappropriate hoops.  They were hoops that are actually required for complicated workloads that are found in doctors’ offices and other clinical settings.  So what’s present in the certification project is actually laudable.  It’s very well thought out and I don’t think it’s biased at all. It’s a very well thought out set of requirements and I think it’s unwise to challenge that.  I think it’s unwise to contradict that whether or not there are vendors involved. I know all the rest of the issues.  I don’t see it.  I don’t really believe that.  I think things probably happen that we don’t know about of course, but for the most part what we saw was legitimate requirements and criteria for a s... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3015380 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:59:58 +0100 3015380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3008227&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2859 In May I interviewed Ryan Howard, CEO of Practice Fusion, a free web-based electronic health record (EHR). A lot has happened in the EHR world since then so I thought I’d check back in. (This interview was conducted via email.) David Williams: How are things progressing at Practice Fusion since our last discussion six months ago? Ryan Howard: Practice Fusion has grown significantly in the past six months. We brought on Salesforce.com as an investor, partnered with BioReference and Quest Diagnostics, passed the 22,000 user milestone and are in the process of launching our Patient Health Record (PHR). We’re now the fastest growing EHR community in the country with 400 new sign ups each week. It’s been a great period for us and we’ve more than doubled the team here in San Francisc... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3008227 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:01:17 +0100 3008227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2977412&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F11%2Fdoctations.mp3 Doctations is an integrated, Internet-based electronic medical record, billing system and collaboration platforms. The goal is to encourage collaboration among physicians and patients and to allow physicians to practice from wherever they are. In this podcast interview with Doctations CEO Dr. Louis Cornacchia, he explains the genesis of the system and how it impacts the practice of medicine. He also comments on meaningful use, the decision to obtain CCHIT certification, and the differences between Doctations, American Well and Practice Fusion. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2977412 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:08:30 +0100 2977412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2963222&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2813 This is the transcript of my interview with EmFinders CEO Jim Nalley. David Williams: This is David E. Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Jim Nalley, co-founder and CEO of EmFinders.  Jim, how are you today? Jim Nalley: I’m well David.  Thanks for having me today. Williams: Jim, what is EmFinders? Nalley: EmFinders is a company that’s dedicated to helping law enforcement in the rapid recovery of people who have a tendency to wander. Williams: And what sort of folks would be in that category? Nalley: Those would be folks suffering from Alzheimer’s, other forms of dementia, people with Autism and Down’s syndrome. Brain injury is a growing area, too. It seems to be something with the vets... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2963222 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:57:03 +0100 2963222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2939433&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F10%2Femfinders.mp3 EmFinders is a new company whose EmSeeQ wristwatch-style device is used to locate Alzheimer’s patients and others with a tendency to wander off. The device uses cellular signals to transmit its location and is integrated into the 911 emergency network. One version of the device has a wristband that requires two hands to release, a nifty feature for those who may like to take devices off as well as wander. In my conversation with CEO Jim Nalley we discussed how he came up with the idea, how EmSeeQ differs from other location technologies, and what happens when an alarm is triggered. We also discussed the company’s business model and go to market strategy. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2939433 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:52:34 +0100 2939433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2871858&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2714 This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with PatientKeeper CEO Paul Brient. David Williams: This is David E. Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Paul Brient, he is CEO of PatientKeeper.  Paul, thanks for joining me. Paul Brient: Thank you David. Williams: Paul, what is PatientKeeper? Brient: PatientKeeper was founded about 11 years ago with the observation that physicians had, to a large extent, been left out of the health care IT automation wave. A lot of people were hand wringing and considering physicians Luddites because they hadn’t adopted technology.  We founded our company on the premise that perhaps if one set out to build technology that was really focused on the physicians that it... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2871858 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:01:07 +0100 2871858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865800&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F10%2Fbrient.mp3 Paul Brient was one of the sharpest people in my business school and BCG cohorts and I have not been at all surprised by his success as CEO of PatientKeeper, a company that helps physicians who practice in hospitals to integrate information from a variety of IT systems. PatientKeeper’s founders realized that there was an opportunity to increase physician use of IT by developing systems that focused on their needs. Over the past decade PatientKeeper has worked on turning that insight into reality. Now with ARRA, PatientKeeper is helping hospitals attain meaningful use. That’s a tricky business because hospitals are dependent on physicians they don’t employ to actually use the systems that are put in place. In this podcast interview we spoke about PatientKeeper’s prog... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865800 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:15:48 +0100 2865800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832277&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2664 This is the second half of the transcript of my recent podcast interview with MEDecision CEO and founder David St. Clair. Part I is here. David Williams: There’s been quite a demonization of the health insurance industry as part of the debate about health care reform and in particular challenging whether health plans actually add value or whether they’re just focused on making money in a way that doesn’t help people.  I’m curious about what your view is on the right role between the private and public payers and how MEDecision helps those health plans add value. David St. Clair: I think that the word demonization is a very apt one in terms of the debate. I have to admit publicly that I am a staunch Democrat, but I’ve been tremendously disappointed by the lang... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832277 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:34:19 +0100 2832277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832278&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2660 This is the first part of the transcript of my recent podcast interview with MEDecision CEO and founder David St. Clair. David Williams: This is David E. Williams, co-Founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with David St. Clair, Founder and CEO of MEDecision.  David, thanks for your time today. David St. Clair: You’re very welcome.  I’m looking forward to it. Williams: Tell me about MEDecision.  What is the company and what is it that you offer? St. Clair: MEDecision is a 21 year old company that provides health care management solutions used primarily by private insurers and government plans to manage care for about 50 million people in this country.  We have a couple of main product categories.  One is called Aline... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832278 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:14:12 +0100 2832278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828334&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F9%2Fmedecision.mp3 MEDecision offers “smart, simple, state-of-the-art” solutions to health plans to enable them to collaborate on patient care. At the heart of MEDecision’s offerings is Alineo, which lets payers identify high-risk (i.e., costly) patients, apply clinical knowledge and automate the administration of health care programs. The company also offers Nexalign, a health information exchange service. I spoke today with MEDecision’s CEO and founder, David St. Clair about the company’s offerings, its customer base, the role of private health plans, and the fate of the disease management industry. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828334 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:32:37 +0100 2828334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2800542&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2636 This is a transcript of my recent podcast interview with Prem Urali, CEO of HealthUnity. David Williams: This is David E. Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today to Prem Urali, who is CEO and co-founder of HealthUnity.  Prem, thanks for being with me today. Prem Urali: Thank you David for having me. Williams: What is HealthUnity? Urali: HealthUnity is a five-year-old, successful health information technology company.  We are solely focused on the health information exchange market.  We offer what we believe to be the most comprehensive standards based product for building health information exchanges. We target pretty much all the various segments of the HIE market namely: hospital outreach by exchanges, IDNs looking ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2800542 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:42:04 +0100 2800542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796587&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F9%2FHealthUnity.mp3 HealthUnity is a five year old Health Information Exchange company that offers services to hospitals that want to connect with one another, integrated delivery networks, and local/regional/statewide networks. The company provides infrastructure services, clinical services and gateway services. HealthUnity has established a beachhead in the market and is looking forward to riding the stimulus wave as providers seek to demonstrate meaningful use –for which health information exchange is an important component. In this podcast interview HealthUnity’s CEO Prem Urali describes the founding of the company, its early successes, and his vision for the future. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796587 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:33:30 +0100 2796587 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2768719&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2608 Part of the dehumanization and aggravation of being a patient is that things we take for granted –like wearing our own clothes– fall by the wayside. Hospital gowns are notoriously unpleasant and I’ve seen people do all sorts of things –like wearing two gowns or bringing their own bathrobe– to try to make things a little better. On the other hand, there’s something to be said in defense of hospital gowns: namely, do you really want to get blood and other nasty stuff all over your own clothes after surgery? Once you leave the hospital, though, it’s another matter. Patients often resort to wearing baggy sweatpants and tearing holes in existing  clothing to accommodate knee braces, wounds, catheters, etc. or just for ease of dressing and undressing. I... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2768719 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:23:45 +0100 2768719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757931&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2593 This is a transcript of my recent podcast interview with Rich Noffsinger, CEO of Anvita Health, a leading clinical decision support and health care analytics company. David Williams: This is David E. Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speak today with Rich Noffsinger, CEO of Anvita Health.  Rich, thanks for your time today. Rich Noffsinger:    David, thank you for the opportunity to chat with you. David:    When we spoke last year your company was called SafeMed.  Since then you’ve changed the name to Anvita Health.  What’s the significance of the new name? Rich:    Well we were finding, David that a lot of our prospects and the potential customer base was associating SafeMed just with drug safety. While we... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757931 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:57:54 +0100 2757931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2752033&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F8%2FNoff2.mp3 Rich Noffsinger is CEO of Anvita Health, a leading clinical decision support and health care analytics company. I spoke to Rich a little more than a year ago when the company was known as SafeMed and was launching its partnership with Google Health and completing a pilot in radiology at Beth Israel in Boston.  This time we spoke about the impact of the Federal stimulus package, prospects for health care reform, and how payers and providers are making use of Anvita’s solutions. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2752033 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:34:06 +0100 2752033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2716077&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2553 My good friend Dr. Giovanni Colella, CEO of Ventana is quoted in Tackling the Mystery of How Much It Costs in today’s New York Times. (Too bad they referred to his company as Ventura –perhaps the writer or editor was unconsciously channeling Governor Jesse.) Colella’s company is helping employees and employers understand what they’re paying for medical services. That’s information that should be routinely available but rarely is. Lack of transparency is one reason medical prices are sky high. As an illustration, Ventana adviser Dr. Alan Garber –a health economist at Stanford and one of the sharpest guys I’ve met– describes how even he got tripped up in out-of-network charges when his wife was in the hospital. (An out-of-network anesthesiologist provided services, ev... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2716077 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:14:33 +0100 2716077 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2709242&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2541 This is Part II of the transcript of my podcast interview with Dr. Jay Parkinson, co-founder of Hello Health and Chief Concept Officer at Myca. (Part I is here.) David Williams: One of the issues in health care delivery is that physicians and other caregivers don’t necessarily coordinate or communicate with one another in the care of a given patient.  There are some approaches like the medical home that are supposed to address that to some degree.  Some people expect that health IT is going to do it.  I noticed that in one of your promotional videos there is somebody with a Sharpie drawing arrows among the different caregivers.  How do you think about the coordination of care and communication among caregivers as part of the Hello Health platform? Jay Parkinson: What connects car... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2709242 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:26:56 +0100 2709242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2702387&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2538 This is transcript of Part I of my recent podcast interview with Dr. Jay Parkinson, co-founder of Hello Health and Chief Concept Officer at Myca. David: This is David E. Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Dr. Jay Parkinson,  is co-founder of Hello Health and Chief Concept Officer of Myca. Jay, thanks for your time today. Jay: Sure, no problem. David: Jay, tell me a little bit about how you started your medical practice.  What were you thinking at the time?  It’s kind of an unusual practice. Jay: Well, I got started because I have training in clinical medicine and preventive medicine and when I finished my second residency, it sort of alerted me to the fact that, fundamentally the health care system was... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2702387 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:27:20 +0100 2702387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699725&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F8%2FParkinson2.mp3 In Part I of my interview with Dr. Jay Parkinson, co-founder of Hello Health and Chief Concept Officer at Myca, we spoke about how his experience in starting an e-practice with general Internet tools like Google Calendar and Gmail led him to the conclusion that a purpose-built platform was needed. In Part II, we talked about coordination of care among providers, the patient centered medical home, what happens to Hello patients when they go outside the system, and how Hello Health hopes to make money. Jay also shared some thoughts on health care reform. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699725 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:22:39 +0100 2699725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2695477&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F8%2FParkinson1.mp3 Dr. Jay Parkinson is co-founder of Hello Health, a new service that helps connect doctors and patients online. He’s also Chief Concept Officer at Myca, the business and technology platform company for Hello Health. In Part I of our interview, we talked about how Jay started his e-practice with general tools like Google calendar and Gmail before realizing he needed a dedicated platform to scale effectively. We discussed the Hello Health concept, the role of patients and physicians in the tech-enabled era, then ended up on a discussion of traditional health insurance and its (lack of) fit with Hello. In Part II (to be posted soon), we discuss the patient centered medical home, coordination of care, health care reform, and the Hello Health business model. Share (Source: Health Business ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2695477 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 03:02:37 +0100 2695477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2670941&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2513 This is a transcript of my podcast interview with Carla Corken of Talyst. This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Carla Corkern.  She is chairman and CEO of Talyst.  Carla, thanks for being with me today. Carla:    Hello.  Thanks for having me. David:    Tell me a little bit about Talyst.  What does the company do? Carla:    Well Talyst is a really interesting company.  We have hardware and software solutions.  We use the tag line: “Engineering, the safer pharmacy.”  So it’s hardware and software systems that work together to allow pharmacies to increase patient safety. We’ve supplied solutions across multiple markets. We are primarily in hospital markets, where we&#8217... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2670941 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:07:47 +0100 2670941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2667530&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F8%2FTalyst.mp3 Talyst makes hardware and software for remote, on-demand medication dispensing for hospitals, nursing homes and prisons. Often prescriptions for these facilities are purchased in 30-day blister packs. But things change: prescriptions change, patients die, prisoners get moved around  or released and so on. A lot of times drugs get wasted as a result. The Talyst system looks pretty interesting and I’m not surprised the company is gaining traction. I spoke today with Carla Corkern, Chairman and CEO of Talyst. We talked about the company’s value proposition, integration with existing information and distribution systems, costs, and how Talyst fits into healthcare reform overall. Since Carla’s background is in high tech and supply chain, I was also interested in her impressio... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2667530 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:54:41 +0100 2667530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2598349&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2456 In Calling Wal-Mart Stupid I listed multiple reasons why it is in Wal-Mart’s interest to back mandatory health insurance rules for employers. The National Retail Federation called the move, “the single most destructive thing you could do to the health-care system shy of a single-payer system.” But after reading three seemingly unrelated stories in today’s Wall Street Journal, I’m even more convinced that supporting the mandate makes sense for Wal-Mart. Slump Spreads to Health Care As Michigan Loses Auto Jobs highlights the plight of laid off workers in the auto industry and supporting fields, who’ve gone from rich to poor as a result of having to pay for their own health insurance. Not surprisingly health care providers in the state are suffering financiall... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2598349 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:49:58 +0100 2598349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452886&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2319 This is a guest post from Tyler Kiley, founder and CEO of InQuicker, LLC In If it works for Disney and restaurants will it work for the Emergency Room? Maybe not, David warned against the dangers of promoting the ER as a primary care site, and suggested that the InQuickER online registration/appointment system may exacerbate the problem. Conceptually, the idea of an emergency medical treatment appointment is counterintuitive; however, I believe it is an effective response to the equally-counterintuitive idea of waiting in an ER waiting room for hours. InQuickER gives patients time and certainty; time, because they can wait at home, and certainty, because they know when they can expect to see the doctor. We are increasingly finding that patients place a high value on the time and certainty ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452886 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:43:12 +0100 2452886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405680&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2256 This is a transcript of my recent podcast interview with Ryan Howard, CEO of Practice Fusion –provider of a free web-based electronic health record (EHR). David Williams: This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Ryan Howard,  CEO of Practice Fusion.  Ryan, thank you for you time today. Ryan Howard: Thank you for your time David.  I appreciate it. David: Ryan what is Practice Fusion? Ryan: Practice Fusion is an electronic health record, which is provided to Physicians at no cost for licensing, hosting, support, and training of the application.  Right now we’re the fastest growing physician practice community in the country. David: Now I’m not shocked that you’ve growing fast b... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405680 Wed, 13 May 2009 17:15:47 +0100 2405680 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405681&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F5%2FRyanHoward.mp3 Practice Fusion is a free web-based electronic health record for ambulatory physician practices that claims to be the fastest growing EHR company around. In this podcast interview with the company’s CEO, Ryan Howard, I delve into Practice Fusion’s revenue model and the company’s positioning against other EHR vendors. We also discuss Practice Fusion’s position on CCHIT certification and meaningful use, and speculate about how the EHR field will evolve over the next few years. You can read the transcript here. (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405681 Tue, 12 May 2009 11:45:18 +0100 2405681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405682&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2247 This is the transcript of my recent interview with Laura Fay, CEO of brain fitness company HAPPYNeuron. David Williams: This is David E. Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Laura Fay.  She is CEO of HAPPYNeuron.  Laura, thanks for joining me. Laura Fay: My pleasure. David: Laura, I understand from an article that you wrote that all 72 million Baby Boomers are slated to be 65 or over  in the next 20 years.  Clearly that’s going to have a major impact on health care needs and health care costs.  I’m wondering: can you give me a sense of how many of those folks are likely to be affected at some point along the way by dementia or Alzheimer’s disease? Laura: Yes, the Alzheimer’s Association ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405682 Mon, 11 May 2009 12:01:41 +0100 2405682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398964&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F5%2FLauraFay.mp3 As the baby boomers approach retirement age, the field of cognitive fitness has begun to gain prominence. In this podcast interview, Laura Fay, CEO of HAPPYNeuron,  discusses mental decline and how companies like hers are addressing it. We talked about the magnitude of the impact of Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment, the strategies that can be used to slow mental decline, and how HAPPYNeuron has validated and personalized its approach. (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398964 Sat, 09 May 2009 11:31:09 +0100 2398964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398965&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2237 Bob Stone is EVP at Healthways, a pioneering disease management company he co-founded in 1981. In Part I of our interview I asked Bob to share his views on health care reform. In Part II, Bob discusses disease management, the medical home, and opportunities Healthways expects to pursue in the coming years. David Williams: This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  This is part two of my podcast interview with Bob Stone, Executive Vice President and co-founder of Healthways, a leading disease management company. In the first part of the interview we talked about health care reform from an historical perspective and heard Bob’s perspective on what’s likely to happen next.  In this part of the interview we’re going to ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398965 Fri, 08 May 2009 00:21:17 +0100 2398965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349030&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2161 Fast Company has a particularly good article (The Doctor of the Future) on how physicians are innovating to reduce costs, improve quality and broaden access. SimulConsult is described in some depth on page 4 Dr. Michael Segal, 54, a renowned pediatric neurologist in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, has been working on [rare disease diagnosis] for 20 years. The result: SimulConsult, a sophisticated online crowd-sourcing tool for identifying neurological disorders that demonstrates the potential of the Web to transform the way all kinds of diseases are diagnosed. Doctors enter a patient’s symptoms and test results, and the software produces likely diagnoses and the probability for each… Segal recognized the need for such a tool as a resident in the 1980s, when he spent hours poring ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349030 Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:54:18 +0100 2349030 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349032&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2151 This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with Dr. Wayne Guerra, co-founder and chief medical officer of Healthagen, the maker of iTriage. David Williams: This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog. I’m speaking today with Wayne Guerra. He’s co-founder and chief medical officer of Healthagen, which makes the iTriage app for the iPhone. Wayne, thanks for your time today. Dr. Wayne Guerra: Thanks for having me, David. David: Wayne, what is iTriage? Wayne: I’ll just give you a quick background. Our chief executive officer, Dr. Peter Hudson and I are both practicing emergency physicians. We’ve witnessed patients struggling to make difficult medical decisions with very limited information. Collectively, we&... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349032 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 02:39:05 +0100 2349032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2319008&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F4%2Fitriage.mp3 iTriage is an impressive iPhone app that its maker refers to as “healthcare in your hand.” With iTriage, someone who’s feeling sick can get more information about what’s ailing them, and then help locate the right place for care –whether an ER, urgent care clinic, or retail clinic. iTriage partners with a telemedicine provider so users can talk directly to a doctor, and they offer  connections to nurse call lines run by health plans. HealthGrades reports are available for users who want to check out provider quality and there is even a cost negotiation service when the medical bill is too high. iTriage is pretty cool. It’s clear that its inventors know the health care system inside and out and really empathize with the patient. It’s well-conceived... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2319008 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 04:01:48 +0100 2319008 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2240934&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2095 This is a transcript of my recent podcast interview with Per Lofberg, chairman and CEO of Generation Health. David E. Williams:  This is David Williams, co founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog. I’m speaking today with Per Lofberg. He’s chairman and CEO of Generation Health. Generation Health is a startup health management company that specializes in helping employers and payers manage medical costs by ensuring optimal utilization of genetic testing. Per is a veteran of the health care industry. He used to run the pharmacy benefit manager Medco and headed up Merck Capital Ventures. Per, thanks for being with me today. Per Lofberg:  Well thank you, David. Pleasure to talk to you again. David:  Per, what opportunity are you addressing with Genera... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2240934 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:59:00 +0100 2240934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232612&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2090 I’m an advisor to SimulConsult, an advanced decision support software company I’ve described before. It’s a perfect example of the type of “disruptive innovation” popularized by Clay Christensen. Christensen himself seems to agree, citing the company in his new book The Innovator’s Prescription and now in Business Week (A Disruptive Solution for Health Care) Consider tools made by SimulConsult, which help physicians make diagnoses that previously required referrals to costlier specialists. SimulConsult’s online medical-decision support tool analyzes information from physicians about a patient’s condition, and then suggests likely diagnoses, based on information about diseases collected in a wiki-like fashion from a large peer-reviewed communi... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232612 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:30:02 +0100 2232612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2216577&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2079 Rick Lifsitz is a serial entrepreneur. Over the past 15 years he’s helped build three companies from the ground up. He’s directly responsible for the creation of hundreds of jobs and many millions of dollars in shareholder value. His latest venture, HyperMed, provides imaging technology that addresses vascular medicine’s most vexing problems. The technology reduces costs and improves patients’ quality of life. Yet the squeeze on venture funding is forcing HyperMed to put on the brakes right at the time that it should be ramping up spending and employment. Rick echoes Thomas Friedman’s argument that the federal government should consider providing venture funding to companies like his. I’ve posted his thoughts below. In a New York Times Op-Ed (Start Up th... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2216577 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:27:47 +0100 2216577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2216578&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2078 When Steve Wardell told me of his plans to organize the Transforming Healthcare Summit to discuss President Obama’s impact on health care, I thought it was a good idea. Steve knows how to organize an event with interesting content and great networking opportunities. I’ve been a participant in some of his gatherings and they’ve led directly to business opportunities for my consulting practice. So of course I told Steve I was game for this upcoming event and wished him the best of luck. I knew some people would show up but didn’t know how many. In the latest email blast today I learned that they are closing in on 500 participants! If you want to register, you can do so online. (As I write this it appears that there are 19 tickets available.) Otherwise you can chance i... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2216578 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:51:07 +0100 2216578 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2210483&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F2%2FClearcount.mp3 In case intra-abdominal surgery isn’t traumatic enough, in every 1000 to 1500 cases a sponge is left behind in the patient. That can mean life-threatening complications for the patient, exposure to unneeded radiation from X-rays, and a need for additional surgery. Until CMS stopped paying for “never events” like these, it also meant additional revenue for the hospital, which could bill for all the rework. ClearCount Medical Solutions puts tiny RFID tags in surgical sponges, allowing the sponges to be detected and counted. In the future, ClearCount hopes to use its platform to track other items such as surgical instruments that can also be left behind. I spoke today with David Palmer, ClearCount’s president and CEO to get his perspective. (Source: Health Business Blo... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2210483 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:59:40 +0100 2210483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2084011&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2026 David O’Reilly, SVP at Proteus Biomedical, has launched the Intelligent Medicine Blog. David and I go back over 20 years –when we were students together at Wesleyan and I recruited him to LEK– and it’s a pleasure to see him add his voice to the blogosphere. The blog focuses on how embedded computer and sensor technology is redefining and revolutionizing health care.  The blog will explore the role of implantable, wearable, digestible and carry-able computers that are becoming integrated into the pharmaceutical, medical device and wellness management products of the future. If you aren’t familiar with Proteus you should check it out. As David writes, Wired Magazine recently listed Proteus’s ingestible microchip as one of the top 10 technology breakthroug... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2084011 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:22:36 +0100 2084011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2081085&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F1%2FLofberg.mp3 Per Lofberg, former head of Medco and Merck Capital Ventures, is now chairman and CEO of Generation Health, a start-up company that helps payers and employers optimize the use of genetic testing. In this interview, Per and I discuss the nature and timing of the opportunity, similarities and differences between Generation Health and PBMs, the expected revenue model, and the likely overlap between Generation and existing PBMs and disease management companies. (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2081085 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:03:22 +0100 2081085 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2060949&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2016 Not every industry fared badly during the Great Depression and not everyone will suffer this time around either. One business that could go either way is cosmetic surgery. The expensive facelift, nice-to-have boob job or just-for-the-heck of it revirginization may be out. On the other hand, the Botox or Restylane treatment to better compete with the 20 and 30 somethings suddenly becomes a must-do career investment rather than an indulgence.  According to the Wall Street Journal (Keeping Up Appearances In a Downturn), the cosmetic industry is quickly catching on: Wendy Lewis, a plastic-surgery consultant who sees clients in New York, London, and West Palm Beach, says she also advises physicians to adopt some of the same sales-promotion strategies as retailers. This holiday season, for the ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2060949 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:51:20 +0100 2060949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2060950&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D2015 The Chinese Internet domain name scammers are at it again. See Asia Domain Name Registration scam and Fexon Technology Ltd. Internet Registration Center scam for a description of what’s going on. The basic idea is to scare people into buying lots of extensions of their existing domain name at outrageous prices. I received a slightly updated version of the scam today. The “Confidentiality Notice” is a new feature –but the scammers don’t seem to understand what confidentiality means: Subject: About “Mppllc” Intellectual Property Rights (TO CEO & Principal) From: Nicholas Date: 2:36 AM To: [my email address] Dear CEO & Manager, We are a professional internet consultant organization in Asia, which mainly deal with the Longhua companies’... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2060950 Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:28:34 +0100 2060950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1920963&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1967 Trusted.MD Network CEO Dmitriy Kruglyak shines a harsh light on Health 2.0 in a letter to Modern Healthcare (Buzz surrounding Health 2.0 ‘way overblown’): Just because a thousand people attended a conference to socialize, kick tires and promote their wares does not mean Health 2.0 is here to stay or that the industry is undergoing a revolution (what happened to the eponymous company?). We have seen similar manias with dot-coms and regional health information organzations and everyone knows how long they lasted and how they ended. Irrational exuberance attracts a lot of onlookers. …If you type in a few high-profile Health 2.0 company URLs and do back-of-the-envelope estimation of how much money they have to make per user to pay their expenses and turn a profit it is not ha... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1920963 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:09:44 +0100 1920963 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1914621&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1964 This is a transcript of my recent podcast interview with Telerays CEO, Dr. Daniel Roubein. David E. Williams:  This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog. I’m speaking today with Dr. Daniel Roubein. He is the CEO of Telerays. Dr. Roubein, thanks for your time today. Dr. Daniel Roubein:  David, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you. I appreciate the chance to discuss Telerays with you on Health Business Blog. David:  First of all, what’s the concept behind this company Telerays? Dr. Roubein:  Telerays is basically about connecting people. The Telerays platform is designed to enable hospitals and imaging centers to work directly with radiologists, and to give hospitals and imaging centers instant access to quality... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1914621 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:17:09 +0100 1914621 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1911353&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1962 This is a transcript of my podcast interview with Dr. Ralph Kalies, CEO of BidRx. David Williams:  This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog. I am speaking today with Dr. Ralph Kalies, he is CEO of BidRx. Dr. Kalies, how are you today? Dr. Ralph Kalies:  I’m pretty good. David:  Great! Well, tell me about BidRx. How did you come up with the idea for it? Ralph:  Well, I came up with the idea, because I’ve been involved in the healthcare area for about 30 years, mainly with the pharmaceutical use process. Looking at the pharmaceutical use process, I’ve owned PBMs, I’ve owned physician practices. I’ve consulted pharmaceutical manufacturers, and done pharmaceutical phase three and phase four research. I&#82... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1911353 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 02:09:47 +0100 1911353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1891973&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2008%2F10%2Ftelerays.mp3 Telerays is a teleradiology company that provides a platform for hospitals and imaging centers to connect with radiologists. Telerays credentials radiologists, who are then permitted to bid on the image interpretation needs of hospitals and imaging centers. The company handles the billing and takes a 15% commission on revenues received. I spoke today with Dr. Daniel Roubein, CEO of Telerays. He laid out the concept behind the company and walked me through the bid process. We talked about the impact of Telerays on radiologist incomes and work practices, and on hospital and imaging center operations. We discussed Telerays’ policy of performing only final (rather than preliminary) reads. I also asked him about the eventual inclusion of overseas radiologists and the applicability of the ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1891973 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:09:17 +0100 1891973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1886373&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1955 Had to laugh at this one: Real Deal on ‘Joe the Plumber’ reveals new slant. Works as a plumber without a license or proper training. Owes back taxes. Would be likely to get a tax cut under Obama. (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1886373 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:53:51 +0100 1886373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1868542&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1949 One of the little perks of blogging is receiving offers of free products and services from companies trying to make a name for themselves. I like to promote clever entrepreneurial solutions to health care problems, so I try to say yes when I can. Some products are harder to write about than others. For example, I accepted a sample Flat-D reusuable Flatulence Deodorizer underwear liner, which utilizes activated charcoal to damp down odors. I’m still working on how to write about it. Other items are a little easier.  EyeBuyDirect.com bills itself as the online eyeglasses shop. They offer prescription eyeglasses for as little as $7.95. In these tough economic times, I’m sure many people are struggling to afford eyeglasses, so having an affordable option is a real plus. As luck wo... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1868542 Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:05:14 +0100 1868542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1763902&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1904 Earlier in the summer I posted about InfoMed MD, a website that provides personal answers to medical questions. Users complete a short, interactive questionnaire after which the system provides useful advice. There are a variety of InfoMeds available and the list is growing. Some examples include: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Contact Lens Irritation Erectile Dysfunction Stroke Symptoms Vasectomy What I especially like about the site is that the output is well thought out and informative. The information is much better than the typical handouts you get on these topics. Last time I looked the site was charging $6.95 per InfoMed, and even though that’s not unreasonable I thought it would deter users. That’s changed now. With only a few exceptions the InfoMeds are now free... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1763902 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:34:59 +0100 1763902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709098&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2008%2F8%2FAmericanWell.mp3 American Well provides a platform where consumers can obtain real-time access to physicians via the Web. The company has already signed a deal with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Hawaii to offer online services to BCBS members and non-members –and is busy putting other deals in place. I met this morning with Dr. Roy Schoenberg, the company’s CEO. He described the concept behind American Well and outlined the value proposition for health plans, physicians, and consumers.  American Well has big ambitions, which include revolutionizing the practice of medicine, making the medical home a reality, helping health plans stave off disintermediation, and even offering an alternative to politicians’ plans for universal health care. (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709098 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:18:24 +0100 1709098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1671505&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1873 I’ve been testing out infoMed MD, a new website that provides personalized answers to medical questions based on short questionnaires. The technology isn’t especially novel but I kind of like the approach and the way it’s been executed. The user starts by browsing a list of topics, such as anabolic steroids, bad breath, botox and cataract. After answering a few questions the user reaches a screen that summarizes the answers and provides personalized advice and links. What I like about it is that the answers contain real opinions, not just the usual WebMD stuff. One downside: it costs $6.95 to take each infoMed. I’m not sure how many takers there will be. However, the company also offers custom infoMeds that physicians can integrate into their practices. Click here ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1671505 Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:01:41 +0100 1671505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1649008&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1861 This is a transcript of my recent podcast interview with Alijor CEO Allison Guimard. David E. Williams:  This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of The Health Business Blog. I am speaking today with Allison Guimard. She is CEO of online health care directory Alijor, which connects patients with physicians and other health care providers. Allison, thanks for being with me today. Allison Guimard:  Thanks for having me David. David:  Allison, what is Alijor? Allison:  Alijor is an online health care community that is working to connect patients with various types of health care providers. One of the biggest things it is based on is enabling patients to search for a doctor based on cost. David:  How does somebody go about it? What is the experience like for a p... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1649008 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:14:17 +0100 1649008 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1642653&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1857 This is a transcript of my recent podcast interview with Dr. Michael Banks. David Williams:  This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of The Health Business Blog. I am speaking today with Dr. Michael Banks, who is co-founder and vice president of The Doctor’s Channel. Michael, thanks for your time today. Dr. Michael Banks:  Sure, thanks for having me David. David:  Michael, how did you come up with the idea for The Doctor’s Channel? Dr. Banks:  Well, the whole world is media snacking. Whether it is in health care or in other businesses or consumers, everybody is consuming their media in very small, digestible one to two minute bites. Whether it is looking at email on your iPhone, looking at RSS newsfeeds on your desktop or wherever you are, everyo... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1642653 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:01:33 +0100 1642653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1637766&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2008%2F7%2FAlijor.mp3 Alijor is an online directory where physicians and other providers post profiles and prices, and patients can search for the providers that meet their needs. Patients also have the option to post information on what they’re looking for, and let providers find them. I spoke today with founder and CEO Allison Guimard about how Alijor is different from other provider rating, finder, and community sites. We also discussed Alijor’s business model and its plans for international expansion. (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1637766 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:06:25 +0100 1637766 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1535736&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1823 This is a transcript of my recent podcast interview with Keith Lemer of WellNet Healthcare. David Williams: This is David Williams, co founder of MedPharma Partners and author of Health Business Blog. Small and mid sized employers have a hard time affording health insurance. One reason is that their carriers, third party administrators, and brokers tend not to provide the information and tools that would help keep costs under control. WellNet Healthcare is addressing this issue by taking client friendly approaches to pharmacy benefit management, third party administration and care management. I spoke recently with Keith Lemer, the company’s President. He discussed WellNet’s current offerings and its newly announced Point-to-Point health care platform. Keith, what is WellNet Hea... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1535736 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:03:26 +0100 1535736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1531233&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1821 This is a transcript of my podcast interview with Evan Falchuk. David Williams: This is David Williams co founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog. I met recently with Evan Falchuk, President of Best Doctors, a company that provides clinical insights to patients who are facing uncertain diagnosis or treatment choices. Best Doctors sells its services as an employee benefit to companies in the US and around the world. When an employee or a dependent is diagnosed with a serious illness they can submit their case to Best Doctors. The company gathers their medical information and consults with its expert network of physicians to review the diagnosis and treatment options. In many cases, the patient receives a different diagnosis and treatment plan than what they star... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1531233 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:41:37 +0100 1531233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1512159&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2008%2F6%2FWellnet.mp3 Small and mid-sized employers have a hard time affording health insurance. One reason is that their carriers, third-party administrators and brokers tend not to provide the information and tools that would help keep costs under control. WellNet Healthcare is addressing this issue by taking client-friendly approaches to pharmacy benefit management, third party administration and care management. I spoke recently with Keith Lemer, the company’s president, who discussed WellNet’s current offerings and its newly announced Point to Point Healthcare platform. A few minutes into the discussion, Keith refers to a five-step process. A one-page PDF file that shows what he’s talking about can be downloaded here. (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1512159 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:20:05 +0100 1512159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1508344&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2008%2F6%2FOzmosis.mp3 I spoke recently with Dr. Jason Bhan, co-founder of Ozmosis, a physician-only social networking site whose motto is “Diffusing knowledge across the Internet.” We spoke about how physicians are using Ozmosis, differences between Ozmosis and other sites like Sermo, and the company’s somewhat unusual business model. (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1508344 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:45:11 +0100 1508344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1497440&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1802 If you’re expecting the upcoming Presidential and Congressional elections to make a big difference in the US health care system, you are going to be disappointed. I don’t think the candidates health care proposals would do all that much to resolve the key issues of cost, quality, patient safety, access and customer service. As Kaiser Family Foundation’s Drew Altman has written, it’s not even a sure thing that health care will be a major issue in the general election campaign nor that the new President and Congress will take major steps once sworn in. There will be a tremendous challenge in assembling a majority for anything significant. Indeed the most likely outcome is a simple reauthorization and modest expansion of SCHIP, a program for kids. I’d like to sug... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1497440 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 03:59:17 +0100 1497440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1460962&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1788 This is a transcript of my podcast interview with Don R. Powell, CEO of the American Institute for Preventive Medicine. David Williams: This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog. I am at the Consumer Health World Conference in Las Vegas where I spoke today with Don Powell, PhD, President and CEO of the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, a for-profit wellness company that is celebrating its 25th year in business. Don and I spoke about how the wellness field has evolved over time, how employers think about the benefits of wellness programs, and about the kinds of customization and integration that are required to achieve success. Don, thanks for being here today. Don Powell: Thank you, David. Nice to be here. David: What is the A... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1460962 Thu, 22 May 2008 01:42:41 +0100 1460962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1458534&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2008%2F5%2FFalchuk.mp3 I met recently with Evan Falchuk, President of Best Doctors, a company that provides clinical insights to patients who are facing uncertain diagnoses or treatment choices. Best Doctors sells its services as an employee benefit to companies in the US and around the world. When an employee or dependent is diagnosed with a serious illness, they can submit their case to Best Doctors. The company gathers their medical information and consults with its expert network of physicians to review the diagnosis and treatment options. In many cases the patient receives a different diagnosis and treatment plan than what they started with. Evan and I spoke about how Best Doctors compares with traditional second opinions, the relationship between health insurance and Best Doctors’ services, and the c... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1458534 Wed, 21 May 2008 00:34:42 +0100 1458534 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1454378&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1784 Thieves will pay 10x as much for stolen personal health information than for a stolen credit card. I think I know why. According to The New Hacker Economics, in the New York Times: Company e-mail, business documents and personal health information are the new targets of choice for illegal hackers, according to Finjan, a San Jose-based maker of Web security software and appliances… “Money is the motivation for criminal hackers, and it is this kind of information that has become most valuable,” [Finjan CEO, Yuval Ben-Itzhak] said. A couple of years ago, credit card numbers and bank account PINs sold for $100 or more on sites selling stolen information, Mr. Ben-Itzhak said. Now, the price is down to $10 or $20, compared to $150 to $200 for some of the newer documents. The article di... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1454378 Mon, 19 May 2008 16:57:27 +0100 1454378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1449316&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1783 A reader sent along a tip about an excellent presentation given at Harvard Medical School by Zen Chu, a venture capitalist and medical device entrepreneur. You can download the presentation from the Center for Integration of Medicine & Innovative Technology (CIMIT) blog. It’s well worth having a look. Here are some tidbits I picked up from the document: Innovation without impact is worthless: Unmet clinical needs is a cliche, translational medicine must strive to become Standard of Care A very high share of med-tech innovations originate with physicians, and those inventions have a higher impact on average MDs look at value creation differently from investors, who attach more value to later stages of development than do the inventors. “Innovation is spark, development dri... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1449316 Fri, 16 May 2008 18:46:34 +0100 1449316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1429014&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2008%2F5%2FParkinson.mp3 Michael D. Parkinson, MD, MPH has had an interesting career. In this podcast interview, Dr. Parkinson describes how his experience as an Air Force physician taught him about how personal health behaviors and organizational culture impact health and health care costs. He explains why he left government service to become Chief Health and Medical Officer with consumer-directed health plan startup Lumenos, where he emphasized prevention and chronic care management. He also discusses his current role as President of the American College of Preventive Medicine. Parkinson and I discussed the interaction between prevention and costs, the positioning of consumer directed plans as “high deductible” plans for the wealthy and well (something Parkinson doesn’t care for) and the role h... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1429014 Thu, 08 May 2008 04:01:56 +0100 1429014 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423178&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2008%2F5%2FPowell.mp3 I’m at the Consumer Health World Conference in Las Vegas where I spoke today with Don Powell, PhD, President and CEO of the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, a for-profit wellness and demand management company that is celebrating its 25th year in business. Don and I spoke about how the wellness field has evolved over time, how employers think about the benefits of wellness programs, and about the kinds of customization and integration that are required to achieve success. (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423178 Tue, 06 May 2008 04:32:12 +0100 1423178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1396419&cid=t_104236_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F276956278%2Fyesterdays_business_plan_shrin.html Only 43 women grew their great ideas into Fortune 1000 status. Most people’s unique mix of intelligences remain hidden or unused at work. In spite of people like Jack Welch … who threatened to shoot his successor over slipping profits … traditional business structures are fading fast. What do the three statements above hold in common?Yesterday’s business plan shrinks today’s brainchild. Increasingly people describe toxic workplaces and report their hatred for going to work. With big businesses a part of the past … new windows are opening to revolutionize what it means to own and run successful organizations.Traditional business plans … in contrast to brain based counterparts … fail to ask questions that support cuttin... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1396419 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:41:05 +0100 1396419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1391265&cid=t_104236_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F275376673%2Ffloat_your_business_on_the_wat.html Entrepreneurs built it and entrepreneurs are buying it. Innovative thinkers are increasingly moving their brainpower east … where creativity’s moving out to sea.Dubai … to be exact …  is touting an entrepreneur’s brain child … building organizations over seabeds … and it's already working wonders. The plan is to protect human lives ... organizations ... and properties from global warming dangers. Why Dubai? It's said to be the place of opportunity ... where  innovations of every kind survive, grow, and thrive. Would you move your firm there to jumpstart research and development in your field? For some … life in Dubai demands too big a sacrifice. Check out 20 reasons not to move t... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1391265 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:34:53 +0100 1391265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1340579&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1715 Michael D. Horowitz MD MBA is interviewed by the Entrepreneurial MD. Hear how Dr. Horowitz’s fascination with leadership and management led to his enrollment in an MBA program, and how one concept taught in class caught his attention sufficiently, that two or three years later, he is now living and breathing medical tourism, and globetrotting to foreign places to better understand who his ideal target market is, and what problems they are needing help with solving. (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1340579 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 06:21:15 +0100 1340579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1335209&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1708 Lehman Brothers, a big investment bank, may have been swindled out of $250 million, which was supposed to be used to buy medical equipment. From the Wall Street Journal: Late last year, a unit of the New York-based investment bank issued loans to a fund run by a medical consulting company owned by LTT Bio-Pharma Co., a Japanese biotechnology company based in Tokyo. The funds, which were to be used to help provide trade financing for hospitals buying medical equipment, were secured with certificates from Marubeni Corp., one of Japan’s biggest trading firms. Lehman grew concerned at the end of February when its funds were not repaid…The LTT Bio-Pharma subsidiary filed for bankruptcy protection on March 19. Lehman officials acknowledged that the firm has filed a criminal complaint... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1335209 Sat, 29 Mar 2008 03:13:04 +0100 1335209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1268392&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1669 In Asia Domain Name registration scam I described a scam by a Chinese or Hong Kong company to scare people into buying lots of extensions of their existing domain name at outrageous prices. Now the same folks seem to be back with a similar email and similar phone number. I’m posting the contents of this latest email in the hopes of saving others from the same scam. From: jesse Subject: Mppllc Intellectual Property Rights(To CEO) Dear CEO, We are Fexon Technology Ltd, which is the Internet Registration Center in Asia. We have something important need to confirm with your company. On the February 28, 2008, we received an application formally. One company named “MNIDERPY Holdings Limited” applied for the internet  Brand Name”Mppllc” Domain names ” mppllc.... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1268392 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:03:02 +0100 1268392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1236203&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1650 I’ve got germs on my mind today. Specifically I had an appointment with the travel clinic at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston to prepare for an upcoming business trip to Uganda. Along with the challenging logistics of getting there, there are a few issues to worry about, like malaria, Yellow Fever, hepatitis, typhoid and meningitis. I was impressed with the nurse I met at the clinic. She went through the preparations and recommendations with me, and tactfully brought in the Chief of the BI Infectious Disease division for some friendly persuasion when she sensed (correctly) my resistance to a particular recommendation. After reading about disease transmission and precautions for Uganda I was well prepped for the front-page Wall Street Journal article (Restroom Decor:... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1236203 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:24:13 +0100 1236203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1220537&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1642 Michael D. Horowitz, MD, MBA has launched Medical Insights International to provide consulting on medical tourism topics. Dr. Horowitz is a contributor to MedTripInfo and a sharp guy. “Insights” is an apt description of his practice and I wish him the best. (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1220537 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 02:12:56 +0100 1220537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173147&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1612 This is a transcript of my recent podcast interview with Ben Heywood, CEO of Health 2.0 company PatientsLikeMe. David Williams:  This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business blog. I’m a fan of PatientsLikeMe, a social networking site for patients with life changing illnesses, and I’ve blogged about it in the past. So, it was a real pleasure to sit down recently with the company’s co-founder and CEO, Ben Heywood, to get a firsthand account of their progress. We talked about the differences between PatientsLikeMe and other Health 2.0 communities; the extension of the platform from the original focus on ALS to a broader set of conditions, the company’s openness philosophy, and how PatientsLikeMe intends to monetize its off... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173147 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 03:24:20 +0100 1173147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1166377&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1608 iCardiac Technologies, Inc. a Rochester, NY based startup company that’s developing cardiac safety biomarkers, is featured prominently in yesterday’s Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Strong pulse at iCardiac in Brighton). The company has spun out ECG technology from the University of Rochester’s renowned Heart Research Follow-up Program. iCardiac is already helping pharmaceutical companies determine which drugs cause cardiac safety problems, and which don’t. The current gold standard, a semi-manual measurement of the “QT interval” over a few heartbeats, is primitive. As a result, some drugs with cardiac safety dangers make it to market –only to cause problems once they do– and promising drugs are kept from the market needlessly because they ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1166377 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:02:48 +0100 1166377 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1124865&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2008%2F1%2FHeywood.mp3 Patients Like Me is one of my favorite Health 2.0, social networking websites. The online community enables patients with serious illnesses to build content-rich connections to similar patients. Patients are motivated to provide all the relevant information about themselves and to stick with the site over time to help one another. As a consequence, Patients Like Me users collectively generate robust data sets that have the potential to generate meaningful insights for researchers and commercial entities. That leads to some interesting business opportunities for the company. During the relative lull of the last week of 2007 I had the chance to sit down with Ben Heywood, CEO and co-founder of Patients Like Me to catch up on the company’s progress. We talked about the differences betwee... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1124865 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:30:58 +0100 1124865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1082158&cid=t_104236_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F197627263%2Fentrepreneurs_network_with_the.html With the fade of mega firms and the rise of entrepreneurs, many leaders look to networks as a way to cultivate and sustain business. Where do you network?I’ve been thinking or starting a MITA Network Association called Entrepreneurs With the Brain in Mind.  Emphasis on BRAIN – this group would do 5 things: B- build transformational leadersR -rejuvenate creative centersA -align revenue streams to ideasI - interact with diverse thinkersN -nurture brain based growthSpeaking of nurturing brain based growth … imagine the zip added to a Rotary group … that supported an arm for entrepreneurs and tackled any of these five initiatives. Or consider the strength added to your faith related groups … that brought together and encouraged its... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1082158 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 17:18:00 +0100 1082158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1073148&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1561 From the Daily Telegraph (Missing canoeist arrested on suspicion of fraud) A canoeist who turned up alive five years after he was thought to have drowned at sea has been arrested on suspicion of fraud. John Darwin was arrested after a picture came to light appearing to show him together with his wife in Panama last year. Mr Darwin, a 57-year-old married father-of-two from Hartlepool, walked into a police station in London on Saturday claiming to have lost his memory. He disappeared after paddling out to sea in his canoe in Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool, in 2002. The canoeist’s wife admitted last night that she had claimed on her husband’s life insurance policy after his “death”. However, Anne Darwin, who emigrated to Panama in Central  America six weeks ago, insist... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1073148 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 03:25:21 +0100 1073148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1054957&cid=t_104236_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F191311971%2F10_incentives_to_think_it_thro.html Wherever you spot a highly successful visionary and leader … you’ll also see reflection as a growth engine. That’s because reflective people tend to ride the bus – while pushing it at the same time. How so?  Successful entrepreneurs reflect to:1. Spot adventures that non intrapersonal leaders miss. 2  Gain support as they encourage  rather than criticize3  Resolve conflicts as research shows wisdom comes in reflection4  Foster respect since reflection helps people avoid meta messages5  Rekindle growth since human brains are wired to reflect on renewal6  Live healthier because reflection requires us to repay sleep debts7  Develop acumen as they reflect on workplace intelligences used8  Calculate progress since reflection ... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1054957 Tue, 27 Nov 2007 14:49:06 +0100 1054957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1036906&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1538 This is a transcript of my recent podcast interview with Dr. Marlene Beggelman. David Williams: This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of The Health Business Blog. I spoke earlier today with Dr. Marlene Beggelman, founder of Enhanced Medical Decisions. Her company has just released a public beta version of DoubleCheckMD, a free web-based tool that enables users to enter their medications and symptoms to identify possible drug interactions and adverse effects. The tool uses advanced natural language search technology to instantly compile and organize information that would otherwise take hours to pull together and interpret. Dr. Beggelman and I spoke about how the system can be used, plans for integration with other tools, and the company’s business mod... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1036906 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 01:02:00 +0100 1036906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1032938&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2007%2F11%2Fbeggelman.mp3 I spoke earlier today with Dr. Marlene Beggelman, founder of Enhanced Medical Decisions. Her company has just released a public beta version of DoubleCheckMD, a free web-based tool that enables users to enter their medications and symptoms to identify possible drug/drug interactions and adverse effects. The tool uses advanced natural language search technology to instantly compile and organize information that would otherwise take hours to pull together and interpret. The system is powerful and intuitive; I suggest you give it a try. Dr. Beggelman and I spoke about how the system can be used, plans for integration with other tools, and the company’s business model. (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1032938 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 19:13:33 +0100 1032938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1007253&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1523 Christi de Moraes had weight loss surgery in 2001 and moved to Brazil with her family shortly thereafter. While there she underwent body reconstruction surgery. The results were great and the price was reasonable. As she shared this information with peers, she realized there was an opportunity to bring others to Brazil for the same experience –and MedNetBrazil was born. Christi and I spoke about the state of plastic surgery in Brazil and the services provided by her company. She’s a real believer in concierge services, to the extent that she doesn’t think it’s important for her clients to bring a companion with them. Plastic surgery after weight loss is likely to become a strong niche in medical tourism. Obese Americans are increasingly seeking surgery for radical weight reduct... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1007253 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:42:51 +0100 1007253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=965327&cid=t_104236_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F172350473%2Fsuccessful_entrepreneurs_you_a.html Brain Based Business is invited to over to Successful Blog, and it promises to be quite a bash! Why not join us. On October 24th we'll all be over at Liz Strauss’ site ... all day ... at an Open Comments Party. You’d be welcome to tag along too … and  I hope you’ll join Liz’s fun, and get to meet Strauss and her brainy blogger fans from all over. Liz always inspires a response regardless of how busy you are… in her own warm words … “I'm writing to you because, in some way, you have touched and changed the course, the atmosphere, the conversation that is Successful Blog. And as we come to the end of the second year, I want to honor what you brought.”  And she does just that at her site. ... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=965327 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 03:27:00 +0100 965327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=964560&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1497 This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with Steve Harden, President of LifeWings. David Williams: This David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog. Steve Harden started his career as a Navy pilot with more than 300 aircraft carrier landings. Steve eventually co-founded Crew Training International where he brought crew resource management training, sometimes called CRM, to US and overseas air forces and commercial fleets. More recently, Steve founded LifeWings to bring CRM to health care. Steve spoke with me today about what hospitals can learn from guerilla warfare tactics, how landing on an aircraft carrier compares with his current work, and the importance of bringing a wing man with you to the hospital. Steve, thanks for your... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=964560 Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:52:02 +0100 964560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=964742&cid=t_104236_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F172101409%2Fentrepreneurs_move_more_intell.html Successful entrepreneurs distinguish their firms by the way they move mental resources, into practical tools for stirring up talents. First, they deal with differences in ways that ratchet up productivity. How so? For instance, innovative thinkers who add feet to their ideas,  both use and develop multiple intelligences in ways that add to the bottom line. Check out this survey to see if it happens for you?If individual, team or unit productivity has decreased from where you stand, or if morale is down, and  you sense business could be better, it’s likely time to move your mental resources to get better effects.  Here’s how multiple intelligences moved one driver ed business into better results, for instance.Just as lack of mental energy results in less prod... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=964742 Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:42:18 +0100 964742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=958860&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1493 This is a transcript of my podcast interview with MedHelp’s CEO, John de Souza. David Williams: This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners, and author of the Health Business Blog. I spoke today with John de Souza, CEO of MedHelp, a popular website where patients can post questions about their health and receive answers from leading doctors. The service is advertising supported, and attracts about four million visitors a month. Although MedHelp fits into the Health 2.0 bucket, the company’s actually been around since 1994. John and I spoke about how patients use the site, why physicians and hospitals participate, and MedHelp’s plans for growth. John, thanks for being with me today. John de Souza: Thank you for having me. David: John, tell me a little... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=958860 Wed, 17 Oct 2007 17:30:16 +0100 958860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=911858&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2007%2F09%2FHarden.mp3 Steve Harden started his career as a Navy pilot, with more than 300 aircraft carrier landings. Steve eventually co-founded Crew Training International, where he brought Crew Resource Management training (or CRM) to US and overseas air forces and commercial fleets. More recently Steve founded LifeWings to bring CRM to health care. Steve spoke with me today about what hospitals can learn from guerrilla warfare tactics, how landing on an aircraft carrier compares with his current work, and the importance of bringing a wingman with you to the hospital. (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=911858 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:18:18 +0100 911858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=908560&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1466 This is the transcript of my podcast interview with Jonathan Edelheit. David Williams: This is David Williams, CEO of MedTripInfo.com. Jonathan Edelheit is an executive at a company that sells limited benefit health plans, which are sometimes called Mini Meds. These plans cover day-to-day expenses but they don’t cover major surgery. Jonathan’s involvement in medical tourism began as a way to add affordable major medical coverage to Mini Med Plans. But now, he’s going a step beyond, by founding the Medical Tourism Association. I spoke with Jonathan about the future of medical tourism as an insurance benefit and his plans for the Association. I’m speaking today with Jonathan Edelheit, Vice President of OptiMed Health/United Group Programs. Jonathan, thanks for being w... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=908560 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 16:27:05 +0100 908560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=904528&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2007%2F09%2FMedhelp.mp3 I spoke today with John de Souza, CEO of MedHelp, a popular website where patients can post questions about their health and receive answers from leading physicians. The service is advertising supported and attracts 4 million visitors a month. Although MedHelp fits into the Health 2.0 bucket, the company’s actually been around since 1994. John and I spoke about how patients use the site, why physicians and hospitals participate, and MedHelp’s growth plans. John was born in Ethiopia, left during the revolution and ended up at MIT where he studied medical robotics. The highlight of his academic career was getting accepted to Harvard Medical School, but he decided not to attend once he found out that US immigration rules would force him to go back to Africa before he could practice here! ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=904528 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 01:45:02 +0100 904528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=807031&cid=t_104236_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F145511958%2F5_facts_colleges_forget_to_tel.html College lectures have yet to cultivate entrepreneurial brains – and it shows as Americans backslide in competitive global markets. For one thing, we stall mentally ... because traditional lectures work against the human brain. It doesn’t have to be that way.Dr. Robyn McMaster and I plan to spark vibrant graduate roundtables by rejuvenating curiosity about how humans harness brainpower for entrepreneurial leadership.We’ve just created a Master level Brain Based course to teach this fall for Entrepreneurial Leaders at the University of Rochester‘s Center for Lifelong Learning. The course opens with the question ... What does it take to become an entrepreneurial learder? In response we'll write a book together - titled... Brain Based Learning and Leading ... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=807031 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 15:32:13 +0100 807031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=792835&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedtripinfo.com%2Faudio%2Fdownload%2F218%2FInterview%2Bwith%2BGlobalChoice%2BHealthcare%2527s%2BKen%2BErickson.mp3 I spoke earlier today with Ken Erickson, founder of GlobalChoice Healthcare. GlobalChoice isn’t a medical tourism agency. It bills itself as a procedure management firm, offering employers a supplemental benefit that extends their provider network to additional US and international locations. Ken and I spoke about his providers and customers, continuity of care, accreditation, credentialing, [...] (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=792835 Sat, 11 Aug 2007 00:17:51 +0100 792835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=675372&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1311 This is a transcript of my recent podcast interview with Rudy Rupak, founder and president of Planet Hospital. You can listen to the audio version here. David Williams: This is David Williams of Medpharma Partners and the Health Business Blog. I spoke earlier today with Rudy Rupak, Founder and President of Planet Hospital, a company that arranges medical travel to fourteen international destinations. Listen in to hear Rudy and me talk about the ins and out of medical travel; what patients can expect when they leave the country for care; how insurance carriers are thinking about coverage, and what happens to patients when they return to the US. Rudy, thanks for joining me today. Rudy Rupak: Hello David. Thanks for having me. David: Rudy, tell me a little bit about how Planet Hospital works.... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=675372 Wed, 13 Jun 2007 01:13:15 +0100 675372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=629079&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1275 The objective of the Pfizer alliance as well as a number of our efforts within the industry is really to influence the guidance and to be able to drive towards a set of markers that are industry accepted for decision-making in this area. David: So, obviously cardiac safety has been in the news enough that the general reader would know about it. I’m wondering, if you think about a drug like Vioxx, which was on the market for a long period of time and then these heart problems were discovered; how would the Vioxx development and launch have been different if you’d been involved? If iCardiac had been involved would Vioxx have been kept off the market in the first place? Mike: Excellent question. Just to clarify, there are a few different classes of cardiac problems that end up occ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=629079 Mon, 21 May 2007 05:01:57 +0100 629079 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=611974&cid=t_104236_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D1263 Came out of a meeting this afternoon and turned on my Blackberry. Saw the following breaking news stories: 1:01 pm CNN Breaking News: Televangelist Jerry Falwell is being given CPR… 1:36 pm CNN Breaking News: The Rev. Jerry Falwell has died at age 73… 1:43 pm Boston.com Newsletters: The Rev. Jerry Falwell, who founded the Moral Majority and built the religious right into a political… 1:45 pm WSJ NEWS ALERT: Jerry Falwell dies at 73… 1:53 pm Breaking News from MedPage Today: Jerry Falwell dies at 73… Come on guys. Even Anna Nicole Smith didn’t generate so many alerts. (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=611974 Wed, 16 May 2007 00:49:23 +0100 611974