Plan for 2013

As the new year is about to dawn, I reflect on the past year's accomplishments and prepare for the challenges of the new year.  Congress is currently bickering over the Federal budget and the impending "fiscal cliff" and I worry what will be negotiated in the "back room" at the last minute.  What items will be hidden in the budget regarding healthcare and what effects will it have on rural Hospitals' and our ability to remain independent?  Will we be able to continue our focus of enhancing our service offerings and improving patient care through technology?  Or will we be forced to focus on survival by shrinking our costs and contracting our offerings?  Or even worse, seeking an acquisition partner?  I hope this will all be resolved soon enough and that my fears and concerns were just that, useless worry!  Either way, I believe 2013 will be a year of momentous change in the Healthcare industry.  Only time will tell if it is for the good or the bad.

 

"Be Everywhere"

I recently listened to a podcast that really clicked with me.  The central theme of the message was that to be an effective communicator and thought leader today, you need to be everywhere.  In today's connected and digital world, there are so many different ways and/or places to get out your message, it is very hard to reach all audiences. So the logical way to attempt to do this is to "be everywhere".  Have a presence on Facebook, Google +, LinkedIn, Twitter and podcasts.  Start a blog, speak at users groups and other events, write for journals, post video's on YouTube, host conference calls and listserves.  Do whatever you can to reach as many people, in as many ways, as you possibly can. Do this with the idea of helping people learn and get answers to their problems and questions.  The digital world is exploding with new and efficient ways to communicate with each other. Lets all try to use these tools to help each other make the world a better place!