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Podcast (but not mine): I discuss ACA, HIPAA, consumerism in healthcare

Longtime readers know how I’ve railed against how the mainstream media’s coverage of healthcare reform in general and the Affordable Care Act in particular, notably the fact that Obamacare addresses a lot more than just insurance coverage. I’ve also railed against how hospitals have used HIPAA as an excuse not to give patients copies of their medical records, when, in fact, the privacy rule says the exact opposite, something HHS finally saw need to provide guidance on just this month.

Those of you who have followed me to MedCity News know that I’ve also been covering the Get My Health Data effort since the beginning last summer — and its roots in the HHS decision to water down “patient engagement” requirements in the Meaningful Use EHR incentive program nearly a year ago.

With this in mind, I knew exactly what I was going to talk about when an old college friend, Missouri lawyer and published novelist Dale Wiley, asked me to be one of the first guests on his new podcast, the Dale Wiley Show. We talked for a good half hour, and probably could have gone on for longer, and I am especially grateful he let me talk about multiple system atrophy, the rare disease that took my dad’s life in 2012.

I do have to take Dale to task for picking a photo of me with my face bandaged from my injury at the 2011 HIMSS conference. He told me he picked more for pixel size than for aesthetic quality. Ah, well. I’m probably due for a new professional headshot anyway.

Click here for the iTunes link to the Dale Wiley Show. Music fans will especially like it, as Dale formerly ran an indie record label and knows a lot of people in the business.

January 18, 2016 I Written By

I'm a freelance healthcare journalist, specializing in health IT, mobile health, healthcare quality fast $5000 loans-cash.net with bad credit, hospital/physician practice management and healthcare finance.

Health eVillages turns 5 with NYC awards ceremony

It’s hard to believe it’s been this long, but Health eVillages, which I am on the advisory board of, is nearly five years old.

Health eVillages will celebrate its fifth anniversary on Feb. 23 with a celebration at the Nasdaq MarketSite on Times Square in New York City from 5 to 7 p.m. EST. The event will feature the inaugural Health eVillages Heal-the-Villages Awards. These awards honor individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership — both professionally and personally — to drive forth significant social-good efforts. Honorees demonstrate “Collaborative IQ” by working with others to make a positive impact, and embodying “doing good to do well.”

Health eVillages is also honoring a “Frontline Hero.” This award honors someone who has advanced the health of his/her patients and community by employing the Health eVillages model of empowering clinicians through Health eVillages mobile devices, embedded with advanced medical reference materials and tools.

General tickets for the reception are $250, most or all of which is tax-deductible, and sponsorships start at $1,000. Those giving $5,000 or more will be eligible to help ring the Nasdaq closing bell that day, among other perks.

Click here to purchase tickets or sponsorships.

Thanks. I hope to see you there.

 

January 14, 2016 I Written By

I'm a freelance healthcare journalist, specializing in health IT, mobile health, healthcare quality fast $5000 loans-cash.net with bad credit, hospital/physician practice management and healthcare finance.

Video: John Lynn talks CES and telemedicine

Since I took the full-time job at MedCity News last April, I haven’t been able to post a whole lot on this blog. Time certainly is one factor, but also there’s the little business of not wanting to compete with myself (and risk getting fired).

Finally, though, I have a reason to share something health IT-related on this blog. That’s because the esteemed blogger John Lynn, owner of the Healthcare Scene network that this blog is part of, appeared Friday on MedHeads, MedCity News’ weekly webcast. We discussed last week’s International CES, which John and one of my MedCity colleagues were at, as well as some telemedicine news I broke: HealthSpot ceased operations at the end of 2015.

Click here, then scroll to the bottom of the page to watch the archived video.

January 11, 2016 I Written By

I'm a freelance healthcare journalist, specializing in health IT, mobile health, healthcare quality fast $5000 loans-cash.net with bad credit, hospital/physician practice management and healthcare finance.