Pamela Q. Fernandes's Blog, page 5

20 Ways to Market Your Medical Practice

Today I’m going to write about ways to market your medical practice. I have learned so many different things over the years. If there are a few things life has taught me on my medical journey, they are the things other doctors do right and wrong when it comes to a successful medical practice. What makes some doctors so successful? You meet certain primary care doctors drawing in six million a year and you can have some super-specialists who barely make half a million. What sets them apart?

Marketing. And a lot of that marketing isn’t even that obvious. So here are some ways to market your medical practice.

20 Ways to Market Your Medical Practice

Marketing your medical practice may not necessarily mean flaunting your name everywhere. It includes multiple steps and links that fit together as a whole. Your business isn’t just you. It’s the team and the whole of the function as it operates. So even if you can slowly do these steps one by one, it will make a significant impact on your walk-in rates and better yet, your retention rate. Now, if you operate your clinical practice in a small town with very less competitors in the same specialty, the market share is higher. However, if you operate in a city like Miami, where the market is saturated and there are doctors at every corner, then you need marketing to stand out. I

1. A Professional Website

A lot is changing with the internet and the way search engines operate. Web traffic can vary based on a lot of minute details. I know this because I built and created my website from scratch. It takes a lot of effort to rank on google and other search engines on page one. Even that is not guaranteed.

To create your own website, make sure you host the website yourself so that all the content belongs to you. Make sure the website is mobile-friendly. Lots of patients are accessing health information on their phones. Your website must have contact information, timings, staff information, and other relevant details. Also, try and make your website ADA-compliant for people with hearing and visual impairments.

Now, I know, people will say, why not get a Facebook page instead? You can only cut so many corners but a page will not rank you on a search engine and it will not do what a website does. Besides, it’s the least basic thing a business is expected to have. Remember, you do not own any content on a social media platform.

2. Invest in SEO

Once you have a website, invest in search engine optimization (SEO). I have learned and done this for the last 10 years for various clients.

Create a roadmap around the keywords you want to rank for. Include the city and area that you’re targeting. Then build content around it that is SEO optimized so that you can rank on the first page of Google or whatever search engine.

Most of my clients tend to have no time to create custom content and if they do, they don’t know how to optimize. If you’re a plastic surgery clinic, it’s not enough to do twenty articles on rhinoplasty. You need to have a plan in place. If you start a blog for your patient population, it needs to be customized and different from what’s already out there on the internet. That includes articles, how-to’s, videos, and specially designed infographics.

3. Fill in Your Local Listings

Local listings can really drive a ton of traffic to your website as Google and other search engines see your business as legitimate.

Fill in as much detail as you can. This includes, what kind of business it is, physical location, business hours, services offered, photographs, and contact information (this is only for google but is hidden from the public.)

Search engines like these details filled out and will rank your website higher because the more details there are, the more legitimate you seem. Here’s a YT video courtesy of Howfinity to show you how.

4. Use Professional Photos

A picture is worth a thousand words. Don’t use free stock photography. I see this all the time and people recognize these pictures. Stock photos also seem unrealistic at times.

Hire a professional photographer to take pictures of the space and you. If you’re including staff photos, ensure they have a uniform background and look professional. The exam rooms should be well-lit and clean.

I hired a professional photographer for my own website and books and they have served me well over the years. I use them everywhere. And they have become part of my brand.

5. Create A Business Avatar

Remember you’re building a reputation that will draw in people. Your online business avatar is important. If you’re on social media, stay close to your brand. I understand that you’re a human and deserve to have the freedom to be who you are but you can’t be Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I have seen people post awful stuff about themselves and others online.

Don’t post drunk videos of yourself or snorting drugs. Don’t curse and swear online because that’s what you would do in real life. Your patient’s don’t need to see that.Don’t post explicit/depreciating images no matter how funny you think it is.

There are days when I would love to speak my mind into the void of the internet but I remember that I have a business to run. And my reputation is a part of that.

To build your business avatar, you need to carefully craft an image of your business online all the time, no matter what social media you follow.

6. Create a Brand

If you have grand plans of expanding into a center or facility, it makes sense to build your brand. This includes choosing the colors and logo for your business. We all recognize the branding and logo of Mount Sinai health system or that of Cleveland clinic. In the case of the latter, the hallmark in their logo represents the four founders of the health system. You might think this is so trivial but this how marketing works on a subconscious level. You are training people to associate you with a particular color or logo. Every time they see it, they remember your service.

7. Offer Online scheduling

This is a huge draw for patients. Too many people don’t want to deal with long phone wait times and rude humans. Online scheduling makes everyone’s life so much easier. When I needed to get my COVID swab tests and shots, I remember my doctor’s office including the NYH health system, simply allowed us to schedule online. There was no queue and I was in and out in ten minutes. Your website should offer online scheduling.

8. Email Marketing

I don’t particularly like receiving email marketing but it works. One of my employers used to celebrate health days every month and I would create especially related infographics that were emailed to the patients.

9. Print Marketing

You can send out direct mail to patients. This includes brochures, pamphlets, and birthday cards for their birthdays. Patients like being made to feel special. You can also create branded takeaways from your office. If you’re in pediatrics, brand the lollipops you hand out. Think of smaller knickknacks that you can brand and give away like a pen or a keychain. I know an orthopedics office that created keychains in the form of metal plates that they would give away. Talk about being creative.

10. Word of mouth

How the patient experiences you and your business is extremely important. This is because when people like you, they bring their family members to you. They tell their friends and co-workers about you. It is your job to ensure that the backend experience is as good as the front-end experience. By that I mean, are the people manning your front desk hospitable and nice irrespective of circumstances?

If you ever call the Four Seasons hotel, the staff at the desk are trained to speak in a particular tone no matter the time of day. How how much more important when it comes to health? True, people can be sometimes downright rude and impatient, but your front desk needs to be amiable at all times.

Ensure that you have an answering service that answers all calls and takes messages timely. Respond to those messages soon and resolve them. Use automated reminders for appointments and see to it that people can access all their records through the EHR portal. 11. Feedback and Reviews

Don’t wait for reviews online. Leave feedback cards that people can fill up. In Orlando, one of the places where I volunteered had several feedback cards that asked how did we do? That allows people to directly share what they’re happy or unhappy with. Send out surveys to patients after their visit to solicit feedback. Train your practice manager to respond positively to all reviews online. Share reviews and testimonials on your website.

12. Harness the Power of Video

Video is powerful. There is an art to video.

You can either share a video of a specific procedure or a demonstration on a 3d model. Or you can use video to create a brand.

NY-Presbyterian has this amazing campaign about how their doctors and medical staff have made a difference by sharing patient stories in short clips. This is really amazing marketing in a city like NY which has many amazing competing health systems. It is a really good example of brand creation.

13. Create funnels

Creating a funnel is a way of driving people toward you and your services. Funnel creation is a different beast in itself. However, one example would be offering a free ebook (related to your specialty) and collecting emails in exchange. Then using email marketing to share discounts, coupons, and seasonal services and even announce if you’re open to new patients. I know in NY there were several messages that were sent to me to get a particular test done and I would be eligible for x or I could get a gift card for y. A funnel requires a lot of planning though and needs extensive A/B testing.

14. Advertising Billboards

I have seen this a lot in Miami. If you travel anywhere in Miami, the billboards are hard to miss. Especially on the expressway. Even Mount Sinai has this huge billboard in South Miami announcing they’re accepting new patients in every specialty. Smaller centers are also doing the same. I’m sure this is very expensive and not for everybody but if you’re a big shared practice, it’s something to consider. The first billboard is at an art and cultural center in Hialeah. The medical center advertises on the cultural center’s board.

15. Branding vehicles

There are vehicles for various purposes. Some of them deliver meds and others transport elderly patients. Concierge care and their services tend to include all this. You can include your branding on the vehicles or run bus ads. These are some more obvious in-your-face ways of marketing your medical practice. Here are some examples I have seen.

16. Do TV and radio interviews

This is a great way of getting new clients. One of my attendings did a TV interview recently debating the benefits of GLP-1 medications in diabetes patients and their safety. Soon, people start calling in because they see the doctor showcasing their expertise and knowledge and want an appointment with the doctor on TV.

TV and radio shows are a great way to introduce your practice and show people your medical experience through a Q &A or call in session.

17. Offer free events

At one of my previous employers, there was a monthly free blood pressure camp or Diabetes camp where random sugars were tested. Sometimes, we took these camps to various offices. These camps were a great way to build a funnel and also introduce people to our nurses and doctors. Even if you do it once a month, you can build the practice by simply letting people know about the practice. They may not need you right now but in the future, if they do, they will remember you.

18. Community events and Health Fairs

Take part in community events. That’s one of the subtle ways to market your medical practice. During Christmas, I went to the Clermont Christmas parade. South Lake Hospital OBGYN had their own float, so did many other dentists and other allied health folks. They didn’t have to but people loved to see them be a part of the community. The whole of Clermont was there so it was a beautiful advertising moment without really advertising.

You can also participate in health fairs if they are present in the area. Give a talk at the local library. If you offer a screening procedure, do a lecture or a presentation at the local church or Annual Parade to highlight the issue. Offer women discounts during women’s health month etc. You get the idea!19. Answering mail

If you have an answering mail service, don’t let the call-hold time go to waste. Record a podcast or audio clips for patients to hear. Don’t play silly music. I remember my attending asked us, volunteers, to call a practice and we were on hold listening to classical music for 45 minutes. We almost had torticollis. This is prime time. Use it wisely. I notice some practices have resorted to playing the news but I think you can do better. Play important health awareness campaigns or use this opportunity to let people know about discounts or offers. It’s one of the most ignored ways of marketing your medical practice.

20. Talk to your colleagues

You cannot practice medicine in isolation. You need your colleagues to refer to you and they must know you. I have seen several PCP’s refer just to certain doctors based on the reputation of the doctor, their timeliness with sharing notes, the patient experience at the office, and the turnaround time. Often PCP’s will ask patients how was their experience with a doctor and then decide whether to refer others to them or not in the future. They sometimes ask if the patients understood what was said and whether their condition was explained to them. Primary care doctors are learning about you from the patients. Let them know you by talking to them and allowing them to get to know you better before hearing from patients.

Need Help

I know that it is impossible to single-handed do this on your own. When it comes to implementing any of the ways to market your medical practice, most doctors don’t have the time or the inclination to do all this on their own. Between patients and paperwork, they would rather outsource this to someone else. If you need help creating content for your website, SEO optimizing your web presence, and building a brand, you can always reach out to me. As a freelance medical writer, I have created medical content for many doctors and their practices. Or you can work with a medical ad agency to help you out. Better yet, you can implement the above steps slowly over time.

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96 Find Jesus in the Psalms for Lent

God wants more for us than He wants from us.

Barb Roose

WHO IS BARB ROOSE?Barb Roose

Barb Roose is a speaker and author who is passionate about teaching women to live beautifully strong and courageous so that they experience God’s great adventure of faith and purpose for their lives. She’s the proud empty-nest mom of three adult kids and whenever possible, Barb prefers to eat dessert first. You can connect with her on her website: https://www.barbroose.com, Facebook author page, Instagram and Twitter.

Find Jesus in the Psalms for LentPQF · 96 Find Jesus in the Psalms for Lent

In this episode, Barb Roose talks about meditating on the Psalms for Lent. She explains:
-Why do you need to participate in Lent actively?
-How does meditation of the psalms help during Lent, what’s the connection between this book and the life and death of Jesus?
– How does one journey through the psalms for lent?

What Are You Doing During This Lent?

It’s a question many agonize over and finally decide to give up a few things for Lent. The focus entirely being on as Barb says in the podcast what we’re doing for God rather than what He wants to do for us.

I love how Barb hits the nail on the head straight on. When I asked her to be on the podcast, it was just a matter of days before we planned and went ahead to record at about 9 in the morning. It was entirely God’s grace that I stumbled upon her book to focus on my own Lenten journey.

Lent is a hard season. It’s been only a few days and I can already feel the effect of the pruning. All the distractions and temptations clamoring for my attention. The food that I love and the things I used to spend time on are gone but yet, so often my mind drifts to them. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Barb says Lent is a season. Allow it to be a time when you draw nearer to god.

One of the things she is encouraging us to do is read 1 Psalm a day and ask God to reveal Himself to you. If you need help, pick up her devotional and use it to guide you. Barb says we all need a season to help us come out stronger and why not make Lent that season for you? This is a time when you focus on removing a vice and developing a virtue.

I am grateful that Barb was so informative and shared her wisdom on using the Psalms for Lent. Truly, it’s amazing how God worked and brought us together.

Enjoyed this Podcast?

We hope you enjoyed this podcast. Check out our podcasts on the patron of prison ministries, Keeping the Lenten fire burning, and the Spirituality of fasting. If you liked this podcast, like us, leave us a comment, and share our episodes on social media with those who may benefit from it. If there is a particular saint you would like to hear about us, tell us and we’ll add him or her to our future episodes.

We are on iheartradio, Stitcher, Itunes, and tunein.com. We’d love to hear from you. If you hear us on Itunes, please rate and review us.

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95 Christian Courtship in an Oversexed World

When it comes to Christian Courtship, why would you do anything to compromise the salvation of the other person?

Rev. Thomas Morrow

Who is Rev. Thomas Morrow?Rev. Thomas Morrow

Fr. Thomas G. Morrow graduated from St. Charles Seminary in Philadelphia and was ordained in 1982 for the Archdiocese of Washington (DC). He has an STL in Moral Theology from the Dominican House of Studies and received his Doctorate in Sacred Theology (STD) from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in 1999.

He was host for three years (1989-1992) of  Catholic Faith Alive!, a radio program on WNTR in Washington, in which he explained the Catholic faith. Fr. Morrow has appeared as a guest on  Mother Angelica Live and The Abundant Life programs on Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). He has written booklets on the rosary, the Stations of the Cross, and on heaven, hell and purgatory. He has also published many articles in  Homiletics and Pastoral Review,Emmanuel,  Fidelity,  New Covenant,  Our Sunday Visitor,  Lay Witness and  The Catholic Standard.

Fr. Morrow is co-founder of the St. Catherine Society, for single women seeking spiritual growth, and the St. Lawrence Society, the male counterpart to the St. Catherine Society.

His book,  Christian Dating in a Godless World was first published in September 2003 with the title Christian Courtship in An Oversexed World. It is now published by Sophia Inst. Press and is in its fourth printing.  He also authored  Achieving Chastity in a Pornographic World (2006); Be Holy: A Catholic’s Guide to the Spiritual Life (2009); Who’s Who in Heaven (2012); Fatima in Brief (2017) and Amazing Saints (2018).  All of Fr. Morrow’s books can be purchased from Catholic Faith Alive!, Inc.

Fr. Morrow is currently retired and resides at St. Raphael Catholic Church in Rockville, MD.

95 Christian Courtship in an Oversexed WorldPQF · 95 Christian Courtship in an Oversexed World

In this episode, Rev. Thomas Morrow talks about courtship in an oversexed world. He explains:
-What is courtship?
-Which are the 4 Loves?
-What are the steps of a chaste courtship?
-What can singles do during their period of waiting?

Steps to Christian Courtship

I happened to find Fr. Morrows’ book on Amazon on Christian courtship. I have read a lot of books aimed at single Christian women. The book was Christian Courtship in an oversexed world. It was later revised. I love the cover because it depicts what marriage really is. Like two parallel tracks to people go through life alongside each other. And so I wrote to him about doing an episode for Valentine’s Day 2023. To my surprise he agreed and it was wonderful hearing about all the wisdom her has over the many decades that he has worked with young people both single and married.

The concept of courtship is new to me. I have never been courted. No one I know even uses the term. So it was kind of refreshing to hear about this. Fr. Morrow breaks things down very easily about love and the types that exist. Very informative!

Steps of Christian Courtship

It all sounds easy, as easy as 123. I do believe that when God does things, they’re always like the phrase”easy does it,” without struggle, without fuss and without preamble. They just happen without much effort. After all, He is a God of peace and not confusion. So in that sense, the steps seem fairly simple.

Fr. Morrow says first, find a good person. Learn how they treat their family, their parents and even their dog. That’s the most important thing of all.Take your time. He says there’s no point rushing things. Ensure that both are keen on chastity. You want the other person’s salvation and they should want the same for you. Aim to clear things out at the very beginning your stand on contraception, abortion, children, chastity and other major issues. Show affection and Fr. Morrow lists out the many ways to do so. How to Spend your time single?

When you’re single you have the most time in your life that you will ever have to spend time with God.

Rev Thomas Morrow

Rev. Morrow suggests using the time you have to develop the virtues and gradually spend more time with God until you can someday become a daily communicant. He encourages using Catholic dating websites and apps, in addition to doing a novena to find your spouse.

ENJOYED THIS PODCAST?

We hope you enjoyed this podcast. Check out our podcasts on the patron of prison ministries, Praying for Your Future Spouse, and Preparing for Lent. If you liked this podcast, like us, leave us a comment, and share our episodes on social media with those who may benefit from it. If there is a particular saint you would like to hear about us, tell us and we’ll add him or her to our future episodes.

We are on iheartradio, Stitcher, Itunes, and tunein.com. We’d love to hear from you. If you hear us on Itunes, please rate and review us.

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Ten Reminders for the Grieving Christian is now in Spanish

I’m sooooo happy to announce my first translation. It’s taken over 8 months to get here. I started negotiating translation rights last year in May (2022). My goal was to have the first translation out by the end of 2022. But God had other plans. I went traveling to the Holy Land and then to see my brother in Barcelona, my mom had a fall and broke her wrist and all my plans changed monumentally after that. In July, I realized that the months were passing and there was no headway with the translations for any of the books even though there was some chatter about it. I realized I wasn’t really getting anywhere and decided to organize the translation team myself.

Translator for the Book

I started looking for a translator in late July and boy was it hard. There was so much to consider—first the language. I was shuffling between Portuguese and Spanish but because of the numbers, I was advised to go with Spanish first. A Spanish translator meant talking to different people and getting an idea of what and how they translated. I sent out various inquiries and then finally went to Reedsy.

I spoke to various translators, some who said they had never experienced grief in their lives and others who didn’t really believe in Jesus, and some who felt that Catholicism was dying. So I prayed and just sent out more inquiries. Things were just not moving. Until August. (When I look back now, it was just a month, but back then it felt like day after day of nothing happening. And I was so frustrated with the non-movement.)

Dollors Gallart shared the same vision I had. Being A Galician, she was someone who had written Christian work before and was keen on doing the book in neutral Spanish. Except she would take 4 months to do the work. As a creative, I totally understood and didn’t mind the time. We agreed to keep a very flexible deadline and it was only after translating the book in early January, that Dollors shared what her own journey of grief had been like and how this book had just crossed her path by destiny.

How God Works!

It’s so beautiful how God meets us in our broken places. Like my translator, people didn’t realize the need for the book until they were standing in the valley of grief. It humbles me that moments like this can change someone and my little seed of faith is producing fruit somewhere in someone. I’ve had random feedback from people who have read the book and found comfort. Chaplain Adele Gill had invited me on her podcast to discuss the book and during our conversation told me how she had given by book to her grieving friend who found it useful.

Release in February

This book will be out by 24th February. It is currently undergoing internal formatting and then it should be ready for release. It’s hard to do translations because you have to totally rely on a host of people to ensure the book is translated as is. However, as always I’m relying on God’s providence with this. I had never thought this would happen so soon but here we are.

My first book has now been translated into a foreign language. And I hope that many more will follow.

Les changed a lot about the cover, the shade, the font, and the calligraphy keeping in mind the Spanish reading market. Since Spanish is not my first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth but rather seventh language, I ask that should you find any errors let me know so I can rectify them.

For now, this book goes out in Feb in memory of my dad, Paul Richard Fernandes who we miss so much and who I wish was here to see my small successes. (Miss you Dad!)

If you know someone who is grieving, share this book with them. Currently, I am listening to audio narrators and auditioning some of them. We should have a Spanish audiobook in a few months.

Until then, I’m grateful to God and for everyone who is part of the translation, especially my translator Dollors.

Preorder Now

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94 The Qualities of a Servant Leader

A servant leader must take the time to pray for others to invert the Netflix culture into the ethics culture.

Donald Wallenfang

Who is Donald Wallenfang?Donald Wallenfang

Donald Wallenfang, OCDS, PhD, Emmanuel Mary of the Cross, is a Secular Discalced Carmelite and Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. He received his MTS from St Norbert College and his PhD from Loyola University Chicago. He also is the founder of an online apostolate dedicated to cultivating the contemplative life called My Interior Castle (myinteriorcastle.com).

Wallenfang specializes in Catholic theology and philosophy, Carmelite spirituality, phenomenology, and metaphysics. His research concentrates on the work of Edith Stein, Emmanuel Levinas, Paul Ricoeur, Jean-Luc Marion, the Carmelite saints, and the New Evangelization. He teaches courses in philosophy, theology, lay ecclesial ministry, evangelization, and Catholic spirituality. His articles have appeared in Philosophy and Theology, Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture, The International Journal of Religion in Spirituality and Society, Listening: Journal of Communication Ethics, Religion, and Culture, and Pacifica, as well as in other book compilations.

He is the author of iGod: A Hidden and Fragmentary Autobiography (Cascade, 2021), Emmanuel: Levinas and Variations on God with Us (Cascade, 2021), Shoeless: Carmelite Spirituality in a Disquieted World (Wipf & Stock, 2021), Metaphysics: A Basic Introduction in a Christian Key (Cascade, 2019), Phenomenology: A Basic Introduction in the Light of Jesus Christ (Cascade, 2019), Dialectical Anatomy of the Eucharist: An Étude in Phenomenology (Cascade, 2017), and Human and Divine Being: A Study on the Theological Anthropology of Edith Stein (Cascade, 2017). Wallenfang is co-editor with John C. Cavadini for the book series Global Perspectives on the New Evangelization (Pickwick).

Before entering the world of academia, Wallenfang served in full-time Catholic youth and young adult ministry for nine years. He has been married for over twenty-two years and has six children.

The Qualities of a Servant LeaderPQF · 94 The Qualities of a Servant Leader

In this episode, Donald Wallenfang talks about servant leadership. He explains:
-What does it mean to be a servant? Why should we be servant-like?
-What are the qualities of a servant?
-How do we deal with our own ego?
-What are some practical ways to be a servant?

How Can You Serve as a Servant Leader?

When I prayed about the first episode of 2023, I asked God to send me a person who would willingly and joyfully agree to talk about this topic. The last few months of 2022 were a struggle and I was overjoyed when Donald responded to me during New Year’s week and said yes.

He had already covered the topic of servant leadership. He used Greenleafs’ work as a template. The qualities of a servant leader are the ability to listen, persuade, use intuition, use language effectively and have a personal presence among other attributes.

Donald says when we serve we decentralize our ego. And that’s a good thing. Here are some of his tips to practically be a servant leader

Do what is below you. Communicate. Be polite.Observe people all the way to the margins.Do small things. Make sacrifices. Pray for other people.

These are not easy to do. Especially when I have to humble myself, it can be hard. The achievements, our possessions, and our need for glory can get in the way. Donald gives clear examples though of what we should do and how to do them. He says we can read what Jesus did and how He was the servant leader par excellence. The saints and Mary are all people we can emulate in servant leadership. In the end, being servant leaders means being able to serve others by emptying ourselves. I enjoyed listening to his take on this topic and especially his message that we need God’s grace because on our own we are nothing.

ENJOYED THIS PODCAST?

We hope you enjoyed this podcast. Check out our podcasts on the patron of prison ministries, St. Teresa of Avila, and Sharing the Gospel. If you liked this podcast, like us, leave us a comment, and share our episodes on social media with those who may benefit from it. If there is a particular saint you would like to hear about us, tell us and we’ll add him or her to our future episodes.

We are on iheartradio, Stitcher, Itunes, and tunein.com. We’d love to hear from you. If you hear us on Itunes, please rate and review us.

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HIPAA: More Than A Video

I had some good feedback on my last post on Malpractice Insurance. Today we’re talking about HIPAA. All medical personnel are aware of HIPAA. They all have to watch a video or two before they start work. Then there’s the mandatory refresher MCQ test and then, you magically now know everything about HIPAA and are HIPAA compliant.

The thing is most people don’t know anything about The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA; Kennedy–Kassebaum Act, or Kassebaum–Kennedy Act). They have some vague ideas about it. Did you know that even mentioning the county a patient is from is an identifier for patient health information (PHI) that could land you in hot water?

What is HIPAA?

 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was established to create confidentiality systems within and beyond healthcare facilities. The main goal was to keep PHI private.

Who does it apply to?

All staff working in a healthcare facility or private office, students, non-patient care employees, insurance companies, billing companies, and electronic medical record companies.

Which PHI is protected?

The health information that has an identifier that links a specific patient to that information must be protected. Simply saying, patient x from y town is a HIPAA violation. There are 18 such identifiers that you should be aware of and are listed below:

Name
Address (all geographic subdivisions smaller than the state, including street address, city county, and zip code)
All elements (except years) of dates related to an individual (including birthdate, admission date, discharge date, date of death, and exact age if over 89)
Telephone numbers
Fax number
Email address
Social Security Number
Medical record number
Health plan beneficiary number
Account number
Certificate or license number
Vehicle identifiers and serial numbers, including license plate numbers
Device identifiers and serial numbers
Web URL
Internet Protocol (IP) Address
Finger or voice print
Photographic image – Photographic images are not limited to images of the face.
Any other characteristic that could uniquely identify the individual

Breaching confidentiality

You can only breach confidentiality if there’s a gunshot wound, stab wound, injuries sustained in a crime, child/elderly abuse or an infectious, communicable, or reportable diseases

Which Data is HIPAA protected?

All data be that written, paper, spoken, or electronic data is covered by HIPAA. So before you choose to announce the positive Strep test outside the door of a patient, remember that could get your practice sued. Software and hardware must be secured and protected.

How to protect the data?Secure all the printers, fax machines, and computers: These must be password protected or not within reach of patients. Ideally, printers and fax machines should not be located in patient traffic areas.Locks on computers and record rooms: All computers must need to be locked so that waiting patients cannot access them.Destroy sensitive information: Ensure that no staff takes any patient-related document home. All PHI-containing documents must be shredded at the end of the day. Any documents must be stored in folders. Do not talk about patients or PHI in public locations: Corridors, restrooms, breakrooms, elevators, and anywhere outside the health institution are all public areas that should not be a place to have a conversation about the patient. Do not share PHI with any other family member even if their also medical staff. Point computer screens away from the public: Make sure that the computers that receptionists and other staff are working on are not facing the public in any way. Use privacy sliding doors at the reception desk: To ensure there is no access, cordon off the area of the reception. Never leave PHI unattended: No PHI must be unattended. The laptop must be logged off and all documents secured before you leave your desk. Log off workstations when leaving an area: Log off workstations every time you leave the desk. This is really annoying if you have to print somewhere else and hand over a referral or the lab or imaging order. But it must be done. Don’t share passwords. Let each staff member have their own password. Have music and TV playing in waiting areas and patient rooms, so information is not heard via thin walls. Audit regularly to make sure that the staff is HIPAA compliant and that they understand what that really means. Don’t simply leave them to watch a video. All medical discussions should take place behind closed doors. Penalize HIPPAA infractions.What would a violation cost?

A HIPAA complaint from a patient triggers a process by the regulator agency to call you, and file a report against you. Thereafter, they will send an officer to find out what happened and this verification is done in person which could happen during a surprise visit. If your practice is found to be guilty of the violation, the medical doctor could have to pay anywhere between $100 -$50,000 per individual. The maximum penalty could be about 1.5 million. The penalty varies depending on the culpability and the extent of the violation.

Why do medical staff need to be careful?

In a busy practice with an army of patients, it is going to be challenging to protect PHI. Simple things like a student referring a case, a medical assistant giving the results of a urine dipstick, attaching the wrong report to the wrong patient, and a random exposed result that is seen by the cleaning staff are all HIPAA violations that should not be happening. It could cost a lot of money if these were all penalized. You hear doctors discussing a difficult case, or sharing information on social media to encourage learning but be careful because there’s a very thin line when it comes to HIPAA and your license and money are really on the line.

What steps do you take to prevent HIPAA violations?

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Pictures from Orlando

Orlando airport

My first post of 2023 had to be happy! I didn’t expect to do so much traveling last year. It just happened and was all God’s grace as things aligned. I was even going to cancel my Orlando trip because of my mother’s fall. She was much better within weeks and my godfather stepped in to look after her while I traveled to rotate in Orlando. So here are my pictures from Orlando.

Pictures from Orlando

I didn’t have a lot of expectations but the least I expected was good public transport. Orlando is geared towards Disney tourists and so they have their own transport system. The rest of Orlando and the surrounding areas have little to no public transport. The frequency is abysmal and where I lived there was no public transport on weekends. However, I had my colleagues and many of them were like-minded when it came to sightseeing.

Lake Mineola

My first outing was on Maulik’s last weekend. He chose to go to Lake Mineola for our excursion. We hitched an Uber and went out first to the lake. For some reason, we missed the sunset and after a few pictures, we walked to downtown Clermont.

In downtown Clermont, there was a food fair at Montrose where we ate Brazilian barbecued sandwiches complete with a live duo for music.

Church

MK and I were blessed to be part of the Blessed Sacrament parish community with Fr. Roy, a Pinoy priest. We felt welcomed and were happy to be here. Even on Christmas day when I was alone, there were wonderful people at the vigil mass who spoke to me and I never felt alone.

Tampa

I know I said pictures from Orlando but I’m adding Tampa. When Christine was leaving, she wanted to go somewhere. And we all agreed to go to Tampa. When we drove to Tampa, it seemed like everyone else had decided to do the same. Plus, it was drizzling and by the time we got to Tampa, it was pouring. There we ate at the Riverwalk’s edge where they serve many cuisines. Each of us decided to pick up different food. Christine and Jordan went with Asian food while MK chose some pita and meat. I ate Cuban meat with sweet potato fries. Yum! We spent a lot of time along the Riverwalk and finally played some games at a cafe. The beach was completely out of the question.

Citrus Tower and Christmas Lights

When Malika left we chose to do Christmas lights at Citrus tower. It was mostly a kiddie event with fake snow and Christmas music but we had fun taking pictures. For dinner, we just went to a local Japanese diner.

Disney

I honestly didn’t plan on going to Disney but my brother said it would be a once-in-a-lifetime thing. So go see it. And so I agreed to go with MK and Juan. These two are Disney-crazy. MK had made an entire itinerary for us so we went on each and every ride. As a Christmas present, she bought us both lightning passes. We went to Universal Studios, because that was more adult-like. Of course, I was screaming on all the rides and even have some PTSD (bwahahah) but it was so much fun!

Historical Clermont and Christmas Parade

Jordan was not so keen on going too far. So with him, we went to the Christmas parade and then walked for a bit stumbling randomly on the historical homes of Clermont. The Christmas parade featured all the prominent businesses of the area. For lunch, we ate at a Mexican place.

Christmas Party

We weren’t having much to do for Christmas. At work, we did our Secret Santa and my gift arrived a day late. Our attending Dr. Alka arranged for us to have a Christmas party at her home where we played 7-11 and fishbowl. It was so much fun.

Christmas at Home

For Christmas, we arranged to have lunch at home. I baked my cake and cooked our traditional dish of chicken xacuti. We played housie and other games before chatting away.

Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral was on my list but getting there was hard and I had almost given up on it. Until MK said Phoebe and her husband KC were going to a launch. He works at NASA so we found a fellow space enthusiast. I dragged MK with me. We drove there to the free parks and saw one of Starlink’s launches. It was amazing. Then we went out to eat Vietnamese food because I love it and Phoebe and her husband obliged.

Farewell Potluck

The last two weekends were freezing cold and so Phoebe decided to do a potluck for Georgia and me. We all gathered at home for games, food, and karaoke.

Until The Next Trip

In between, when we were not working, we watched Avatar 2, went grocery shopping, Black Friday shopping, and had a blast at home. These pictures from Orlando should give you an idea of how much time we spent together. Each of these places could be a post in itself including the planning that goes into a Disney trip!!! (Thank you MK). The others planned these trips and I just went to hang out with them, so it was not stressful for me.

I traveled on New Year’s Eve and pretty much zonked out all of New Year’s Day after mass. So I barely got anything done. I guess the busyness of the last two months caught up with me. I took the Amtrak because I wanted to experience that and that will be for another post.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 2023. I keep saying this and the last two months kind of proved it.

“It doesn’t matter where you are, it matters who you’re with.”

I had the most amazing people surrounding me these last two months. People I laughed, worked and lived with. People who made every trip and meal so memorable. It was such a beautiful experience because of these very people. Until pictures of my next trip.

Happy 2023!

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93 The 9th and 10th Commandments: You Shall Not Covet

“We are to be Jesus to others.”

George Calleja on the 9th and 10th commandments

WHO IS GEORGE CALLEJA?George Calleja

George Calleja grew up in Malta and is married with two children. In 2009 he obtained his MBA through the University of Leicester.

During the years 1990 to 1996 he was a full-time missionary with ‘The International Catholic Programme for Evangelization – ICPE’ and evangelized in various countries such as Russia, Ghana, Poland, Germany, and Malta amongst others. Since 1997, he has been an active member of the Focolare Movement in Malta.

In 2012 George embarked on a mission of evangelisation through the use of various social media. His first Christian book ‘Peace and Unity in our lives – Volume One’ was published in November 2014. Since then, he has published another 15 Christian books focusing on various themes. His writings are also published in various other Christian social media, such as Laikos and Catholic365.com.

Being a dedicated Christian writer, George Calleja is actively involved in spreading the Good News through various means on social media. His writings on blogs and various prominent websites, together with his podcasts and videos, make him an example of how to evangelize in today’s society through the use of technology. His latest project of evangelization is that of providing online Christian courses. You can find more about him on his website.

The 9th and 10th Commandment: You Shall Not CovetPQF · 93 The 9th and 10th Commandment: You Shall Not Covet

In this episode, George Calleja talks about the 9th and 10th commandments. He explains:
-What is the 9th and 10th commandment?
– And what is Concupiscence? What is its effect?
-What are the steps we can take to purify the heart?
-How do we deal with envy and how do we identify this area of covetousness in our life?
-Does social media play a role in wanting our neighbor’s goods and how do we deal with this?

Greed and Envy

This episode has been one solid testimony. So back in October while I was doing all this traveling, I was hoping to record the last two commandments. There were several people who turned this episode down. But as I have learned, God always has someone better. He’s always looking for partners in his ministry. People who like Mary will say yes.

I finally started praying because I knew we had a very successful year in covering the ten commandments and I let everything go, trusting in God’s providence. When I wrote to George, I had almost given up until he said yes.

George’s words on this podcast about the 9th and 10th commandments were deeply spiritual. He is someone who has shared his own personal experience. I value his wisdom. His solution is prayer is the answer to everything. I cannot agree more.

Moreover, Goerge shares the profound advice that if were are struggling with envy and greed perhaps we are lacking in maturity. He shares some amazing advice throughout this episode and I couldn’t have hoped for a better person. God always works all things for our good. Hallelujah!

As we close out the year, I wish all of my listeners a very blessed Christmas and a happy new year.

ENJOYED THIS PODCAST?

We hope you enjoyed this podcast. Check out our podcasts on the patron of prison ministries, St Maximilian Kolbe and Confession. If you liked this podcast, like us, leave us a comment and share our episodes on social media with those who may benefit from it. If there is a particular saint that you would like to hear about us, tell us and we’ll add him or her to our future episodes.

We are on iheartradio, Stitcher, Itunes, and tunein.com. We’d love to hear from you. If you hear us on Itunes, please rate and review us.

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92 A Call for Christian Unity

People maybe Christian but they’re not putting Jesus or their Christian beliefs first.

Hanael Bianchi

Who is Hanael Bianchi?

Hanael Bianchi is a history professor at a community college in Maryland. He earned his doctorate in modern British history from the Catholic University of America and his master’s degree in modern German history from the University of Connecticut. Hanael is a husband and proud father of four children. He is the head of men’s ministry at St. John Parish in Westminster MD and author of the Catholic Review’s “Fertile Soil” blog and the pamphlet Spiritual Combat Boot Camp: A Two-Week Spiritual Exercise. You can reach him at hanaelb@yahoo.com.  

A Call For Christian UnityPQF · 92 A Call For Christian Unity

In this episode, Hanael Bianchi talks about Christian unity and why we’re so divided. He explains:
-Why are we not united despite the fact that more and more people are coming to Jesus?
-We are more divided than we have ever been politically, economically, racially, philosophically, why are we so divided in church over these matters and not rise above this?
-At the moment, there’s a lot of political disunity, what steps can we take to promote unity among our own churches?
-How do we unite outside of our church with fellow Christians and non-Christians?

Steps Toward Christian Unity

When I contact Hanael, we were well into November. Despite all the scheduling conflicts, he was so gracious to talk about this. I think I wrote him the same night the US elections results came out. And this was dwelling on my mind how Christians were so opposed with regards to the results.

I love how Hanael like a true historian qualifies everything. He says that this division comes mainly because Christians don’t really put Jesus, first our affiliations come before Christ and so they are more important to us. We are only Christian when it is conducive to us.

His steps towards unity are simple.

Unplug: Get away from social media.

Don’t make other people your enemy.

Direct the change within yourself.

Sounds pretty simple but this is hard. Christian unity is about loving other people without looking at them with judgment. That can be difficult especially when they are at their worst behavior. In the end, Hanael says we need to follow the gospel message. There will likely be division, but our job is to love. Direct all the correction within yourself. And those are really sound words.

As you celebrate thanksgiving, I hope you can focus on the bigger picture and be the better person if not the best. Don’t get drawn into the muck of politics and useless chatter. Drown out the noise and focus on what is good and important.

ENJOYED THIS PODCAST?

We hope you enjoyed this podcast. Check out our podcasts on the patron of prison ministries, St Maximilian Kolbe and Confession. If you liked this podcast, like us, leave us a comment and share our episodes on social media with those who may benefit from it. If there is a particular saint that you would like to hear about us, tell us and we’ll add him or her to our future episodes.

We are on iheartradio, Stitcher, Itunes, and tunein.com. We’d love to hear from you. If you hear us on Itunes, please rate and review us.

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Pictures from Barcelona, Catalunya

It’s been a while since I left Barcelona. With my mum’s fall and subsequent wrist fracture, there was little time to breathe. Finally, I have had some time to gather myself and all the pictures from Barcelona and thought to share them here.

Doha to Barcelona

This year I didn’t expect to be traveling to Barcelona. My mom was kind of frustrated that my brother couldn’t come home and he was homesick too, so I made a last minute decision to arrange for her to see him. It’s not easy to plan travel to Spain at the height of summer. Tickets were super expensive and hotels were mostly full. The easiest part was getting visas since we have traveled to Europe before.

I prefer Qatar Airways for long haul flights. This time I had no choice because everything else was full. At Doha, it’s easy to see they’re getting ready for the World Cup. There were huge mascots at the terminal. I think I shared pictures on Twitter. And the cars, the lottery cars. They always have them. This time though I couldn’t even read the brand. I’m so out of touch with the car world.

I saw a whole bunch of people around the cars and I actually had to go read the signboard to find it was McLaren Coupe. The color was nice but that was just about it. I don’t get the fascination with cars. I still took a selfie, with a car….

Barcelona City

When we got to Barcelona in the morning, it was easy to check in and get our bearings. We first picked at apartment suite because my mom wanted a a kitchenette. So we stayed in Gracia and loved the place here because there are so many wonderful restaurants here. We were also 1 minute away from the train and 10 minutes from the metro by walking.

The first day we headed to La Sagrada Familia Church and found you needed online tickets. There were none on site. So we just went on a tour of the city.

La Sagrada Familia

There’s so much to say about this absolute architectural masterpiece. It is so intricate. I highly advise taking the church tour because every single Biblical act depicted is explained. Remember everything you pay in terms of tickets helps build this Basilica. For mass, you have to register weeks in advance. Antoni Gaudi’s work is just lovely. He lived on site for much of the work. And Gaudi is revered as a Catalan architect.

Montserrat

We took a tour to Montserrat which I wouldn’t advise. It was too rushed and there was little time to even pee on our trip. If you go here, hire your own vehicle and do it at leisure. They have a hotel that you can check into for a few nights. The Montserrat mountains provide a good backdrop for Our Lady of Montserrat. It’s a lovely place and good place to pray. We also had a chance to listen to the boy’s choir that sings for about ten minutes at noon.

Badalona

It’s almost impossible that you come to Barcelona and not head to the beach. The only problem was that most of Barcelona’s beaches are nude and my mother would be absolutely scandalized. Not to mention that she would skin Mark and me. So he decided to take us to a conservative beach in Badalona on the outskirts of the city. It was a very hot day, so we spent the day by the water after taking the train ride. Pizza and lasagna by the beach was enough and then we headed back to the city.

Flamenco

Flamenco is a folk tradition of the gitano community in Andaluci. There’s dancing and traditional music. I didn’t understand much of it but its very high intensity. Mark joined us for this and made fun of me for wanting to see this but he was open to it, because its a different experience.

La Boqueria

There are lots of food markets all over Barcelona. We wanted to go to to local one, St Caterina but Mark just suggested we go to the more universal and famous one, lest we get swindled. So citing safety in numbers we came here for lunch. It was a nice place where I got gelato. You can get lost here. I found a sandwich shop and then we never found it again. My mom got the mixed fried fish snack box and the fish here is very fresh.

Barceloneta

Barceloneta was built for the 1992 Olympics. All the apartments and the beach were for the athletes and the city is very quiet here. Hardly anybody as you can see. I had my churros here and it was a rather cold but lovely day. It’s a good place for a walk.

Park Guell

A word of caution to people. This is a very steep hike. My mom and I were both out of breath and had to stop. The escalators tend to not work. It’s good to get a tour guide of Gaudi’s inspiration of a park and homes that he had planned to build here. Very colorful and something out of a fairytale novel.

Las Arenas

This used to be a bullfighting ring that has now been converted into a mall. Lots of big brands are here if you’re into shopping. The views from the top are amazing as you can see all of the city. Our hotel was pretty close to this and we planned to eat dinner here on the weekday. Except it was super crowded and ended up going for tapas elsewhere.

Tapas

It’s a very traditional thing in Spain to eat out and to eat tapas. Each person at the table buys a round of snacks. I really wanted to do the tapas thing because they are all over Spain and chewed Mark’s brains until he took us there. My mom wasn’t too keen but I insisted. We went to watch a football match I think Barcelona versus Bayern Munich to the sports bar and ordered our tapas. Fried eggplant, fish, meatballs and fried chilies.

Food in Barcelona

The food is amazing. You can eat for cheap and you can go to expensive places. You can get a decent breakfast for under 5 euros. We ate plenty of fish, sandwiches and as you can see I ate a lot of meat. The food here is very fresh. I did sample the local churros and baked items. I didn’t eat the paella since I don’t eat crustaceans anymore. And no one in my family wanted to eat it.

Transport

Barcelona is very well connected via public transport. Everywhere you are not two blocks from a metro station, bus, train, or tram. The city is designed that way. Even my mum loved that we could simply travel everywhere with ease. There were some days we just took a bus like we did in Prague and got off the last stop.

Impressions of Barcelona

Barcelona is a beautiful well organized city. Catalans can be a bit closed off but overall, while Spanish people are open and nice. They like to laugh, don’t take anything too seriously and you have a very relaxed vibe there. My mom and I both enjoyed the place and would love to go again. Not sure if my mom wants to go with me. I dragged her everywhere and it was quite tiring. Now when I think back, I actually feel sorry about it. She hopes I can find someone who will love to travel the world with me so she won’t have to. Haha.

I would love to visit other parts of Spain. Its not something you can do all in a a month. I know lots of people who covered the whole of Barcelona in 2 days but that would be too tiring even for me. As you can see from my pictures from Barcelona, it takes time to savor the city. For me it was all about seeing my brother and so even if we just sat on a bench, it didn’t matter, as long as we were with him.

I will return to Spain’s other regions, Girona, Asturias, Madrid are top of my list. Mark suggests Valencia and especially Galicia. Let’s see.

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