What's in a Name?

Apparently a lot! You told us that you love the functionality and service of epasonline.com, but the name was confusing. We do not want confusion. Therefore, while we were upgrading the site and enhancing the tools and technology, we thought it would be a good time for a name change:

Introducing: eDoctorJobs.com: same great tools and doctors, less confusing name.

At www.eDoctorJobs.com posting new jobs is even easier. The updated technology provides a state of the art job board. Doctors, clients and the search engines will readily connect the name with the service and you can continue on finding candidates and filling jobs.

Just give us a shout if you would like assistance setting up your opportunities. We are happy to help and to acquaint you with the new features. We are sure you are going to love www.eDoctorJobs.com.

This entry was posted on December 6, 2011 at 3:16 PM and has received 129 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

As we approach the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001, most of us recall vividly where we were on that fateful day. The internet allows virtually limitless access to video clips, stories, and memories of the tragedies that played out. I find it as painful to watch now as it was then and our thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost loved ones on that day.

Reflecting back ten years reminds me that we entered the physician-recruiting world that year also. As a small firm, we watched the events unfold from our first company offices. September 11, 2001 changed the way many of us viewed the world. This last decade has also dramatically changed the way we work. Our first company office was "networked" but we wondered who really needed internet access? In 2001, the "Blue Book" provided us client data in hard copy form. The US Postal service connected us to doctors via thousands of pieces of printed and stamped mail (aka personalized invitations).

In 1998, Google's creative founders wanted, "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful". Google, the company, went public in 2005. "Google" the verb became official in the 2006 editions of the Oxford and Merriam-Webster's dictionaries. In 2001, Wikipedia, the on-line encyclopedia, revolutionized research. LinkedIn, the professional on-line connection site, arrived in 2002; today it reports 120 million active users. Facebook began connecting people in 2004, today boasting 750 million active users. YouTube gave us videos and television shows on line starting in 2005 and Twitter first tweeted in 2006.

We can call the children tagged as "Generation Z" "digital natives". Digital communication has existed for their entire lives. Those of us from "Generation Old" remember when we questioned the endurance of the internet. Some of us are still surprised it lasted.

The internet revolutionized access to physician job information and candidate data. While initially, our industry was skeptical, recruiters and doctors evolved. Email became the preferred mode of communication and database companies exploded, allowing users to search candidates and jobs with ease. However, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. "Google" physician jobs today and you get 1.9 million entries. Data posted on-line never dies and searching candidate databanks today is as time consuming as making cold calls was in 2001, not to mention pricey! Hundreds of affiliations and companies host databases and charge for the privilege of accessing their candidates. Many entities spend $15-30 thousand dollars a month for such access.

Add to that, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. We can 'Facebook, 'Tweet', and follow just about anyone 24/7. Many companies have dedicated employees tasked with the management of social media. If your IT guy is older than about 35, it may be time to get some new blood.

What does all this mean for physician search and doctor jobs? Organizations must evolve and find new ways to make their product "Value added". It will be interesting to watch the evolution. Comments?

This entry was posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:33 PM and has received 88 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

• Get an idea of what you are worth!
  • Research the average salary of physicians practicing in your specialty in the area of the country you are interested in. There are many tools on the internet that will help you with this.
  • Remember that each region may have distinct economic advantages or disadvantages. Texas, for instance, has a comparatively lower cost of living to a lot of states as well as having no state income tax. Factors such as these should be weighed when looking at the total compensation for an opportunity.
  • It can also be very advantageous to educate yourself on how hospitals or medical groups determine their compensation for physicians. Just like in your specialty, knowledge is key here.
• Verify your information and past patient and practice history on physician review sites such as Vitals, Healthgrades, or RateMDs
  • Although these are private rating companies, physician recruiters will often refer to them as means to check your current and past practice history, education, and other important information. You will want to ensure that they, not only do the ratings sites have your correct information, but that your record also has the correct association (you are you)!
• Do not underestimate the importance of social networking
  • We are in a new era of connection. If you haven't already, establish a LinkedIn profile and starting joining groups that relate to your specialty and interests, you will find a lot of opportunities there and can build an employment pipeline rather quickly.
  • Don't spend all your time looking on job boards, register with them. Doctors are always in high demand, someone will find you. Here at ePAS Online™ we offer just that; a simple tool where you enter your contact information and we provide your completed profile to hiring hospitals and medical groups and alert them that you are interested in their area. Registering is easy and completely free.
• Keep your NPI information up to date.
  • The Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) mandated the adoption of a standard unique identifier for health care providers. The National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) collects identifying information on health care providers and assigns each a unique National Provider Identifier (NPI).
  • Your NPI number is a unique identifier (think of it like a social security number) that a lot of external collections and databases use to cross reference information about you as a practicing physician or mid-level provider.
• Make sure your state licensure(s) is up to date.

  [More]

  This entry was posted on August 24, 2011 at 5:48 PM and has received 200 views. There are currently 1 comments. Print this entry.

There is a great article posted over at KevinMD of another example in how social media is changing our world and especially the way in which we conduct business, and in particular how it can effect your healthcare practice...

Last summer, I joined millions of others in the deluge of social media. I committed one year of effort to see if social would enhance or distract from my pediatric practice.

That was my goal, just one year.

At that time, I wanted to dip my foot in the pool, and see if it made any ripples. The unexpected consequence was how much social media has changed my medical practice, and me. Ripples have returned as tidal waves.

My practice has seen tangible, real valuable benefits. I have been intellectually challenged, and have professionally grown.

For my practice:

Increasing new patient traffic is creating revenue for our group.I average 1 new patient family per week who came because of our social media presence. I know this because they tell me, "I am here to see you today because I found you on Facebook," or "I found your blog." 52 patients a year x $2700 (average pediatric care for 0-24 mon.) = $140,000 of average billable income over two years. Creating information has added to my "search-ability" in search engines. All my work is available publicly and with fully disclosed authorship, so new patients can find me with ease. Investing time in relevant and complete posts actually saves me time in the long run. Questions I am repeatedly asked, like "How do I start solid foods?", can be answered quickly and completely by directing them to my site. This saves face-to-face clinic time for more specific concerns for their child. I have created opportunities to make my families lives easier by using the tech at their fingertips. Selectively following leaders in the field of pediatrics has allowed me to refresh and update my knowledge daily. The lead article in medical journals, the newest recall, the updated reports are in my information stream. Sharing the headlines and reports that will most assist my patients continues the information stream in real time. I can get help for my patients across the country through online professional connections, and I have experts at my fingertips who can help me answer questions. For me:

Being part of the health social media and blogging community has given me a connection and an outlet. I can express myself as a physician and a mom, creating a "professional diary" of my life. I have met amazing people with big ideas and bigger hearts, who inspire and challenge me daily. I have seen a glimpse of how big an effect a group of vocal health writers can have; how active advocates can act to correct falsehoods and incorrect reporting. I am a part of a movement; a way that healthcare is changing. I unexpectedly found how one purpose could be defined, in such a short amount of time. For my patient families:

I can actively communicate, acknowledge, and positively influence the choices that my families make for their children between the checkups. My anticipatory guidance can be repeated, reinforced, and repeated again. New websites, blogs, and apps are constantly being added to our fingertips. After review, I can refer my patients to some really cool, applicable tech options to better care for their kids. I would never know about this stuff if I was not involved with social. I can act as a "filter" to promote the good and refute the bad. I can be a source of reliable, real information. But what is all of this really about?

It's about the mom who comes to me at the 18-month check up and tells me her child's car seat is still rear-facing. It's about the dad who tells me he went to the health department and got a TDaP before his new son was born. It's about the complete stranger who sees me in my office building and says, "Are you Dr. Natasha? Thanks for writing about kids and fever. I had some questions and it came at just the right time." The beauty of social is that I never talked with these parents about these health and safety issues. Parents made good decisions for their families after getting the information. Period. That's all they needed, and that's all it took.

Wow.

Offering online authenticity, genuine concern, and experience (sprinkled with a bit of sound medical knowledge) has created an amazingly powerful platform, and helpful practice tool.

Although using social media does has some undefined, grey areas to navigate; for me one thing is clear, my goal of one year has been extended until further notice.

Natasha Burgert is a pediatrician who blogs at KC Kids Doc.

source: http://www.kevinmd.com

This entry was posted on August 18, 2011 at 2:42 PM and has received 195 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.