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Mar 15, 2021 1:50:00 PM · by David Kushan

Productivity Is About Your Systems, Not Just Your People

General, Hiring, Misc., David Kushan

In order to build a strong team, you’ll need a number of people who can be top performers.

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Mar 8, 2021 1:42:00 PM · by David Kushan

You Really Don’t Have an Edge — You’re Just Keeping Up!

General, Hiring, Misc., David Kushan

At the beginning of 2020, before COVID-19 hit, roughly 15% of healthcare IT organizations had positions that they deemed appropriate for remote work.

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Mar 2, 2021 1:36:00 PM · by David Kushan

You’ve Been Turned Down for a Job. How Would You Prefer to Receive Feedback?

General, Consulting, Misc., Interviews, David Kushan

It’s always been our organization's policy to call candidates and inform them if they’re no longer under consideration after they’ve interviewed for a position. 

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Feb 15, 2021 4:26:00 PM · by David Kushan

The Employee’s Mindset: How It Changes and Its Impact on the Market

General, Hiring, Misc., David Kushan

There’s an evolution to an employee’s mindset when the economy goes into a state of sudden and massive job loss.

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Feb 2, 2021 3:19:00 PM · by David Kushan

Do you really know the value of each of your team members?

General, Misc., David Kushan

Recently, I’ve heard some thought leaders address how the most efficient and effective people on their teams can produce at a rate 10 times that of their average producer.

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Jan 26, 2021 3:11:00 PM · by David Kushan

Strengths and Challenges of Employing Data Science in Healthcare

General, Hiring, Misc., David Kushan

The healthcare data analytics market has been evolving for some time. But we’ve hit a tipping point: The amount of hiring in these spaces is growing at a faster pace than at any other time in the past decade. And projections are for continued growth.

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Jan 12, 2021 1:17:00 PM · by David Kushan

Did you hire well? How do you know?

General, Hiring, Misc., David Kushan

When making business decisions, specifically those that require a significant financial investment, it’s customary for an organization to determine their return on investment (ROI). Without an idea of the ROI, it’s almost impossible to conclude whether the investment would be a good or bad decision.

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Jan 5, 2021 1:05:00 PM · by David Kushan

What their behavior shows you . .

General, Misc., Interviews, David Kushan, consultants

This blog post is short and sweet, because I don’t feel that this point takes a lot to get across.

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Dec 17, 2020 3:46:00 PM · by David Kushan

Formula for success

General, Hiring, Misc., David Kushan

New Year’s is a time when we put goals and resolutions in place. But resolutions tend to fade away and, ultimately, fail. Instead, it’s important to sit down and focus on just a few areas that you’re absolutely committed to improving.

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Dec 10, 2020 3:32:00 PM · by David Kushan

Are your new team members just grateful to have a job?

General, Hiring, Misc., David Kushan

Regardless of who’s available in the job market, your world-class talent-access process should remain consistent. Unfortunately, too many organizations change their methods based on how many candidates are available at a particular moment in time. Having said that, here’s an example of how changing your process greatly impacts the candidate experience.

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Dec 3, 2020 9:43:00 AM · by David Kushan

Where Will Health IT Be 1 Year From Now? CIO Make Their Predictions.

General, Hiring, Misc., David Kushan

Where Will Health IT Be 1 Year From Now? CIO Make Their Predictions.

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Nov 26, 2020 9:48:00 AM · by David Kushan

But How Do Your Candidates Feel About You?

General, Hiring, Misc., David Kushan

During a typical hiring process, organizations tend to see things through their own eyes.

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Nov 19, 2020 9:22:00 AM · by David Kushan

Spotting Talent Or Filling Job Requirements

General, Hiring, Misc., David Kushan

You see it all the time: Talent Acquisition Teams. But what does the title actually mean? Are they looking for talent? Or are they looking for years of experience? Talent is defined as a natural aptitude or skill.  But as we know, there are candidates who don’t get the job or even an interview because they don’t have a desired minimum years of experience. Does talent come to fruition only after a certain number of years?

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Nov 10, 2020 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Retaining Your Most Valuable People

General, Hiring, Misc., David Kushan

Building a team requires more than just identifying and hiring the right people. Leaders have to integrate those people into their teams, provide ongoing training, and create and maintain an environment that people want to be a part of.

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Nov 2, 2020 8:11:00 AM · by David Kushan

The Importance of Living Your Employer Brand

General, Misc., David Kushan

We frequently hear about “employer branding” — that is, a company’s brand as it’s perceived by the outside world. Is it a fun place to work? Does the organization have a social conscience? Are there sufficient opportunities for professional growth?

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Oct 27, 2020 11:46:00 AM · by David Kushan

If You’re Making This Statement, Then You’re Not Doing Your Homework

General, Misc., David Kushan

“This is a very important position — we aren’t simply going to hire the first person we see.”

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Oct 20, 2020 11:58:00 AM · by David Kushan

Are you building a team or filling a job opening?

General, Hiring, Misc., David Kushan

When we talk about “alignment,” we’re talking about building a long-term, high-performance team, as opposed to filling jobs. In order to effectively build those teams, hiring managers would do well to follow Healthcare IS’ model designed to produce the highest likelihood of employer-candidate fit.

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Oct 6, 2020 9:10:00 AM · by David Kushan

WFH Career Progression

General, Consulting, Career Planning, Misc., David Kushan

If you’re a career-oriented person, can you afford to work from home?

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Sep 21, 2020 1:49:00 PM · by David Kushan

The #1 Way To Make Your Résumé Stand Out

General, Consulting, Resume Tips, Misc., David Kushan

Your résumé is typically the first impression an organization will have of you when you apply for a job.

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Sep 14, 2020 1:49:00 PM · by David Kushan

Your Social Presence Is Being Evaluated

General, Misc., David Kushan

Five years ago, an employer would review your résumé and, if they liked what they saw, they would invite you to an interview. However, for many employers today, liking your résumé  is just the first step.

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Aug 31, 2020 9:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

The Most Dangerous Health IT Trends: Insights from 8 Execs

General, Industry News, Healthcare IT, David Kushan

A recent article at Becker's Hospital Review interviewed several Healthcare IT executives to get their opinions on dangerous trends occurring within the Health IT space. Their opinions are listed below.

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Aug 17, 2020 9:13:00 AM · by David Kushan

Execute a Proper Market Analysis Prior to Recruiting for Your Key Roles

General, Hiring, David Kushan

Within Healthcare IS’ Hire Value methodology, we discuss the importance of completing a market analysis prior to filling a position. 

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Aug 3, 2020 9:12:00 AM · by David Kushan

Talent Strategy When You Are Not Hiring Or Don’t Have An Opening

General, Hiring, David Kushan

Identify The Right Talent Before You Need It

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Jul 20, 2020 9:11:00 AM · by David Kushan

Tips for Training Staff in the Midst of Budget Cuts

General, Career Planning, David Kushan

Many healthcare IT budgets are being cut due to organizations’ financial circumstances. As a result, leaders are facing major challenges as they attempt to train existing staff. Through conversations with industry leaders, I’ve developed some thoughts regarding an era of training when every dollar is being scrutinized. These concepts are not new, but they can serve as a helpful reminder of the resources that are readily available to most of us.

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Jun 28, 2016 8:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Best Practices for Hiring a Healthcare IT Consultant

General, Consulting, Career Planning, Healthcare IT, David Kushan

Figuring out how to best handle IT concerns can be a daunting challenge, especially for healthcare organizations transitioning to a new Electronic Health Records (EHR) system.

Qualified consultants with extensive experience handling these transitions can provide significant help.

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Feb 9, 2016 10:43:00 AM · by David Kushan

How to Evaluate a Healthcare IT Staffing Firm

General, Slideshare, Career Planning

Many concerns and evaluations play into any career changing decision.

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Jan 12, 2016 10:53:00 AM · by David Kushan

Common Doubts When Entering Pharmacy IT

General, Consulting, David Kushan

Was there a time when you weren't sure if this was for you?

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Dec 8, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

How To Determine When It May Make Sense To Take a Lower Rate

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

I want to share a conversation I had with a consultant, who, for the sake of this post, we’ll call Bob. Bob asked me for my advice regarding a contract he found on his own.

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Dec 1, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by Healthcare IS Team

How To Protect The Integrity Of Your Resume

General, Consulting, Career Planning, Healthcare IS Team

When looking for work, it’s understandable that you want to make sure your resume is getting in front of the right people and you’re not missing out on any good opportunities. However, when working with a recruiting firm, it’s also important to know to whom your resume is going, as well as for what position you’re applying and/or being considered. 

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Nov 17, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Factors Affecting Your Contract End Date

General, Consulting, David Kushan

Anyone who was a contractor or in consulting during the last recession (2008-2009) either had his or her project end early or knows someone who did. When I say end early, I mean end prior to the end date established when the project began.

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Nov 12, 2015 9:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

The Challenge in Starting a Health IT Contract From Home

General, Consulting

Once you've been in the consulting field for a reasonable amount of time, you'll be faced with a client that's in a bind and wants you to start immediately.

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Nov 3, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

The Challenges In Billing For Hours When Working Remote

General, Consulting, David Kushan

When you travel to a client location each week and spend 40 hours on-site, the client sees you there; they have no doubt that you put in your hours for the week. Therefore, they have no problem signing off and approving the hours you put on a weekly timesheet. They may have an issue with the quality of your work or whether you accomplished enough during that time, but that’s a different issue.

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Oct 20, 2015 9:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

How To Have A Smooth Transition From One Contract To The Next

General, Consulting, Industry News, Career Planning

As a contract consultant, every six to 12 months, on average, you’re going to have to transition off of one contract and start another. From time to time, this can be difficult to manage. The challenge can arise when you have 30 days left on your current contract and a new one-year contract becomes available a week or two before your contract ends. It can be difficult to stay two more weeks at your current engagement, knowing that it will soon be over, and having to pass up on a new contract that can secure your income for the next year. So, how do you handle this situation? What can you do ahead of time to make the transition from your current contract as smooth as possible so that you don’t 1) miss out on the new one-year project and 2) do not leave your current client in a bind?

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Sep 29, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

What to Consider When Exploring New Contracts

General, Slideshare

When you're working independently, understanding the ins and outs of a contract can help save you a headache down the road.

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Sep 22, 2015 9:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

How To Lose Credibility When Negotiating Your Rate

General, Consulting, Career Planning

Whenever we look to bring a contractor onto a project on which we’ve never worked before, we have to discuss compensation. Unfortunately, many new contractors are not prepared to have this conversation. Anyone can discuss what he or she wants to make. What I’m talking about is being able to have that discussion in a professional, credible manner.

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Sep 15, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Get A Contract Or Build A Practice

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

What’s better, a two-year contract or four six-month contracts? Well, it depends. In keeping with what I discussed in a recent post, there are two types of contractor mentalities: The “get a job” consultant (GAJC) will, nine times out of ten, be more attracted to the two-year contract. This person isn’t thinking about a long-term career in consulting; he or she is thinking about a very well paying contract with the convenience of limited travel. If you add the fact that he or she won’t have to be concerned with looking for another contract for up to two years, well, things just couldn’t get much better.

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Sep 10, 2015 9:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Why Your Bench Time is Not a Safety Net

General, Consulting, Career Planning

First, let me clarify what I mean, in the title of this post, by “security.” I’m referring to the money you will have to pay your bills and take care of your family. There are many reasons to join a consulting firm as an employee. Typically, joining a consulting firm due to the perceived security of bench-time pay is not one of them.

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Sep 8, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Can Being Happy At Your Job Be Bad For Your Career?

General, Career Planning, David Kushan

Can being happy at your job be bad for your career?  Well, that depends what your mindset is when you are happy with your job.  And for a good percentage of people, it definitely is.

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Sep 1, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Will your firm find your next contract?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

In past posts, I've discussed the difference between firms that hire consultants and those that place consultants on a contract basis. There are firms that hire consultants as salaried employees and pay them whether they're working or not (bench time), and firms that bring on consultants and pay them hourly for the term of the project. There are also some firms that do both.

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Aug 25, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Do you believe in working with one or multiple firms?

General, Slideshare

In your experience have you found it beneficial to work with multiple firms? Or have you spent time nurturing a strong relationship with a firm that understands your needs? Maybe you haven’t yet entered the consulting profession

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Aug 11, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

2 Main Types of Contractors

General, Slideshare

When thinking about your career as an independent contractor, how do you project your career path? 

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Aug 4, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Don't Inflate Your Rate to Justify Turning Down a Contract

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

In a previous blog post, How to Price Yourself In Health IT Contracting, we discussed how to calculate the minimum hourly rate you need as a contractor in order to know that you’re making a sound financial decision.

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Jul 27, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Why Join a Consulting Firm?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

As managing partner of a healthcare IT consulting/staff augmentation firm, I’m always having conversations with people who are looking to enter the consulting marketplace.

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Jul 21, 2015 9:30:00 AM · by David Kushan

Healthcare Consulting: What Does 'Bench Time' Mean?

General, Consulting, Career Planning

The term "bench time" refers to the time spent in between engagements as a consultant while working for a consulting firm.

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Jul 14, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Should you contract as a generalist or a specialist?

General, Slideshare, Consulting, Career Planning

In consulting, professionals face a dilemma when it comes to working as a generalist in their field or focusing as a specialist.

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Jul 7, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Why You Cannot Trust Your Contract End Date

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

Things change. It’s that simple.

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Jun 16, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Ep 8 - Is the security of a full-time job more of a myth now then it was 40 years ago?

General, Consulting, Healthcare IS Podcast, Interviews

Today we continue our interviews with consultants sharing their perspectives on how and why they got into consulting. I’m really happy to have our guest Kevin Roy, a podiatrist who entered into informatics in 1992 as an associate director of informatics with a hospital in the northeast. He got involved in consulting in 2008. Within the last year he has been working on a project with Healthcare IS, which involved transitioning from one long-term engagement to a project with our firm.

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Jun 9, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Does your firm have an unfavorable expense policy?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

As a consultant, you're going to be traveling weekly. Some of the associated costs can be covered up-front by your firm; other costs you'll have to cover yourself and be reimbursed by your firm. 

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Jun 2, 2015 9:30:00 AM · by David Kushan

How to Evaluate a Career in Health IT Consulting

General, Consulting

In this brief video, I will cover the key points that drive people to consider consulting. 

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May 19, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

4 Career Advantages of LinkedIn Groups

General, Consulting, Networking

LinkedIn Ranking

When you belong to a LinkedIn Group and participate on a regular basis, your profile views are going to increase. As a result, your ranking score is going to rise above the scores of others in your network who are searching for the same contracts.

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May 14, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Who is helping you find your next Healthcare IT project?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, Networking, David Kushan

When you are considering taking a contract, many people know to consider the following:

  • Is the project a good fit to your skill set?
  • How will you fit in culturally with the group at the hospital?
  • How much will the position pay?
  • What is the expense reimbursement policy?
  • What will the travel be like? How long will it take in travel time to get to the client site each week? 
  • How often will you be required to travel to the client site? 
  • Will they have flexibility if it is necessary for you to work from home occasionally?
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May 12, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Does your firm focus on your skill set?

General, Career Planning, David Kushan

When joining a consulting firm, it's important to understand where your skill set and knowledge base fall within their overall focus. Many pharmacists or pharmacy professionals join consulting firms only to realize that even though they signed on to participate in an exciting first project, that project was an exception for the firm, rather than the norm.

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Apr 30, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

If You Like Working Project To Project Instead Of Support

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

As part of their day-to-day job descriptions, hospital IT employees typically have a number of different responsibilities. Most of those responsibilities can be filed in one of two categories: “new project implementation” or “support-type functions.” If you prefer one area over another, you probably can’t image how anyone could like the other area. Many people like the “new project” side because of the satisfaction they get from beginning something new, having a timeline to follow, and seeing a fresh solution implemented within their organization. People who like the “support side” derive satisfaction from working on an immediate problem-fix as well as being a go-to person who keeps things running smoothly. Some people like the variety of having a long-term project on which to focus while, at the same time, dealing with support issues that allow them to have a day-to-day sense of immediate accomplishment. Either way, there’s a multitude of variations out there to keep team members challenged.

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Apr 28, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

You'll Always Remember Your First

General, Slideshare

Working as a contractor is a big and sometimes nerve racking step for most professionals. Often times because they are leaving their comfort zone for an opportunity to work as a contractor they want to make sure to secure the very best contract.

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Apr 23, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

You Want Security, But You're Not Willing to Work for It

General, Consulting, Career Planning

What do I mean by this title? What I mean is this:

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Apr 21, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Want to build your resume with challenging work?

General, Career Planning, David Kushan

Given the limited options available to the pharmacy IT or pharmacy informatics professional in any given marketplace, it can be challenging to acquire the experience necessary to advance your career. If you live in a city with only two or three hospital IT or informatics departments, the opportunity for you to gain exposure to career options can be limiting. If you’re currently an informatics pharmacist or IT pharmacist, and you’d like to become a project leader or be in a management/director role in the future, the options you have within your current organization or any of the others in your local market may be restricting. 

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Apr 16, 2015 9:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Do you like travel and variety in your work?

General, Consulting, Career Planning

Most people don’t like change. At the same time, most people don’t like to perform the same mundane tasks day after day, week after week. This paradox can be challenging for the pharmacy IT/pharmacy informatics professional, or for any professional for that matter. 

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Apr 14, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Remote Client Relationship Management

General, Slideshare

Use the tips in this week’s SlideShare to manage your client relationships and ensure open, honest communication.

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Apr 9, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Ep 1 - What's the difference between an I.T. Pharmacist and an Informatics Pharmacist?

General, Healthcare IS Podcast, Interviews

That's a question that can be answered many ways. Find out one Pharmacists answer to this question and many more in our latest interview with Dave Wolfe, Vice President of Professional Services. With over ten years of experience of focus in pharmacy IT he offers a well rounded opinion on the subject. This is the first installment of the Healthcare IS podcast where we will be interviewing a new pharmacist in the IT or informatics field each month. Listen in to hear what these experts have to say and subscribe so you don’t miss out on any episodes.

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Apr 7, 2015 9:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

What makes a non-compete clause reasonable?

General, Slideshare, Consulting

When you join a consulting firm you may be asked to sign pre-employment documents. You'll receive the standard forms, such as W-4, I-9, etc.

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Apr 2, 2015 9:30:00 AM · by David Kushan

Getting Into Healthcare IT Contracting

General, Consulting

If you’re looking to get into consulting as a contractor (someone who gets paid an hourly rate while on projects but is not paid in between), then you have to understand the difference between getting your first contract and getting every other contract after that.

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Mar 31, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Contracting in a New City? How to Find Restaurants in 5 Minutes

General, Tips for Traveling Consultants

When you find yourself on contract in a new city, you always feel a bit lost and, quite frequently, hungry. Take a look at the quick tips I’ve put together below, which can help cut your search down to a mere five minutes.

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Mar 26, 2015 9:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Does the firm you are with have a terrible travel schedule?

General, Consulting, Tips for Traveling Consultants, Career Planning

There are people who work for a consulting firm who come to the conclusion that consulting is not for them. This is understandable. What’s unfortunate is when they feel that consulting is not for them when, in fact, the consulting firm they work for is not the right firm for them.

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Mar 24, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Protection Against Early Termination

General, Slideshare

In this Slideshare, you'll find an alternative to ending contracts based on a number of days.  

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Mar 6, 2015 9:00:00 AM · by David Wolfe

Managing Vendor Relations In A Healthcare System Conversion

General

In the white paper entitled Healthcare System Conversions – Key Points To Consider, we outlined three types of conversions (System Upgrade, New Platform/Same Vendor, and New Platform/New Vendor) and five points to consider when planning for a system conversion.  

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Mar 3, 2015 9:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

How To: Cash in as a Traveling Consultant

General, Consulting, Tips for Traveling Consultants

In a past post by Allison Harrison, Things That Every Consultant Should Have, she recommends that every consultant hold a designated credit card for expenses incurred on the job.

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Feb 17, 2015 9:30:00 AM · by David Kushan

Unexpected Challenges in Working in Pharmacy IT

General, Industry News, Career Planning

As you consider a career in Pharmacy IT/informatics you're most likely going to do as much research as you possibly can.

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Feb 10, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by Dave Wolfe

Managing Multiple Pharmacy Project Initiatives: As a Director of Pharmacy, How Do I Get This Done?

General, Dave Wolfe

As a Director of Pharmacy, how many times do projects get put on the back burner because it's deemed that there are no resources available? As the pharmacy business owner, you're tasked with managing this issue.

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Feb 5, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by Dave Wolfe

Maintaining Disparate Systems - CDM-PDM Synchronization

General, Consulting, Industry News, Dave Wolfe

This blog is the third in a series on "Maintaining Disparate Systems." To ensure appropriate pharmacy medication billing, it's imperative that the Charge Description Master (CDM) and Pharmacy Drug Master (PDM) are in sync. The CDM, described as the backbone of the hospital’s revenue cycle, is the key database from which all patient bills are generated.

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Feb 3, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Maintaining Disparate Systems - Formulary Synchronization

General, Industry News, Dave Wolfe

This blog is the second in a series on "Maintaining Disparate Systems." In the first post we reviewed the definitions and terminology commonly used in healthcare information technology and, more specifically, pharmacy information technology.  This post focuses on the complex challenges of maintaining your formulary and synchronizing it across multiple databases.

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Jan 29, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Ep 9 - Finding Success in an Interview

General, Industry News, Healthcare IS Podcast

Episode 9 is a 10 minute tip segment with David Kushan covering how to find success in an interview when faced with experienced based questions.

If you like what you hear or have an opinion of your own, don’t be afraid to leave us a comment below! Who knows, with your great input you might find yourself joining our guests with an interview of your very own.

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Jan 22, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Packing Smart: A Checklist that has Everything for You

General, Tips for Traveling Consultants

Do you find yourself leaving random essentials behind each week as you pack for the life of a road warrior?

Well, so do we. In an effort to get ourselves organized and help out our fellow consultants, the team here at Healthcare IS has collaborated on a list of essentials, so that you won’t find yourself longing for those small but vital comforts while working on-site.

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Jan 20, 2015 9:30:00 AM · by David Kushan

The Important Question Many Managers Fail To Ask

General, Consulting, Hiring

This will be a short post, because its point doesn’t require a lot of elaboration. So, let me quickly tell you this story and get to the point.

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Jan 15, 2015 9:30:00 AM · by David Kushan

What Three Things Will Put An End To Your Contract Consulting Career In The Healthcare IT Industry?

General, Consulting, Career Planning


In the 15 years Healthcare IS has been in staffing and recruiting for the health information technology industry, we have found three key points that can terminate a successful career.

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Jan 13, 2015 9:30:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Structures of Compensation in Independent Contracting

General, Consulting

There are many questions to ask when you first learn about consulting. The most frequent and urgent question is usually, “How will I be paid?”

There are multiple ways to structure compensation

 when moving into independent consulting.

In this presentation we pin point 4 structures of compensation and how they work best in different situations.

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Jan 8, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by Healthcare IS Team

The Truth About Targeted Salaries

General, Hiring, Healthcare IS Team

Most of the companies we work with have a “salary range” for the position they’re trying to fill. The question is, where do these numbers come from?

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Jan 6, 2015 9:30:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Seven Common Segments Of A Resume

General, Resume Tips, Industry News, Corporate Culture

Your resume is your most important calling card in your job search. At Healthcare IS we review hundreds of resumes regularly and have outlined the seven most evident segments found on the resumes we evaluate. Continue reading below to discover what these segments are and how you can best utilize them.

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Jan 1, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Airport Travel Tips For Air Warriors

General, Tips for Traveling Consultants

Anyone can tell you that getting to the airport early is a key factor in experiencing airport success. At time’s though this may not always be possible. If you find yourself in this predicament often, think about some solutions that might help you get through to the gate a little faster than the average traveler. I’ve listed a few suggestions below that can grease your security wheels and shave some time off your gate race.

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Dec 30, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Dave Wolfe

Maintaining Disparate Systems - CDM-PDM HCPCS Review

General, Industry News, Dave Wolfe

A recent case illustrated the following:

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Dec 29, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

4 Main Compensation Options for Health IT Consultants

General, Consulting, Career Planning

Compensation Classification

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Dec 25, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Happy Holidays from Healthcare IS

General

The holidays are here and with them comes the overwhelming rush to find those perfect presents, send out those Christmas cards and check off your to-do list. Even though it seems to grow three fold every time a task is scratched out.

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Dec 23, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Health IT Contracting is a Business of People

General, Consulting, Tips for Traveling Consultants, Networking

In Pharmacy Informatics consulting, regardless of your implementation experience, if no one knows what you’re capable of, you might as well be invisible. It’s important to be known and trusted for your skills by securing your place on shortlists and learning how to manage your relationships in ways that gain loyalty and respect.

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Dec 11, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

How to Calculate Your Rate as an Independent Health IT Contractor

General, Slideshare, Consulting, Career Planning

When transitioning from permanent employment to contract consulting in healthcare IT you need to understand how to price yourself so that you are making a sound financial decision.

In our previous SlideShare presentation we outlined three crucial mistakes that can lead to a short career in contracting, the very first being pricing and budgeting. In this post we hope to address the issue of how to calculate your rate while considering every aspect of working independently.

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Dec 9, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Dave Wolfe

CPOE Med/IV Optimization

General, Dave Wolfe

Your organization went through the monumental effort of implementing the first wave of CPOE to meet the requirement for Stage 1 attestation for meaningful use. What is next? Optimization and adoption.

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Dec 9, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Top Incentives for Independent Consulting In Healthcare IT

General, Consulting, Career Planning, Healthcare IS Podcast, Interviews

This is our second podcast in a series about working as a consultant in the healthcare IT industry and talking about the differences between working for a consulting firm and being an independent consultant. Our guest today is Jerry Queen. Jerry comes from the health insurance payer side of healthcare; many of our guests in the past have been on the hospital provider side. He has 25 total years of experience working in the payer IT space with three different health plans, 11 of those years in consulting. He primarily provides his expertise in operational management, configuration management, system integration and operational leadership for payers in the IT area.

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Dec 4, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Healthcare IS Team

3 Things a Hiring Manager Should Not Delegate During The Hiring Process

General, Hiring, Healthcare IS Team

Depending upon a company's size, the role of an HR person or department in the hiring process can vary from simply posting an ad and sending resumes to the hiring manager to completing everything through the first interview. The challenge with the latter is making sure that you're not delegating steps throughout the hiring process to a person to whom you've not given the proper tools to complete those steps. 

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Dec 2, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Ep 3 - Can a retail pharmacist transition to a hospital and bring any value in an informatics pharmacist role?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, Healthcare IS Podcast, Interviews, David Kushan

David Stansbury gives his insight in this month’s Healthcare IS podcast. Listen in and hear David’s experience in working as a pharmacist in IT, making transitions and what he’s observed in the last 30 years of his experience.

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Nov 27, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by admin

Healthcare IS Gives Thanks

General

This holiday season Healthcare IS has many things to be thankful for, the first being the simple fact that we are able to work in an industry that is making a difference in the way that people provide and receive healthcare.

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Nov 25, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Healthcare IS Team

1st Interview Don'ts... For the Hiring Manager

General, Hiring, Interviews, Healthcare IS Team

Every time I see an article on what not to do during an interview, it’s directed toward the candidate. Well, in the recruiting world I’ve seen an equal number of interviews go badly due to something the hiring manager did or didn’t do as because of something the candidate did or didn’t do. A few of the major don’ts come to mind. 

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Nov 20, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

The Minimalist Guide To Packing Light

General, Tips for Traveling Consultants

Packing can be a pain, but with these helpful tips maybe you can cut down on space, time, and all those other troubles associated with traveling with luggage. We've broken our packing process down into four easy steps for you: the check-in, the bag, what to bring, and the techniques that have worked for us. If you have tips of your own, please feel free to share them! 

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Nov 19, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Are you a consultant or a long term temp employee?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

At the most basic level, the definition of a consultant is "a person who provides expert advice professionally."

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Nov 18, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Ep 2 - Healthcare IS Speaks with Jerry Fahrni on Pharmacy IT

General, Consulting, Healthcare IS Podcast, Interviews, David Kushan

Take a moment to hear Jerry Fahrni tell his story of experience in Pharmacy IT. He tells us how he came to be in the field of Health IT, what challenges he worked through and observed and what advice he would share with someone looking to break into Pharmacy IT. You can also follow Jerry’s Blog at www.JerryFahrni.com.

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Nov 13, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

What Does Your Firm Represent?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

As an independent contractor whose current project is coming to an end, you're going to be talking with staffing firms about projects they have coming up for which you may be a good fit. If a particular project sounds like a good fit, the firm with which you’re talking will present you to the client. At that point, whether you’re their W-2 employee or a Corp-to-Corp, you’re being represented by that company. As far as the client is concerned, you’re part of the organization that’s representing you.

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Nov 6, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Where To Get Your Contracts And What To Avoid

General, Consulting, David Kushan

If you’re considering getting into consulting as a contractor, you obviously have to be prepared to get new contracts. Depending on the length of the projects you’re on, you may look for new contracts from one to three times a year on average. Unless you’ve built your own client base, you’re going to, most likely, make yourself available for projects through a firm that specializes in finding engagements that require people with your background.

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Nov 5, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Challenges In Breaking Away From Your Consulting Firm To Go Into Contracting

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

Breaking Away From Your Firm

When you're an employee of a consulting firm and you're thinking about getting into contracting, one of the challenges you'll face is being able to break away from that firm in a smooth manner.

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Oct 30, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Should you Explore a Career as a Health IT Consultant?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

Very often when I am talking with people about their career options the thought of consulting enters into the conversation. Many times, people just aren't sure if consulting is for them. In these situations, I try to give them a starting point in order to determine if consulting is a path they should explore further.

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Oct 29, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Should You Pay a Referral Fee for Healthcare Job Applicants You Hire?

General, Hiring, Corporate Culture, Healthcare IS Team

Let me start by clarifying what I mean by "referral fee."

I'm not referring to a placement fee paid to a recruiting firm determined by contract terms. I'm referring to a "bonus" paid to either an internal employee and/or a professional not associated with a recruiting firm upon the hiring of a candidate who was referred by that individual. 

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Oct 28, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

How to Price Yourself In Health IT Contracting

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

Today's topic concerns something I'm asked quite often. When speaking to people who are working at a hospital and are thinking about getting into contracting, I'm commonly asked, “How do you price yourself in terms of the hourly rate you should be earning?”

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Oct 22, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Misinterpreted Information on a Resume

General, Resume Tips, Hiring, David Kushan

In my experience, hiring managers frequently review résumés for a minute or less and come to conclusions that are based on false assumptions. It’s from these false assumptions, in turn, that they base their decisions regarding whom to interview.

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Oct 21, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

How to Categorize Your Interview Responses

General, Career Planning, Interviews, David Kushan

You can probably find more books, articles, and blogs on the subject of job interviews than on virtually any other topic. There are the basics of the process that should be well known — what to wear, when to show up, how to follow up, etc. — and which I will not cover in this post. I would like to focus, instead, on the 20% of the interview that is going to create 80% of your value. I simply want to talk about how to respond to questions.

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Oct 16, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Contracting as a Generalist or Specialist

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

When you’re in consulting, you’re offering your knowledge and skills as a service to organizations in need of that specific expertise.

Contractors frequently express that their #1 fear is not being able to find their next contract. It’s only natural for people dealing with that concern to look for ways to acquire as many skills as possible, in the hope of casting a broad net over contracts for which they can apply.

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Oct 15, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

What Kind Of Contractor Are You?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

What I’ve found, over the years, is that there are two types of contractors: “Get a Job” Contractor (GAJC) & “Build a Practice Contractor (BAPC).

“Get a Job” Contractor

When this type of contractor is looking for their next contract, dollar amount and travel convenience are their top priorities. The more money being paid and the less travel required, the better. This person gives little thought to the type of work or project. They fail to consider how this project will either increase or decrease their marketability for the next project. 

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Oct 14, 2014 9:30:00 AM · by David Kushan

Are You Job Oriented or Career Oriented?

General, Consulting, Career Planning

What’s the difference? If someone is "Career Oriented," they have an idea as to what type of position they want to be in down the road (timeframe can vary) and have an idea as to what they need to learn or accomplish in order to be qualified for that position. A "Job Oriented" person is someone who focuses more on their satisfaction with the job they are in today AND for the most part will not consider another job unless they become dissatisfied with their current position.

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Oct 9, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Good People Are Really Easy To Find!

General, Hiring, Corporate Culture, Networking, David Kushan

In December 2010, I was at the ASHP’s (American Society for Health Systems Pharmacists) midyear meeting in Anaheim, CA. Over the years, their track relating to Pharmacy IT and Informatics has really expanded.

Between sessions, I was engaged in a conversation with a Director of Pharmacy and a Manager of Pharmacy Informatics. Both were talking about the technology initiatives their organizations had in place related to pharmacy and the medication management process. Once the discussion evolved into specific project plans and go-live dates, it turned toward having the right people in place — both full-time employees and consultants. Of course, it doesn’t seem like you can have a conversation about hiring Healthcare IT employees without someone saying how hard it is to find the right people. So, when they started telling me how hard it’s been for them to find the right people, they were both a little shocked by my response: “Good people are easy to find.” I paused for effect and when they both stared at me like I was crazy, I added, “Good people are easy to find — they’re just very hard to get hired.”

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Oct 8, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Use Your Time Providing Services to Secure Your Future

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

When evaluating taking a contract, many people will take into consideration the following:

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Oct 2, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

The Demise of Non-Solicitation Agreements

General, Career Planning, Hiring, David Kushan

Nothing can be more disruptive to an organization’s plans than the loss of key personnel. As a result, many times partnering organizations, vendor/clients, client/client, and even competing organizations will put in place formal and informal “agreements” to not hire each other’s employees. These types of agreements have existed for many years within various industries, Healthcare IT certainly being one of them. In fact, over the past couple of years, some Healthcare IT vendors and consulting firms have been very aggressive in establishing policies as it relates to hiring practices.

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Oct 1, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

One Way to Guarantee Credibility as a Consultant

General, Consulting, Hiring, Corporate Culture, David Kushan

In this post, I want to discuss how to gain credibility with a hiring manager at the conclusion of an interview. 

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Sep 30, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Projecting Demand For Your Skills

General, Consulting, Career Planning, Corporate Culture, David Kushan

When looking to get into a new marketplace in which you think there will be high demand, you'll want to consider a few factors:

• How difficult will it be to break into the new market?

• How long will demand last?

• Will you be better off than if you were to remain in your current market?

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Sep 25, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Three Main Points to the Evolution of the Consultant

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

After consultants have been with a firm for about two to three years, most will stop for the first time and evaluate where they are in regard to their ability to continue traveling on a weekly basis. Put another way, if a consultant is going to burn out on constant traveling, this is typically when it will occur.

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Sep 24, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

How To Prepare For A Hard Interview

General, Consulting, Tips for Traveling Consultants, Career Planning

7 Hard Hitting Interview Questions for Consultants

A while back we turned to Twitter & Facebook and asked our followers to share with us their worst interview questions. We ended up some pretty funny responses. When it comes down to it, we've all had some ridiculous interview questions thrown our way. What helps us to address these odd ball topics and hard hitting questions is simple. Preparation. In an attempt to share what we know here  at Healthcare IS we put together the following questions that we come across and advice on how to thoughtfully answer them.

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Sep 23, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Changing Your Healthcare IT Sellable Skill Set

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

As a consultant, you need to know your sellable skill set, or knowledge base. Just as importantly, you have to be able to package yourself in a way that the people who are buying your services will be comfortable engaging you.

I decided to write this particular post as a result of being asked the same question by several consultants over the last two years.

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Sep 17, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

What About the Second Contract?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

Frequently, people looking to get into contracting don’t have a true understanding of what the Health IT marketplace has to offer in terms of money and required travel. It’s very important to have a realistic understanding of these two criteria in order to work consistently. What I see often is someone waiting to leave their full-time job for a contract that will meet their terms. On the surface, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this. In fact, it’s exactly what you should do.

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Sep 16, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Healthcare IS Team

Time Kills All Deals

General, Consulting, Hiring, Healthcare IS Team

From a recruiter’s standpoint, a delay in the hiring process is the most common factor preventing a successful hire. A delay can range from too much time between interviews, to a postponement in making an offer, to putting a position “on hold.” Below are a few things to avoid during the hiring process.

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Sep 3, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Is a longer contract always better?

General, Consulting, Corporate Culture, David Kushan

Consultants who work primarily on a contract basis know that there will come a time when their “job” will come to an end, and they’ll have to look for a new one. Even though there are many benefits to contracting, this is the one aspect to which contractors do not look forward.

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Aug 20, 2014 9:30:00 AM · by David Kushan

What's Your Definition Of An Informatics Pharmacist?

General, Industry News

When I’m asked this question, it’s usually by someone who’s thinking about getting into this profession and looking for some clarification. Since we’re asked this question quite a bit, we decided to devote a post to the responses we received in a number of podcasts our firm produced over the last four months, which can be found on our resources page.

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Aug 14, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

3 Ways To Work As A Successful Contractor

General, Consulting, Career Planning, Networking, David Kushan

Contracting can be a bit tricky.  You need to keep your current client happy, be on the lookout for your next engagement, while at the same time making sure you attain or maintain a skill set and knowledge base that will continually keep you marketable.

I have been talking with many consultants who work for consulting firms that are thinking about becoming a contractor.  It's natural for people who are considering this change to have some apprehension.  Because of this I wanted to take a minute to highlight the 3 common characteristics I see in successful contractors.

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Aug 12, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Healthcare IS Team

Is Your Management Team Preventing You From Attracting Top Talent?

General, Hiring, Interviews, Healthcare IS Team

Before each interview, a good recruiter will prepare their candidates with relevant information regarding the interview that's about to take place. The candidate is told who they're speaking/meeting with, how long they should expect the interview to last, what types of questions they will be asked, and, ideally, some information regarding the personality/interview style of the hiring manager(s). 

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Aug 7, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Don't Just Evaluate The Contract Evaluate The Firm

General, Career Planning, David Kushan

As a contractor (a consultant who works on a contract-to-contract basis, as opposed to an employee of a firm), you will engage in regular phone calls with firms that place people such as yourself on projects.

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Aug 6, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Healthcare IS Team

Do Salary Expectations Get in the Way of the Right Career Decision?

General, Consulting, Interviews, Healthcare IS Team

There are a handful of factors that motivate people to make a job change. In my experience, it's not just one of these factors that prompts someone to start looking, but a few combined. In the end, though, the focus tends to come down to just one thing: money.

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Jul 31, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Karl Dinse

What Top Performers Have In Common

General, Career Planning, Hiring

Having been in the executive recruiting business for 30-plus years, I can’t help but notice certain commonalities among top performers. These fundamental traits, which never seem to change, are integrated with a value/belief system that gets results. Let’s look at what makes the great ones get to the top and stay there.

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Jul 15, 2014 9:30:00 AM · by David Kushan

Reasonable Non-Compete Clauses in Healthcare IT

General, Consulting, Career Planning

When you join a consulting firm you may be asked to sign pre-employment documents. You’ll receive the standard forms, such as W-4, I-9, etc.

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Jul 9, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Explore A New City Like An Urban Bear Grylls: 5 Ways To See It All

General, Tips for Traveling Consultants

A few times a year, you might find yourself dropping down into a new city to work on a contract. By no means are you jumping from a plane and making your way through jungles or other rugged terrain, but you can still seek adventure and explore like an urban Bear Grylls, the man responsible for the Discovery Channel hit Man vs. Wild.

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Jul 2, 2014 9:14:00 AM · by Karl Dinse

One Crucial Skill You Need

General, Tips for Traveling Consultants, Corporate Culture, Interviews

Over the years, I've personally found active listening to be a very difficult skill to develop. Why? Partly because I'm a "type A" personality who likes to engage assertively, sometimes even aggressively, in conversation. I find myself occasionally interrupting people so that I can get my point across or "win" the conversation/debate. Many words have been written and training programs developed around active listening. Below is a summary of my thoughts on the topic.

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Jul 1, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Healthcare IS Team

Projecting a Realistic Start Date in Contract Consulting

General, Hiring, Interviews

While a start date is the last agenda item of the hiring process, it's among the first things that should be considered.

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Jun 26, 2014 8:33:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

How Can You Increase Your Compensation In Health IT?

General, Slideshare, Consulting

Can you just walk into your manager's office and tell them how much demand there is for your skills and request, or demand, an increase in salary? I guess you could, but what if your manager says, "I would love to increase your salary, but we just don’t have it in the budget."

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Jun 24, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

The Story of 7 IT Pharmacists and How They Got Their Start

General, Career Planning, David Kushan

A while back, Healthcare IS interviewed seven pharmacists who have successfully transitioned from the role of a traditional inpatient pharmacist to that of an IT or informatics pharmacist. The pharmacists in question are some with whom I’ve developed strong relationships. They’ve all been in IT for more than ten years and have profiles on LinkedIn. The objective of these interviews was to provide insight to pharmacists who are looking to enter this field. The questions were broken down into specific topics on which our firm is regularly asked to comment. We believe these short posts that address specific issues will provide value to pharmacists looking to enter this field.

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Jun 18, 2014 12:38:00 PM · by Healthcare IS Team

Professional Email Etiquette

General, Corporate Culture, Healthcare IS Team

In today's day and age, we are flooded with emails on a daily basis. Most people have a personal email address where we are bombarded with special offers, facebook alerts, updates from friends, etc. as well as a professional email address used for work purposes. And in most cases, this is equally full of new emails on an hourly basis. But are all these email necessary and relavant?

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Jun 17, 2014 4:28:00 PM · by David Kushan

Does Your Consulting Firm Have an Unfavorable Bonus Schedule?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

Many people who get into pharmacy informatics/pharmacy IT consulting are motivated by the additional income they can earn. However, there's one factor that keeps many more from transitioning into the market space: the required travel. In fact, the travel makes demand for qualified people that much greater. Still, most people probably wouldn't do the required travel without some additional financial incentive.

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Jun 11, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Road Warriors: A Book for June

General, Tips for Traveling Consultants

As consultants, you find yourselves spending many hours in the air or awaiting departure. For many of you, this time serves as a window of opportunity to get a little extra work done or organize your personal affairs. But on occasion, we all like to pick up an interesting read. This month the Healthcare IS team would like to share one of our favorite new reads, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life and Business.

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Jun 5, 2014 2:11:00 PM · by David Kushan

Ep 22 - Projecting Demand for Your Skills

General, Healthcare IS Podcast, David Kushan

When looking to get into a new marketplace in which you think there will be high demand, you'll want to consider a few factors:

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Jun 4, 2014 9:26:00 AM · by Karl Dinse

How to Have a Meaningful Interview

General, Resume Tips, Career Planning, Hiring, Interviews

If you ask tenured recruiters what's the myth they've most frequently encountered in the business, most would tell you it's the feedback they receive when debriefing candidates following interviews. So often, according to those candidates, they "nailed it" or they "hit a home run" or they’re certain to get a job offer. The reality: More than 75% of the time the employer has no interest in them. In fact, they had a very forgettable interview. Why the disconnect? What happened?

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Jun 3, 2014 10:29:00 AM · by David Kushan

Will extended bench time affect your future pharmacy IT marketability?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

When a pharmacy IT or pharmacy informatics professional is looking to get into consulting, they’ll realize that they have essentially two options: They can work as an employee of a consulting firm or as an independent contractor. Without going into the details of each here (for more information on both, download our free eBook), many people choose to join a consulting firm because of the paid bench time. The advantage of having their salary paid while they’re between projects is perceived as a big benefit. Make sure that you have a solid understanding of bench time first.

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May 28, 2014 9:30:00 AM · by David Wolfe

Definitions and Terminology - Pharmacy Database Management

General, Industry News

This blog is the first in a series on “maintaining disparate systems.” This post reviews the terminology and definitions commonly used in healthcare information technology and, more specifically, pharmacy information technology. We live in a world of acronyms, and having a better understanding of the terminology should improve the pharmacist’s communication with the IT department and IT Vendors.

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May 21, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Healthcare IS Team

How much do you trust your staffing firm?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, Healthcare IS Team

I realize a lot of companies have had bad experiences with staffing firms, and I am not asking the above question to prompt memories of being burned one way or another. I am asking more to find out if you have enough faith in the firm you are working with to allow them to make your life easier.

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May 20, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Healthcare IS Team

What Is Your Professional Touch Plan?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, Healthcare IS Team

How often do you speak with, or get together with, a friend? How about an old colleague? A previous boss? A recruiter with whom you've worked?

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May 13, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

A Look Back at Our Predictions for Healthcare and Technology

General, Industry News

In this TED Talk, Daniel Kraft enthusiastically shared with his audience the remarkable advancements in medicine due to evolving technology. He looked at the three topics below, to name just a few. 

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May 6, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Karl Dinse

Do You Really Want That Job?

General, Consulting, Career Planning

When following up on an interview, what's your strategy? If the opportunity is your dream job and there's heavy competition, what are you doing so that you'll stand above the competition? Many years ago, I learned a technique that, when put to use, has resulted in many job offers for candidates. It's called "the job description close" and here's a brief description . . .

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Apr 16, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Healthcare IS Team

Do you understand the importance of a phone interview in the contract world?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, Hiring, Healthcare IS Team

One of the main differences between contract placement and permanent placement is the speed of which the contract world moves. 

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Apr 8, 2014 9:30:00 AM · by David Kushan

How Do I Get Into Pharmacy IT or Pharmacy Informatics?

General, Industry News, Career Planning

This is a question we hear quite a bit. It's most often asked by pharmacists looking at the pharmacy IT/pharmacy informatics marketplace when considering a possible career transition. We’re also frequently asked this same question by new pharmacy graduates who’ve heard about, or done research into, the pharmacy IT/pharmacy informatics marketplace.

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Apr 1, 2014 10:29:00 AM · by Karl Dinse

Urgency: Does the Market for Top Talent Really Change?

General, Industry News, Hiring, Corporate Culture

All of us in the staffing business have often heard, "We're in a candidate-driven market right now," or the opposite: "We're in a client-driven market right now." How about, "We are in neither?" The reality of the demand for "A" talent is that hiring the best requires a philosophical approach and process that consistently advocates a sense of urgency for all parties involved.

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Mar 27, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Hiring On a Contract-To-Hire Basis

General, Consulting, Hiring, David Kushan

Some companies prefer filling positions on a contract-to-hire basis. These are full-time positions within an organization, but rather than hiring someone straight into the role, the company opts to hire the candidate on a contract basis first. Then, if things go well, the company converts the person to FTE (full-time employee) status.  

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Mar 25, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Ep 4 - What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages for an IT Pharmacist Working in either the IT Department or the Pharmacy?

General, Consulting, Healthcare IS Podcast, Interviews, David Kushan

That’s just one of many questions we addressed with Ron Burnett in our latest Healthcare IS Podcast. Ron has been a practicing pharmacist for the last 29 years. Primarily working in hospital pharmacy practice, he has also done work in home infusion and the retail space. With 14 of those 29 years spent in the informatics space, Ron comes with immense insights from all angles of practicing pharmacy and our country’s implementation of informatics in hospitals.

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Mar 6, 2014 9:54:00 AM · by David Kushan

Ep 19 - The Challenge in Starting a Health IT Contract From Home

General, Healthcare IS Podcast, David Kushan

Once you've been in the consulting field for a reasonable amount of time, you'll be faced with a client that's in a bind and wants you to start immediately.

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Feb 27, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Getting Into Consulting Requires A New Mindset

General, Consulting, David Kushan

Most people who get into Healthcare IT consulting come from a career spent, primarily, in hospital IT or informatics departments. By the time they seriously explore such a career move, they have five-plus years of industry experience and have worked for multiple organizations. 

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Feb 25, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

What Department Is Best for IT Pharmacists

General, David Kushan

One of the questions we're asked most frequently is, Which department is the best to work for, Pharmacy or IT?

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Feb 19, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Healthcare IS Team

Establish a Relationship With a Recruiting Firm Before You Need It

General, Consulting, Healthcare IS Team

More often than not, losing your job comes as a complete surprise. In my experience, when people get news of their termination or a contract ending early, they find themselves in an uncomfortable position - hit with a sense of urgency to find something new. 

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Feb 18, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Struggles in Transferring Into Pharmacy IT - Reasons It May Not Be for You

General, Consulting

Recently we interviewed 7 pharmacist who trasitioned into pharmacy IT. All of the seven pharmacists we interviewed for career-transition insights felt as though they’d made a good decision. Obviously, though, not every pharmacist who makes this career transition ends up feeling like it was a great move. We did not speak with any pharmacists who transitioned into IT/informatics and felt like they’d made a bad move, but the group with which we spoke has seen a number of pharmacists come and go. As a result, we felt they could also provide insight into aspects of the profession that caused their colleagues to leave.

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Feb 12, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Road Warriors: Which States Are Hands-Free?

General, Tips for Traveling Consultants

In an earlier post, Road Warriors: Driving In a Foreign State, we explored different traffic laws from state to state.

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Feb 5, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by Karl Dinse

Visionary Planning

General, Corporate Culture

Now that most of you have thought about what you want to accomplish next year (including how you want to accomplish it), and have even done some traditional planning with objectives, metrics, and desired outcomes, perhaps it's time for a different perspective.

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Dec 31, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Welcome 2014

General

In 2012 Healthcare IS started our company blog. In 2013 we celebrated one year of successful blogging and now in 2014, we get to introduce two new bloggers from the Healthcare IS team. 

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Dec 17, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Why Your Rate Will Drop During a Recession - and Are You Prepared for It?

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

I tell contractors that when the next recession comes around (and it will), the rate they’re able to charge for their work will likely drop. Most of them understand why. During a recession, there’s less work. When there’s less work (i.e. less demand) with the same number of consultants looking for projects (i.e. same supply), contractors are likely to see the amount they can charge go down.

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Nov 26, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Ep 12 - Interview With the Founder of Healthcare IT Central and Healthcare IT Today

General, Healthcare IS Podcast

Today’s interview features Gwen Darling, president and founder of Healthcare IT Central and Healthcare IT Today. Gwen’s efforts have resulted in two excellent industry resources for job opportunities and career development. HCITC and HCITT are now part of the HealthcareScene.com network.

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Nov 12, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

When Interviewing Potential Candidates, Change What You're Looking For

General, Hiring, Corporate Culture

A few months ago, I read a New York Times article by Thomas Friedman titled "Need a Job? Invent It." In this article, Friedman refers to the book Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World by Tony Wagner, a Harvard education specialist. In the book, Wagner makes reference to a few key points:

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Nov 5, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Understanding Emotional Equity When You're Hiring Top Performers

General, Hiring, David Kushan

"Emotional equity" is a term I use to explain something that I realize exists, but that most hiring managers do not. The problem is that most hiring managers I deal with are not only unaware of the term, but they’re also unaware of the concepts.

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Oct 24, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

You Cannot Be Vague With Your Job Descriptions and Specific In Your Screening Process

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

Most candidates who have more than ten years of professional experience cannot list all of that experience, not to mention their associated accomplishments, in the concise format of a professional résumé.

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Oct 10, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Ep 10 - Securing the Second Contract

General, Consulting, Healthcare IS Podcast

Every contractor has his or her dream contract envisioned, usually before they even begin consulting. In today’s podcast, Managing Partner David Kushan examines the perfect contract — what happens when it’s found and what it means when the second contract needs to be secured.

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Oct 8, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by Healthcare IS Team

Need a Hire Yesterday? Be Ready Today.

General, Hiring, Healthcare IS Team

I Need Them Yesterday, But I Don't Have Time to Interview Them Tomorrow

By the time a hiring need arrives at a recruiting firm, it’s usually an urgent need. The company has already tried to fill the position on its own and maybe spent too much time doing so. When they decide to pay a fee to fill this position, they’re feeling the pain of not having someone in the role to complete the work. 

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Oct 3, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Get Inspired: Big Data TED Talk with Joel Selanikio

General, Industry News

When you have 22 minutes to spare today, catch this 2013 TED Talk with Joel Selanikio as he uncovers the Big Picture behind Big Data. 

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Sep 10, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Top 2 Reasons Why Experienced Independent Contractors Go Out of Business When the Market Turns

General, Career Planning, David Kushan

Times are good now. That means most contractors are not going to pay much attention to this post. Which is a shame, because while many contractors do well during good times, the longevity and fruitfulness of their careers is directly proportionate to the work they do at times just like these — not when projects slow and times get tough.

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Sep 4, 2013 4:26:00 PM · by David Kushan

Slideshare - How to categorize your interview questions

General, Slideshare, Consulting, Career Planning, Interviews

If you experience high levels of anxiety when facing a job interview you are among 92% of the U.S. adult population.

Only 7% of the adult population surveyed claimed to have nothing to fear when it comes to interviewing. 

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Aug 13, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

The Hidden Hiring Mistake

General, Hiring, David Kushan

If you have been a hiring manager long enough, inevitably you have hired the “wrong” person.  When you hire someone and realize within the first 90 days it not going to work out, most people would classify this as a bad hire…or a hiring mistake.  Most people are easily able to figure our how costly this mistake can be.

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Aug 6, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

How Google+ Hangouts Will Change the Future of Collaboration in Healthcare

General, Tips for Traveling Consultants, Industry News

It’s impossible to have an active account on Google+ without witnessing the exponential growth of communities and group discussions whether it’s on a post, discussions within communities or through Hangouts.

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Aug 1, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by Healthcare IS Team

Who Should Conduct The 1st Phone Interview?

General, Hiring, Interviews, Healthcare IS Team

A "telephone screen" can be conducted by anyone within an organization, from Human Resources up to the CEO. Does it really matter who actually conducts that first telephone interview? In my experience, yes, it absolutely does.

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Jul 25, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

How are you dealing with the staffing shortages in healthcare IT?

General, Industry News

A 2010 article in ModernHealthcare.com and HealthcareITNews.com projected the need for at least an additional 50,000 Healthcare IT workers due to the demand being created to obtain Meaningful Use compliance.

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Jul 23, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

7 Health IT Communities Worth Joining on Google+

General, Tips for Traveling Consultants, Networking

Google+ communities, much like LinkedIn Groups, are created for people to get together and talk about the interests/passions they share.

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Jul 9, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Optimizing LinkedIn as a Job Seeker

General, Resume Tips, Industry News, Corporate Culture, David Kushan

The May 2013 issue of Inc. magazine featured an infographic (on page 24) concerning trends in big company hiring. 

Specific references were made to the fact that, for most companies that are hiring, online “job boards” are not producing the results they used to. When it comes to hiring online, employers need to be where the employees are. At the dawn of Internet recruiting in the late ’90s, people looking for jobs would regularly go to job boards or would post their résumés online when they were open to hearing about job opportunities. 

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Jul 4, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Happy 4th of July from Healthcare IS to all of our subscribers!

General

What are your plans to celebrate?

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Jul 2, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Keeping up with your New Year's resolution. The mid-year checkup.

General, Career Planning

Remember your goal and why you chose it.

It has officially been 6 months since the beginning of the year when many of us made our New Year’s Resolution. What was your goal? Think back to what changes you decided to make for yourself. This was a goal you set with the intention of completing it within the year. Why? According to Statistic Brain, 45% of Americans usually make a New Year’s resolution. Of that 45% only 8% find success with their year-end goals. So how can ensure that you will make that 8%?

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Jun 17, 2013 9:00:00 PM · by David Kushan

Shifts in the Workforce Will Lead to More Freelancers, Contractors & Temps

General, Industry News, David Kushan

Every time the American economy comes out of a recession, the employment landscape changes. Typically, this occurs due to the adjustments companies have made to survive, as well as the shifts in mindset among employees who were directly affected. As we know, many employees either lost their jobs, had their salaries and/or benefits reduced, or had their roles changed virtually overnight.

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May 30, 2013 8:03:00 AM · by David Kushan

Ep 5 - How To Get Into Contract Consulting - Dave Wolfe

General, Healthcare IS Podcast, Interviews

Welcome to our second series of the Healthcare IS Podcast. The next set of podcast episodes will be geared towards individuals who are interested to hear how others have transitioned from full time employment to contract consulting. In this episode we are visited again by our popular guest Dave Wolfe as he shares his career path in consulting and the choices he made that lead him to a successful profession as an independent consultant.

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Apr 18, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Listen To Your Voicemail

General, David Kushan

As a staffing firm, we’re reaching out to new people on a daily basis. So, in the age of caller ID, when our phone number is unrecognized by the person we’re calling, you can imagine that we leave a lot of voicemails.  Due to the many referrals we get, and with the wide use of cellphones, most of the time we place our first call to someone’s mobile number. 

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Mar 28, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Save Time Managing Your Personal Life While Traveling For Your Consulting Life

General, Tips for Traveling Consultants

As an independent consultant you are responsible for managing your projects, tracking your expenses and staying on schedule while traveling 4-5 days a week. It doesn’t leave much time for managing your personal expenses. Nearly all companies, banks and service providers make it easy to receive an e-bill and provide you with an online account for the ease of reminders and paying bills online.

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Mar 14, 2013 7:51:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Tips On Expense Reports For Consultants

General, Tips for Traveling Consultants

As a traveling consultant, do you dread sending in weekly/monthly expense reports?

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Feb 26, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

GateGuru For Traveling Healthcare IT Consultants

General, Consulting, Tips for Traveling Consultants

Imagine this familiar feeling.  You’re in a new city and a new airport.  You know you have an hour to kill before your flight begins boarding.  The rows of black chairs are filled with only awkward spaces left between wayward travelers.  

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Feb 5, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Time And Expense Apps That Can Save Consultants A Headache

General, Consulting, Tips for Traveling Consultants, Industry News

As a traveling consultant, your job description contains more duties more than just your Health IT project. Working independently or for a firm means that you need to be tracking your own hours and recording your own expenses. Finding a rhythm to staying organized takes time, but with these helpful apps you may find that tracking, and exporting a time and expense report, may be as simple as a few taps on your phone or tablet.

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Jan 22, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Smart Phone Hotspots App for Traveling Consultants

General, Tips for Traveling Consultants

Have you ever found yourself stranded in an airport, waiting for a delayed flight with only limited or expensive wireless Internet available? What about working from a café where the wireless is slow or even nonexistent? What about moving into a new home before your Internet can be transferred or turned on? No matter where or why, we’ve all found ourselves without wireless when we’ve wanted it or even needed it.

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Jan 1, 2013 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

Have You Planned Your 2013?

General

The New Year has arrived! Welcome 2013 and all of the wonderful things ahead. It's the season of resolutions and Healthcare IS is ready to jump in with both feet. Throughout 2012 we developed our company blog, and thanks to our tips and takes on industry trends we’ve received some great feedback from our readers.

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Dec 17, 2012 10:29:00 PM · by Ashley Wetmore

Social Media for Business Travel

General, Tips for Traveling Consultants, Networking

New social media networks turn the business travel world into a much smaller place with new networks that allow solo travelers to login and connect with fellow businessmen and women on flights and in cities.

Working in consulting management, we send our consultants out on a Monday and home again the following Thursday. That’s two trips a week that can offer, previously missed, camaraderie.

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Dec 11, 2012 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

4 Apps Every Traveling Consultant Should Consider

General, Tips for Traveling Consultants

Working as a traveling consultant has a lot of upsides but one of the biggest downsides is being away from your family. Our consultants have found some pretty creative ways to connect while away from home. Some of them documenting their trips with a lovable family stuffed animal and others who prerecord bedtime stories for their children. 

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Nov 7, 2012 4:19:00 PM · by Ashley Wetmore

What the 2012 Election Means for ACA and Health IT

General, Industry News

The buzz around the election is deafening and Healthcare IS has gathered a few articles that highlight what’s expected to happen next. There are two articles from Health IT-focused sources that touch on the coming year as well as an interview with CHIME’s Sharon Canner.

—  Healthcare IS Team

 

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Nov 1, 2012 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

AHRQ Speaks with Healthcare IS: What Workflow Research Will Achieve

General, Industry News

A new proposed study has been submitted by The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in hopes of examining six clinics over a period of 14 months to learn more about the effectiveness of Health IT and the impact of workflow and health IT in ambulatory care practices.

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Oct 9, 2012 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

Hiring Lessons From The World Series Champions

General, Hiring, Corporate Culture, Healthcare IS Team, David Kushan

I’ve always been a sports fan. In fact, I played various organized sports from the time I was six all the way through college, where I played baseball. In my opinion, so much of what happens in the sports world has direct correlations to everyday life. I also believe there are many lessons there that can be applied to hiring and team building.

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Sep 11, 2012 9:00:00 PM · by David Kushan

Two Reasons Why Hiring Is Not Going To Get Any Easier

General, Hiring, David Kushan

In past posts, I've made reference to some of the many articles publicizing shortages that currently exist, and will persist, in finding and hiring specialized skills within the Healthcare IT/Informatics market.

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Sep 6, 2012 9:00:00 PM · by David Kushan

Should You Have A Hiring Standard?

General, Industry News, Hiring, Corporate Culture, Networking, David Kushan

It simply amazes me (and I’m not amazed too often) how bad some people are at hiring or building a team. It's almost as if - and I'm not trying to be sarcastic here - some people are trying to mess things up. Otherwise, I can't imagine how someone in a management role could stop, think, and then still do the things they do.

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Aug 28, 2012 9:00:00 PM · by David Kushan

Yes, They Are Qualified, But Are They Deliverable? Part II

General, Hiring, David Kushan

In my last post, I talked about the concept of a candidate being “deliverable.” From a hiring manager’s perspective, a candidate being deliverable translates to the likelihood of a prospective candidate accepting your offer. A candidate may have a low level of deliverability for one position but a very high level for another.

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Aug 21, 2012 9:00:00 PM · by David Kushan

Yes, They Are Qualified But Are They Deliverable?

General, Hiring, David Kushan

Lately, everyone I talk with expresses how significantly demand has picked up in the Healthcare IT job market. Most employers have multiple positions open and most candidates I speak with say the volume of calls they receive for positions has certainly picked up compared to a year ago.

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Aug 7, 2012 9:00:00 PM · by David Kushan

Healthcare IT Employers - Are You Hiring Talent or Filling a Job Opening? Part II

General, Hiring, Corporate Culture, Networking, David Kushan

Optimal performance during this process reflects very positively on the organization, as this is where first and lasting impressions are made among all parties involved. Thus, structure, formality, and the positive alignment of all decision-makers are highly important factors for on-boarding the very best candidates. If this alignment is not present during the process, then clearly the candidate will sense this and might have hesitancy or doubts as to whether this is the “dream” career that he or she is seeking.

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Aug 2, 2012 9:00:00 PM · by David Kushan

Healthcare IT Employers - Are You Hiring Talent or Filling a Job Opening?

General, Hiring, Corporate Culture, Networking, David Kushan

As parts of the overall job market are starting to improve (Healthcare IT being one of them, of course), I’m beginning to see a lot of the same headlines I saw when the economy was coming out of the 2001 recession. Articles about employment branding (which should never stop, even in bad times), the war for talent, etc. are popping up quite a bit. Estimates are showing that the Healthcare IT industry could be up to 50,000 new positions.

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Aug 1, 2012 9:00:00 PM · by Ashley Wetmore

Top 5 Reasons to Blog About Health IT

General, Consulting, Tips for Traveling Consultants, Resume Tips, Career Planning, Hiring

The concept of blogging is nothing new but as the application process turns digital and fewer and fewer paper resumes are passed around.. One thing is for sure, taking advantage of the electronic era can only further your candidacy for the job you want.

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Jul 31, 2012 9:00:00 PM · by Ashley Wetmore

A Conversation with Steve Sisko

General, Interviews

In today's post we offer you an interview with Steve Sisko, author of ICD-10 Impact to Health Care Payers & Providers. We approached Steve for our company blog, intrigued by his quick climb to the top in featured lists such as Top Ten Bloggers to Follow on Twitter and his number five position on the #HIT100 list. We get to see a lot of Steve's work from the technical side published on his blog and through his guest contributions. This time we wanted know the man behind the technology and how he has gained success in the Health IT industry and become an opinion leader in Health IT social media. Below Steve answers a variety of questions about his experience blogging, his recent recognition and how all of this has affected him as a professional, blogger and family man. At the bottom of the post, feel free to leave any further questions you might have. Steve has generously agreed to personally answer questions by readers.

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Jul 24, 2012 9:00:00 PM · by David Kushan

Did You Think it Would be This Crazy?

General, Hiring, Corporate Culture, David Kushan

In the past, our firm has taken on projects for multiple hires with health systems with which we’ve never worked (it’s always exciting when taking on new clients). One particular client, like many healthcare organizations across the country, continually embarks on very ambitious projects. This client has a track record of fantastic accomplishments.

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Jul 12, 2012 9:00:00 PM · by Ashley Wetmore

Prove It or Lose It!

General, Resume Tips, Industry News, Career Planning

In today's healthcare IT job market standing out in a file of submitted resumes can be a challenge. With an abundance of resumes sent every day, consultants are finding the "thank you, but no thank you" response to be an unfortunate loyal visitor to their inbox.  Inevitably, after weeks of job hunting and hopeful submittals, your frustration builds and begins to chip away at your motivation.

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