by Tony Chen

A quick tangent from the world of hospitals, healthcare, HIPAA, and DRGs. I love being in healthcare, but some of you know that the birth of my son Timothy almost 2 years ago has been a life-changing, exhausting, and exhilarating experience for me. And that experience (coupled with a lot of soul-searching) led me on a mission to create a website dedicated to fuel this passion to be a great dad. Check it out at savvydaddy.com.

If you like what you see, could you help me get the word out? Email it to your friends(dad and moms!), become a fan on facebook, link to it on your blog, subscribe to the rss feed, and stalk me on twitter. And most importantly, sign up as a registered user in 30 seconds (for free!) and start commenting on articles, posting questions/stories, and enjoy! Thank you!

It was really through my experience here at Hospital Impact that I experienced the value and the power of web 2.0 to catalyze conversations and bring awareness to new areas. Don't worry - I'll still be blogging here (though no where near the 6 times/week that I used to!) Thank you for all your support, comments, and friendship here on hospital impact. Let's keep the conversations going and let's keep fighting for better hospitals.

by Tony Chen

It's probably not every day you see someone in their late 40s in a classroom full of 23-year-olds learning about healthcare administration. But that's what happened a few years ago to Jeff McKune - our newest blogger at hospital impact. Read his previous post on hospital strategy here and his bio below:

In 1981 I graduated from Harding University with a B.B.A. in Business Systems Analysis. I worked in information technology in Dallas for several years, and it was there that I met and married my wife. We moved to Missouri in 1985 where I started a systems integration and computer consulting business serving small businesses, county governments, and Fortune 500 companies throughout the state. A number of personal and professional factors, including the illness of my parents, drew me towards healthcare. At the age of 47 I began my graduate studies, completing my Masters in Health Administration at the University of Missouri at Columbia in 2005. I then completed a one-year administrative fellowship at Phelps County Regional Medical Center with the Chief Financial Officer and the Administrative Director of Human Resources as my co-mentors. These days I serve as Director of the Ambulatory Surgery Unit at that same hospital, enjoying each day with a great team of physicians, nurses, and clinical staff. If you would like to learn a bit more about me, please visit my personal site at http://www.mckune.net.

I'm definitely excited to see what topics Jeff ends up posting on - with such a unique path into hospital management, I'm sure he'll have some fresh perspectives to share.

by Tony Chen

Sorry I have not posted in a while. Thanks for your patience.

It's a busy time at work right now. Plus, I've been preparing for out-of-town guests, getting ready to sing & play guitar at a wedding, spending time with the little one, fulfilling local board responsibilities, and fulfilling my blogger role at World Health Care Blog. Read my posts about the AMA and obesity.

I'll have more for you in the next few days, including the introduction of our newest blogger. Stay tuned!

by Tony Chen

Recently, I've been doing a lot of reflecting and thinking around the real impact of this hospital impact blog. I know how it's impacted me: it's opened my eyes to new perspectives and innovations, it's challenged me to synthesize and make sense of the cluttered healthcare news arena, and it's brought me to lots of interesting people and opportunities. Besides getting hacked, getting squatted, & getting plagiarized, I've had a grand ole time blogging and I hope it shows.

But my question today is this: What is the impact of hospital impact on you? What have you found to be most valuable? What's still missing?

If you want to provide feedback confidentially, email me.

Blacksburg, my hometown.

Before yesterday, Va Tech was known for our football, for being nestled in the Appalachian mountains, and for being the 1st community in the US to be internet-wired. On Saturday mornings, the place for breakfast is a little family restaurant, Gillie's. From now on, we'll be known as the site of the deadliest shooting in US history.

To all the media: please be respectful. Hindsight is 20/20.

My dad retired from VA Tech just a few years ago. He used to teach a 9am class in that Norris Building. I actually took one class on the 2nd floor of Norris. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those students and their families.