HIT Recruiters @ The Monticello Group

URGENT JOB ALERT!!!

2012-03-09T18:05:00.002-05:00

Please share this within your network--we need to get 20+ qualified candidates in front of this client before the end of next week!

Industry leading client has urgent need for Project Managers, Business Analysts and Technical Analysts (FT/permanent positions, contracts considered) for a major pending contract with the state of California. Candidates must be based in or willing to move to the Sacramento area and it is ideal if they have some exposure to the health insurance/payer, medical reimbursement or benefits market.

To be considered contact Kate Harlow or Lindsey Nugent at 434-817-5300 or email your resume to either kharlow@mr-monticello.com or lnugent@mr-monticello.com.

New Job Alerts!!!

2012-02-27T16:35:00.000-05:00

We're back and you know what they say...good things come to those who wait, so thanks for your patience!

Hospital Consulting Services Sales!

Immediate need to join a well respected niche consulting firm. Expansion positions available with a company providing strategic and tactical IT consulting services for hospitals and health systems. Candidates who have a healthcare consulting services sales background are needed in Illinois and Indiana. Company offers great base and a realistic, rewarding commission plan. Company ALSO offers a slew of atypical, attractive benefits. Curious? Call Lindsey. 434-817-5300 ext. 216.

DME/HME/Home Care/Infusion Software Sales!

In business for nearly twenty years, thisindustry leading vendor offers stability, name recognition, and plenty of potential for careergrowth. We are looking for enthusiastic, motivated self-starterswith a demonstrated track record of success and a desire to learn. Direct experience with DME/Home Infusion/HomeCare software sales preferred; however, other profiles will be considered. All qualified candidates will have healthcaresales experience, the ability to sell software and a strong understanding ofDME/Home Infusion/Home Care. Candidatesshould be located within the greater NYC area--remote candidates will beconsidered only if they have direct experience.

Package includes fullbenefits and uncapped commissions, a strong existing client base, LOW traveland a great work environment. Call Katetoday at 434-817-5300 x 220 or email your resume to kharlow@mr-monticello.com!

Hot off the presses...This Month's Newsletter!

2012-02-03T14:51:00.000-05:00

Click here to open the full document.

Stop Thinking, Start Interviewing!

2012-01-26T16:31:00.000-05:00

No, don't mindlessly apply to a job, any job in the hopes of getting an interview. And don't slack off when it comes time to take that all important phone call--prepare, prepare, prepare (see yesterday's post, for example). COMPANIES ARE HIRING. If you have Healthcare IT sales experience and have even remotely considered the possibility of exploring new opportunities in the last six months, CALL US NOW at 434-817-5300.
You can reach out to Lindsey (ext 216) or Kate (ext 220)!!!

6 Ways to Ace the Phone Interview

2012-01-25T19:02:00.000-05:00

Play the part

When you pick up the phone, pretend you’re in a face-to-face interview. Even though you could be in your pajamas lounging on the couch, wear business attire and practice good posture. You can even sit in front of a mirror and watch yourself. Your professionalism will transmit through the phone.

Act naturally

Some people come across as unenthusiastic over the phone because they can’t use body language to show who they are. Just because you’re on the phone doesn’t mean you need to be still and quiet. If you’re an animated talker in person, use your hands while speaking. Stand up if you feel more comfortable, and don’t forget to smile.

Stay out of Starbucks

Make sure you’re in a quiet spot to conduct the interview. If you’re on your cell, be sure to have good reception. If you’re on a landline, don’t do the dishes or check e-mail. Focus on the call and questions.

Get off the computer

Have a hard copy of your resume in front of you. You may also want written copies of your questions and the research you did on the company. Paper documents may be “old school,” but clicking your keyboard during the interview will send a “not interested” signal. You may be checking the company’s service offerings, but your interviewer could think you’re updating your Facebook status.

Listen up

Since you won’t have the advantage of reading the interviewer’s body language, your listening becomes paramount. Focus on the questions and make sure you understand them before you answer. You may also want to wait a beat after the interviewer speaks so you don’t interrupt.

Practice

Anticipate the questions you’ll be asked and rehearse your answers. If you’re usually chatty, practice curbing your responses. Typical phone interviews last 20 to 30 minutes. Use the time to impress the hiring manager with your skills, not talk about the weather.

View the original here.

This Week in Healthcare IT News

2012-01-20T15:34:00.004-05:00

M&A, Financial Reports and Funding

7 Medical Systems -- a provider of on-demand digital imaging, electronic health record and revenue cycle management systems -- has completed its acquisition of Manager Consultoria em Informatica LTDA EPP, a Brazilian health informatics company, for an undisclosed sum...VeriTeq Acquisition -- which markets implantable RFID systems for patient identification and sensor applications -- has acquired an implantable microchip, related technology and a personal health record system from PositiveID for an undisclosed sum...InVentiv Health, a consulting firm, will acquire the promotional and medical audit businesses of SDI Health, a health care analytics company, for an undisclosed sum.

Change Healthcare, a vendor of health care cost analysis tools, has raised $9.3 million in Series C funding with contributions from several investors...Sharecare, an interactive health and wellness social platform, has raised $14 million in growth equity financing with contributions led by Galen Partners and TomorrowVentures.

Contracts

IASIS Healthcare, a Tennessee-based operator of acute care hospitals, will deploy NextGen Healthcare Information Systems' practice management and revenue cycle management systems...the Department of Defense's Defense Health Services Systems Program Executive Office has awarded a five-year, $96 million contract to Planned Systems International to provide code maintenance for its Military Health System applications; DOD's Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support has awarded a one-year, $43.2 million extension contract to GE Healthcare to provide patient monitoring systems to various military and federal civilian agencies.

Iowa e-Health -- a consortium of health care payers, providers and consumers -- has awarded a five-year, $12 million contract to Xerox ACS to implement and manage the state's health information exchange...Ellenville Regional Hospital in New York state will implement Healthcare Management Systems' clinical and financial applications...Ono Pharmaceutical in Japan has selected Medidata Solutions' electronic data capture and clinical data management applications...Westchester Medical Center in New York state will roll out QuadraMed's identity management application.

Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio has extended for five years its licensing agreement with Streamline Health Solutions and will implement additional document management and workflow systems...QuadMed, a health care management services provider, will deploy telehealth technology from MDLiveCare to expand consumer access to QuadMed's clinic health care services.

Product Development and Marketing

HITECH Answers, a provider of online educational tools for EHR adoption, and UBM Medica, a health care communications provider, have partnered to market and distribute their products to health care professionals and consumers...CSC, a provider of technology-enabled business tools, and Softheon, a provider of health care business process optimization services, have formed a software distribution alliance to provide efficiency optimization and enhanced productivity services.

OnX, a provider of data center IT systems, and MEDSEEK, a health IT services provider, have formed a strategic partnership to help health care organizations optimize their IT investments...health IT company Mediture and medication therapy management and pharmacy services company CareKinesis have partnered to develop their EHR and pharmacy applications to improve medication management for seniors...BridgeFront, a provider of online education services, is partnering with health care consulting company Coding Institute to offer online ICD-10 training.

Personnel

Thomas Niehaus -- executive vice president for client services at Encore Health Resources, a health IT consulting firm -- has been named president and COO of the company; Dana Sellers -- Encore's former president -- will continue as the company's CEO...Doug Schneider -- former executive vice president of innovation for health care at Thomson Reuters -- has been named CEO of Connecture, a provider of online health insurance distribution and administration services.

Matthew Sappern -- former senior vice president of client sales at EHR provider Allscripts -- has been named CEO of PeriGen, an obstetrics IT company...Dennis Morrison -- former CEO of the Centerstone Research Institute -- has been named chief clinical officer at Netsmart Technologies, a vendor of mental and behavioral health care software and services.

http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2012/1/20/health-it-business-news-roundup-for-the-week-of-january-20-2012.aspx

4 Things Every Job Seeker Should Know About Facebook's Timeline Feature...

2012-01-18T18:37:00.000-05:00

By Tony Morrison

Facebook’s hyped up new Timeline profile is here. Right now, users can adopt this new format on a trial-basis, but rest assured that this will become the standard sooner rather than later.

For a lot of job seekers, the idea of change is a little scary. After all, we all just jumped on the Facebook job search bandwagon. Now we have to adapt to a new look and learn how to use new features that could help emphasize our assets to prospective employers.

I’m here to tell you that it’s not that scary. In fact, the Timeline’s new features are great for the job seeker to share the right content with the right people, like potential employers, mentors, and colleagues.

Check out the four things every job seeker should know about the Facebook Timeline:

A picture is worth a thousand words

One of the biggest changes you’ll see in the Facebook timeline is the cover image. This large picture will be the first thing anyone sees when visiting your profile. You still have your profile picture, so your cover image can be anything from a vacation photo to a famous painting.

As a job seeker, you want your cover image to work double-time by working for your social life and your professional brand. Make it meaningful and professional. Steer clear of anything controversial or offensive. Be creative and choose a favorite picture or statement that fully embodies who you are.

Highlight your features

If you’ve been on Facebook for a while, you know that not all content is created equal. Certain statuses, notes, videos, and pictures are simply more important than others you share on a daily basis.

With the Timeline, you can highlight the most important content by clicking the “feature” button on the upper right hand corner of a post. Once your Timeline is up, Facebook will guess and suggest what is most important to you. I suggest you pay very close attention to what is featured and do not leave creating your personal brand entirely up to Facebook.

As a job seeker, try to highlight stories that a potential employer would like to see, but aren’t so “business-y” that it bugs your friends. Highlight trips, career accomplishments, and life events that say you are a well-rounded person.

Your past is back

It was always there, but now, your Facebook past is a lot more accessible. Thanks to the Timeline, anyone can access your content since the beginning of Facebook. Don’t worry, your privacy settings are still intact, but it’s still smart to peruse what you shared way back when.

This is a great opportunity to review who gets to see what. Chances are, your initial Facebook-ing was more social than anything else, so definitely pay attention to which audiences are privy to what information.

App it up

For those of us with smart phones or who have an affinity (or addiction) for social applications, the Timeline will make it so incredibly easy to broadcast what you’ve been doing. Now you can share the movies you’ve watched on Netflix, the songs you love on Spotify, and whatever fitness accomplishments you’ve reached on Nike.

As a job seeker, try to feature your efforts on business-related applications. You can share blog posts from WordPress, collaborate with colleagues on Huddle, and invite others to join a conversation on Cachinko. When employers see that you’re taking full advantage of what Facebook has to offer, they’ll be able to infer that you’ll do the same for their company.

Things I Look for In a Great Job Interview

2012-01-16T17:02:00.000-05:00

by Matthew Swyers

1. Attention to detail

How many times have you heard this one, right? Pay attention to detail. Let me say it again, PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL!

There’s a great story at the end of the movie Coming to America with Eddie Murphy. It goes something like this:

A man goes into a restaurant. He's having a bowl of soup and he says to the waiter, “Waiter come taste the soup.” The waiter says, “Is something wrong with the soup?” He says “Taste the soup.” The waiter says again, “Is there something wrong with the soup? Is the soup too hot?” The man says again, “Will you taste the soup?“ “What's wrong, is the soup too cold?" Replies the waiter. “Will you just taste the soup?!” “All right, I'll taste the soup,” says the waiter, “where's the spoon??” “Aha. Aha! ...”

At this point you may be asking yourself, “Okay, so what does this have to do with identifying a great candidate?”

Not less than two months ago I received a wonderful e-mail from an applicant seeking to work for The Trademark Company. Their e-mail was personally crafted. Their note struck a wonderful tone emphasizing capability and a willingness to learn more about what we do here. Most importantly, they emphasized their attention to detail. I was sold. I was ready to open up their resume and see what they had to offer. And then, “Aha. Aha! ...”

The applicant had failed to attach their resume. In the blink of an eye all of the time they had spent preparing for this submission, researching me, the company, and the job’s requirements, vanished into thin air. Poof!

Some CEOs may have overlooked this and just asked for the resume. But you can’t say you have an eye for detail and then fail to deliver on the point. Everything the candidate does, from their cover letter to their resume and beyond must prove that point. Otherwise they are just wasting your time. I passed on that candidate.

Find the other 4, here.

This Week in Healthcare IT

2012-01-13T17:14:00.000-05:00

Health IT Business News Roundup for the Week of January 13, 2012

M&A, Financial Reports and Funding

QuadraMed, a provider of health IT software and services, will acquire NCR Corporation, a provider of patient access and payment management software, for an undisclosed sum...Mediware Information Systems, a medical information systems provider, has acquired Transtem, a medical software developer, for an undisclosed sum...ManTech, a provider of support services to federal government agencies, has acquired health care systems integrator Evolvent Technologies for an undisclosed sum.

T-System, a vendor of emergency department information systems, has acquired billing services provider Practice Management Associates for an undisclosed sum...the TriZetto Group, a vendor of health payer software, has acquired Kocsis Consulting Group, a provider of payer training software, for an undisclosed sum...private equity firm Frontier Capital has acquired Healthx, a provider of health IT applications for insurers and physicians, for an undisclosed sum.

Practice Fusion, a provider of EHR systems, has raised $38 million in funding from multiple investors.

Contracts

The Health Resources and Services Administration has awarded a $78.5 million contract to IT services provider SRA International to support the National Practitioner Data Bank and the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank; HRSA also awarded Science Applications International Corporation a contract worth more than $26 million to develop and service data systems for the agency's Bureau Reporting Systems...Avera Health -- a partnership of health care facilities in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota -- is implementing MediClick's analytics applications.

Southern Tier HealthLink, a not-for-profit regional health information exchange organization, has selected health data exchange technology from Lawson Software...Nemours, a pediatric health care system in California, has deployed Saba's cloud-based applications for EHR training and compliance...BryanLGH Medical Center in Nebraska has implemented Thomson Reuters' clinical surveillance and intervention application...the Arizona Regional Extension Center has selected Navicure as one of its preferred EHR vendors.

Maricom Systems, a data management software and engineering services provider, has won a $105 million data services contract from CMS...Adventist Health in California will implement Cerner's EHR system at more than 130 outpatient clinics in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington state...the Idaho Health Data Exchange has selected Greenway Medical as the state's health information exchange administrator.

Product Development and Marketing

HealthEdge, a provider of health care software for payers, has partnered with Keane, an IT services firm, to develop performance-based software for payers...HealthLink Dimensions, a provider of physician marketing services, will add hospital-affiliated physician data to the hospital sales and marketing database from Billians HealthData...Medco Health Solutions and Castlight Health will integrate their comparison pricing tools and clinical messaging services to provide patients with a view of the cost and quality of health care and prescription drug services...Physicians Interactive, a provider of mobile and Internet-based clinical tools, and WorldOne, an online health care data collection firm, have partnered to facilitate market research opportunities between health care and life sciences professionals...Hello Health, a provider of patient management tools, will partner with wireless health network services provider Qualcomm Life to allow patients to transfer data from wireless sensors to a patient management platform.

Personnel

Missy Krasner -- founder of Google Health and a former senior communications director at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT -- has been named executive in residence at Morgenthaler Ventures, a venture capital firm...Barry Canipe -- former senior vice president and CFO for kitchen and bath products supplier American Standard Brands -- has been named CFO of Carestream Health, a provider of medical and dental imaging and health IT services; Jianqing Bennett -- general manager of computed radiography and X-ray systems at Carestream -- has been promoted to vice president of global medical sales and services.

Charles Birmingham -- vice president of corporate development of medical group CareMore Medical Enterprises -- has been elected to the board of directors of ApeniMED, a provider of clinical networking interoperability systems...Scott Johnson -- former vice president of sales at CarePayment, a provider of payment services for patients -- has been named vice president of sales at Skylight Healthcare Systems, a provider of patient communication tools.

"Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?"

2012-01-11T21:31:00.001-05:00

“Why did you leave your last job?” The question can strike fear in even the most confident candidate. Whether your answer is simple or complex, being asked to talk about it puts you on the spot, and it can be tricky to balance the truth while still painting yourself in the best possible light to your hopefully-soon-to-be employer.

But, it doesn’t have to be as painful as you might think.

Aside from wanting to know that you’re not a flake, your interviewer is asking this question to find out why you’re interested in the opening. So, there’s an art to formulating your response that’ll enable you sail through smoothly and come out ahead (even if the circumstances were a bit dicey!). Here’s how to craft an expert answer.

Be Honest

This should go without saying, but you absolutely have to be up front about your reason for leaving, particularly if you were terminated—a prospective employer can (and in many cases, will) call your references or your last supervisor. And if you’ve been let go, don’t panic: It doesn’t mean you’re out of the running. Your best bet is to chalk it up to a learning experience and showcase what you’ve gained from it. People are often able to overlook mistakes if you admit to them and prove that you’ve grown in the process.

Stay Positive

Even if you suffered under the wrath of a Devil Wears Prada-type of supervisor, do not rant about a previous boss or company during an interview. And if you think were laid off unfairly, you still don’t want to paint yourself as a victim. According to corporate recruiter Deborah Osbourn, it’s fine to say the job wasn’t a good fit, but be prepared to give some concrete reasons to back up that statement—for example, you want to work in a more team-oriented environment, or the position didn’t make the best use of your skill set.

Keep it Short

Once you’ve answered the question, there’s no need to keep elaborating. The longer you continue talking, the more likely you are to start opening up about things that aren’t necessary. Yes, your back-stabbing co-workers, the CEO’s anger management problem, and the company’s “creative” reporting practices are all good reasons to leave, but they’re not appropriate to share during an interview.

And if you’re leaving on good terms and are simply looking for a new challenge, that’s all you need to say on the matter. If the interviewer wants more information, she’ll ask you to expand.

Focus on the New Job

The best way to conclude your response is to spin it back to what’s most important—why you are interested in the job you’re interviewing for. “The person interviewing you wants to know that you want that job and will be interested in it for a while,” says Osbourn. “You would be surprised how many people are unable to clearly express their interest in the job.”

Highlight job duties for the new position that spark your interest (“in my last role, I didn’t have much opportunity to collaborate with other departments, so I’m excited about working on cross-functional teams here”). And definitely beware of citing any dislikes from previous jobs that are clearly defined in the job description for this role. Hated cold calling prospects? Be sure that’s not listed as a requirement before spouting off!

Remember, every question you’re asked is a chance to showcase your qualities, personality, and interest in the position. You’ve already passed the initial screen, and the interview is your time to shine. So when asked about your previous job, just keep your answer short, honest, and positive, and you’ll be on to the next question in no time (and hopefully, the job!).

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2012/01/09/the-secret-to-answering-why-did-you-leave-your-last-job/

10 Simple and Powerful Body Language Tips

2012-01-04T18:41:00.001-05:00

The effective use of body language plays a key role in effective leadership communication. From “The Silent Language of Leaders: How Body Language Can Help – or Hurt – How You Lead,” here are ten tips I’ve learned during the past two decades of coaching leaders and their teams around the world:

1) To boost your confidence, assume a power pose

Research at Harvard and Columbia Business Schools shows that simply holding your body in expansive, “high-power” poses (leaning back with hands behind the head and feet up on a desk, or standing with legs and arms stretched wide open) for as little as two minutes stimulates higher levels of testosterone — the hormone linked to power and dominance — and lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.

Try this when you’re feeling tentative but want to appear confident. In addition to causing hormonal shifts in both males and females, these poses lead to increased feelings of power and a higher tolerance for risk. The study also found that people are more often influenced by how they feel about you than by what you’re saying.

2) To increase participation, look like you’re listening

If you want people to speak up, don’t multi-task while they do. Avoid the temptation to check your text messages, check your watch, or check out how the other participants are reacting. Instead, focus on those who are speaking by turning your head and torso to face them directly and by making eye contact. Leaning forward, nodding and tilting your head are other nonverbal way to show you’re engaged and paying attention. It’s important to hear people. It’s just as important to make sure they know you are listening.

3) To encourage collaboration, remove barriers

Physical obstructions are especially detrimental to collaborative efforts. Take away anything that blocks your view or forms a barrier between you and the rest of the team. Even at a coffee break, be aware that you may create a barrier by holding your cup and saucer in a way that seems deliberately to block your body or distance you from others. A senior executive told me he could evaluate his team’s comfort by how high they held their coffee cups. It was his observation that the more insecure individuals felt, the higher they held their coffee. People with their hands held at waist level were more comfortable than those with hands chest high.

4) To connect instantly with someone, shake hands

Touch is the most primitive and powerful nonverbal cue. Touching someone on the arm, hand, or shoulder for as little as 1/40 of a second creates a human bond. In the workplace, physical touch and warmth are established through the handshaking tradition, and this tactile contact makes a lasting and positive impression. A study on handshakes by the Income Center for Trade Shows showed that people are two times more likely to remember you if you shake hands with them. The trade-show researchers also found that people react to those with whom they shake hands by being more open and friendly.

5) To stimulate good feelings, smile

A genuine smile not only stimulates your own sense of well-being, it also tells those around you that you are approachable, cooperative, and trustworthy. A genuine smile comes on slowly, crinkles the eyes, lights up the face, and fades away slowly. Most importantly, smiling directly influences how other people respond to you. When you smile at someone, they almost always smile in return. And, because facial expressions trigger corresponding feelings, the smile you get back actually changes that person’s emotional state in a positive way.

Click here for the rest of the article by Carol Kinsey Goman.

This Week in Healthcare IT

2011-12-30T12:41:00.001-05:00

M&A, Financial Reports and Funding

Hill-Rom Holdings, a vendor of hospital equipment and location-tracking and communication devices, will acquire Volker, a vendor of health care furniture, for $85 million...Scott Silverman -- former chair and CEO of PositiveID, a developer of diabetes management and molecular diagnostic systems -- will acquire the company's personal identification chip and PHR system under a deal that includes a $200,000 note, a 10% interest in Silverman's VeriTeQ Acquisition and possible royalty payments...iMedX, a provider of health care software and services, has acquired transcription services firm Abacus Transcriptions for an undisclosed sum.

Contracts

The Crescent City Beacon Community in Louisiana has selected Mirth's interoperability and care management applications to connect health care providers and organizations...the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has selected Cognosante, a provider of health IT services, to help the state upgrade its Medicaid Management Information System...St. Vincent's HealthCare in Florida has selected Orion Health's health information exchange system.

The East Tennessee Health Information Network, a collaborative group of health systems, has selected OptumInsight's health information exchange system...Shannon Health, a health system in Texas, has selected Rothman Healthcare's patient surveillance system...Baystate Health, a health system in Massachusetts, has selected Atlas Medical Software's physician outreach and connectivity applications.

Product Development and Marketing

Allscripts and DiagnosisOne, a provider of clinical decision support and analytics services, have entered into an alliance to offer clinical decision support and performance measurement capabilities to users of Allscripts' EHR services.

Personnel

Nathan Goldstein -- former executive vice president of the Gorman Health Group, a provider of software and professional services -- has been named CEO of the company...Elizabeth McNamara has been named senior manager of the Healthcare Information Technology Division at ECG Management Consultants, a health care consulting firm...Ian McGuiness -- former senior sales executive at consulting company IMS Health -- has been named vice president of business development at Qforma, a health care analytics and predictive modeling company.

Season's Greetings and Happy Holidays from HIT Recruiters and The Monticello Group!

2011-12-23T11:52:00.006-05:00

Click on the image for a surprise...

Hats off to athenahealth!

2011-12-15T14:10:00.001-05:00

athenahealth, Inc., a provider of cloud-based practice management, electronic health record, and care coordination services to medical groups, today announced that it has received the top ranking for its cloud-based EHR, athenaClinicals^®, in the annual 2011 Best in KLAS Awards: Software & Services report for ambulatory EMR (11-75 Physicians).

To reach its awards conclusions, KLAS surveys hospital and clinic executives, administrators, physicians, nurses, and other directors and managers with business responsibilities regarding their experience with health information technology. KLAS surveys approximately 4,500 hospitals and nearly 2,500 ambulatory organizations annually.

Jonathan Bush, Chairman and CEO of athenahealth, said, “Physicians have to bear a number of pressures, so they certainly can’t afford dealing with the barriers that often come with traditional software-based EHRs. By harnessing the power of the cloud, athenahealth has a unique window into our physicians’ clinical workflow, allowing us to help address issues in real time and inject greater value faster. We’ve heard time and time again that, because of this capability, our providers feel more confident about achieving things like Meaningful Use, qualifying as a patient centered medical home, and, ultimately, their ability to provide the best patient care possible.”

Can Facebook Get You A Job?

2011-12-13T10:07:00.000-05:00

Created by: MBA Online

Join us! HIT Recruiters now has a Linkedin Group

2011-12-09T17:11:00.001-05:00

*click on the image to request membership

Benefits include:

The opportunity to network with professionals in your field
Regular updates from the HIT Recruiters Team
Current Healthcare IT and Job Market News
Interview Tips and Career Advice
Access to our jobs board

Just because they sent you an invitation and called it a party doesn't mean you're not at work...

2011-12-06T17:35:00.001-05:00

written by Kate Rogers for FOXBusiness

With the holiday season in full swing, many companies will be showing appreciation for their employees with a party, but it's easy to overstep boundaries and present yourself in an unflattering light at these gatherings that may lead to missed promotions and fodder for office gossip.

The invite may say "party," but that doesn’t mean you should go wild and relive your college days, especially with upper-level managers present. Employees should enjoy the party, but use it as a networking opportunity to put your best foot forward in front of the bosses.

So, before you hit the dance floor with your manager, or drink too much punch, here are some expert tips for what employees should and should not do at this year's holiday office party:

DON'T: Skip the party. Business etiquette expert Patricia Rossi says to consider the office party an extension of the business day.

"You want to make sure you are there and at your very best," she says.

Anna Post, co-author of the 18^th Edition of Emily Post's Etiquette, says even if you don’t like your colleagues or bosses, you still need to show up.

"Just because they are jerks doesn't mean you get to be one," Post says. "It's one night out of the whole year.

DO: Decide if you will drink ahead of time. If you decide to have alcoholic beverages at the party, take cues from the high-ups and be sure to limit yourself, says Dr. Gregg Jantz, founder of The Center for Counseling and Health Resources.

"A lot of times people don't realize they are being judged and monitored in some instances at a party," he says.

DO: Dress appropriately. Rossi suggests finding out the dress code for the party and following it.

"Dress in a conservative manner. It's not Halloween or the day to break out the thigh-high disco boots."

Jantz stresses maintaining a sense of professionalism in your wardrobe. If in doubt, follow the golden rule of erring on the side of more formal, rather than showing up under dressed.

DON'T: Over consume…anything. Whether its food, alcohol or people, make sure you are enjoying every aspect of the party in moderation. While it may be fun to kick back with your office buddies, don’t monopolize them, the buffet table or the bar.

"Be aware of appropriate boundaries," Jantz says. "Don't try to just hang out with management because you want to impress them."

Rossi suggests having a goal of having three people you want to connect with at the party. It’s important to be perceived as outgoing and social; use the party as an opportunity to shine among your colleagues.

"Move about the cabin and remember that no matter where you go or what you do, you are representing your company," she says. "You don't want to be seen as grazing the buffet line or bar."

DO: Make proper intros. If you are bringing a date or spouse to the holiday party, be sure you are properly introducing him or her to your bosses and colleagues, Jantz recommends.

"Be prepared ahead of time about how you will make these introductions," he says. "Have the elevator speech prepared. Keep it brief and be consistent. It's also a great time to put in a positive plug for your manager or supervisor."

DON'T: Talk gossip, politics or religion. No matter who you are talking to at the party, keep conversation light. Staying away from hot-button issues is a must, Jantz stresses, and be sure to steer clear of office gossip.

"Do not talk about personal issues. Be very alert as to what you are saying," he says.

DO: Put away your phone. A holiday party gathering is the perfect opportunity to get some face time with prospective clients and higher-ups, and the last thing you want to do is be tied up on your phone. Post says employees should consider leaving their phones off or at home for the event.

"Make the people your priority," Post says. "You don't want to look distracted. Make sure you are actually taking advantage of that face time."

DO: Say thank you. Rossi says one way to make a good impression is to seek out the party planner and thank him or her. If you want to go one step further, send a thank-you note afterward.

"The planner usually gets overlooked. This will help you really shine and be remembered as a courteous person."

DON'T: Give the boss a gift. Post says it is not appropriate to give your boss an individual gift. The only time gifting a higher-up would be acceptable is when the team chips in to give a collective one.

"Giving a gift from employee to boss.. there's no way to not look like you are kissing up.”

6 Most In-Demand Skills for HIT Professionals in 2012

2011-11-29T17:30:00.001-05:00

by Michelle McNickle | HealthcareITNews

The demand for capable IT specialists is growing, and according to Guillermo Moreno, vice president of recruiting firm Experis Healthcare, certain skills are bound to take the spotlight come 2012.

“This is an area that’s of interest and concern, given what we’re seeing in the marketplace,” Moreno said. “With the continuation of the build of the information technology movement in healthcare, we are seeing some sizable fractures in the healthcare space around human capital and human talent.”

With the New Year around the corner, we asked Moreno to look ahead and share with us the top six most in-demand skills for healthcare IT professionals in 2012.

1. ICD-10/5010 expertise. Moreno said with the movement to reach the audit function and compliance right in front of us, the demand in the market place for professionals is at an all-time high. “More and more organizations are beginning to road map themselves in ICD-10 migration,” he said. “Everyone understands what ICD-9 is and what it means to generically migrate to ICD-10, but there are few who have actually made the transition or are in the process of doing so.” Moreno said he’s seeing requests and demands both on the payer and provider side, as well as large government organizations looking for skilled professionals. This includes those with expertise in project management, program management, and coding. “Those are the three pretty major areas for people who understand ICD-10, and frankly, in this country, there isn’t a lot of experience in that space.”

[See also: ICD-10 stirs controversy among payers.]

2. EMR and EHR implementation. The increased momentum and adoption of electronic health records is prevalent both for ambulatory and inpatient care. But, according to Moreno, with adoption comes voids and needs in the industry. “Some of the major software houses are tailoring their agendas around meaningful use and CPOE and other things that are required,” he said. “This includes quality measures and compliance in the future around payment. So when you look at that and who is in the marketplace today, there’s clearly a higher degree of contracts in place and requirements to deliver against inpatient and outpatient EMRs versus what’s in the marketplace that’s available.” He added that for certain implementation skill sets “there is a higher demand than there is availability.”

3. Applications know-how. “The other piece, both in the payer and provider space, is the development solution space,” said Moreno. This includes applications and data management, as organizations become more mature regarding solutions. “They’re beginning to fill the landscape and [are looking into] a lot of applications required to measure quality and standards,” he said. “So some increase in software development, software management, and application management. Yet, when you look at the marketplace, and in some cases, companies who own the solutions themselves, they’re having difficulty finding those skills.”

4. Security and compliance skills. Both of which go hand-in-hand with where we are today in the industry and where we’re navigating to, said Moreno. “[This is] where information is collected and is required to move from one environment to another,” he continued. “There’s a notion of how do we protect that information and be HIPAA compliant and deal with PHI.” In the past, added Moreno, the industry was focused on introspective security. “And now, there’s a higher increase for skills in the information management security side of the business.”

[See also: Data breaches top of mind for IT decision makers.]

5. Data management talents. Moreno said data management and data security is where he and his team have placed a lot of effort and emphasis. “It’s the complaint side of the business, so it’s important to understand how you manage and protect the information.” This includes putting together the appropriate structure to govern security, he said, and knowing how to protect information and address breaches from a compliance perspective. “Knowing how to have plans in place so you address the potential losses and breach of information and how to be protected in the future,” added Moreno. “It’s going to require some skill sets that aren’t mainstream in healthcare; they are in other industries, so I think we’re going to see a gap for a period then a movement of professionals who have that skill set in other industries, helping to address this need in healthcare.”

6. BI and analytics abilities. Moreno concluded business intelligence and analytics data is a way to “aggregate information in a better way and with better quality.” But he sees the need for these skills as yet to come. “They aren’t necessarily in the marketplace," he said. "There are tools, but they aren’t as robust and mainstream as those the pharmaceutical industry has been using for a long time.” The industry is starting to see a higher degree of attention on finding newer and more aggressive BI and analytics tools, he added, “which, in turn, will have a higher degree of demand for those professionals."

Linkedin Boot Camp

2011-11-22T17:50:00.001-05:00

Click here to view full size image.

Check out TMG HOT NEWS!

2011-11-18T18:01:00.001-05:00

Hot Jobs Part Two!

2011-11-18T15:52:00.001-05:00

We have a late addition. Call all your post-sales friends in Miami because we're working with an award-winning vendor that is looking to hire an Physician EMR Implementation Specialist in the next few weeks!

*Minimal travel

*Permanent/Full-Time position

*Must currently be located in the Miami area
*Bachelor's degree minimum 3 yrs direct experience and knowledge of back office operations/work flow required

For more info or immediate consideration, call Tracy at 434-817-5300 x 219 or send your resume to trochester@mr-monticello.com. Only qualified applicants will be contacted.

Hot Jobs Alert - Calling the Central States!

2011-11-17T18:05:00.001-05:00

This company offers stability, enthusiasm, a positive team-oriented work environment, name recognition and a strong compensation package. Multiple openings in PM/EHR Sales throughout the Central Region; solutions are award-winning and 100% Meaningful Use Certified.

In the Upper Midwest

(ND/SD/NE/KS/MN/IA/MO/WI/IL/MI/IN)

Calling on 5-20 provider practices

Calling on 20+ provider practices, clinics and Academic Medical Centers

In the South

(CO/NM/OK/TX/AR/LA/MS/AL)
Calling on 5-20 provider practices

*Additional openings currently available in the Mid-Atlantic, the Southeast and the Pacific Northwest.

For more info or to be considered, call Kate! 434-817-5300 x 220 | kharlow@mr-monticello.com

This week in Healthcare IT

2011-11-16T16:58:00.001-05:00

M&A, Financial Reports and Funding

HMS Holdings, a vendor of health insurance software services, will acquire HealthDataInsights, a claims review firm and Medicare recovery audit contractor, for $400 million...Grant Thornton LLP, a consulting firm, has acquired the health solutions division of IT consulting company Computer Technology Associates for an undisclosed sum.
Perminova, a developer of online software for cardiology centers, has secured $7 million in venture capital funding...AmbiCom Holdings, a developer of wireless medical products, has signed an investment agreement for up to $1 million with Kodiak Capital Group...Comprehend Systems, a developer of data analytics tools, has secured $1.2 million in seed round funding with contributions from multiple investors.

Contracts

Athens Regional Medical Center in Georgia has upgraded its Omnicell medication and supply management tools and analytics software...Lompoc Valley Medical Center in California will implement Allscripts' acute care EHR system...UC Health in Ohio has chosen Ciena's performance network connectivity platform...San Francisco VA Medical Center has deployed DSS' chemotherapy manager system.
CalOptima, a regional extension center in California, has picked Office Ally as one of its preferred EHR vendors...Conway Medical Center in South Carolina has chosen PatientKeeper's automated physician workflow and clinical applications...the John C. Lincoln Health Network in Arizona has picked iSirona's device connectivity tool...Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center in Kentucky has selected ChartLogic's EHR system.
ProHealth Care in Wisconsin has chosen Epic System's EHR platform...Sedgwick County Health Center in Colorado has picked Prognosis Health Information Systems' EHR system...Lakeland Regional Health System in Florida has chosen RelayHealth's health information exchange platform...The U.S. Army has awarded four contracts to CACI International to provide software for the U.S. Army's Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support System.

Product Development and Marketing

Medicomp Systems has imbedded its documentation and patient management application into MED3000's EHR platform...athenahealth -- a provider of cloud-based practice management, EHR and care coordination services -- will collaborate with Medley Health, a provider of membership practice marketing and communications services for independent primary care providers, on product integration, co-marketing programs and sales outreach initiatives.

Personnel

Edward Shortliffe -- an adjunct professor of biomedical informatics at Columbia University in New York -- is resigning as president and CEO of the American Medical Informatics Association...Michael Chrissos -- a partner at Ann Arbor Bone and Joint Surgery, a site director for the University of Michigan Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and director of orthopedic trauma services at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Michigan -- has been appointed to the Michigan Health IT Commission; Gregory Forzley -- CMIO at Saint Mary's Health Care and medical director of Advantage Health Physicians Network in Michigan -- has been re-appointed to the board.
Rahul Singa -- former president and CEO of WorldDoc, a provider of health risk assessments, member portals and consumer engagement programs for insurers -- has been named chief medical officer at MedHOK, a vendor of care management and compliance software...James Karis -- former president and CEO of biotechnology firm Entelos -- has been named CEO of CollabRx, a developer of cancer treatment databases...Bharadwaj Heragu -- former vice president of quality for Wipro, an IT services and consulting company -- has been named chief quality officer at Anthelio, a health care technology and business processes company.
Viet Nguyen -- a pediatrician at Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Associates -- has been named CMIO at Systems Made Simple, a provider of health IT platforms...Randall Lipps -- chair, president and CEO of Omnicell, a provider of health IT services -- has been named to the board of directors of Radisphere, a provider of radiology products...Peter Urbain -- formerly of IBM -- has been named senior vice president of partner sales at Merge Healthcare; the company also named Steven Tolle -- former senior vice president and general manager at health IT company OptumInsight -- its senior vice president of solutions management.

Email 101: 8 Etiquette Rules for Job Seekers

2011-11-14T17:13:00.001-05:00

By Tony Morrison

While it’s probably the most easily forgotten, E-mail is one of the sharpest tools in any job seeker’s toolbox. After all, it is the key to any online membership, keeps you up-to-date with your network, and is home to your Daily Deals newsletters!

While it’s easy to take E-mail for granted, job seekers should remember that E-mail is a powerful tool that should be used appropriately, especially when used with potential employers or networking contacts.

Even if you think you’re on top of E-mail etiquette, refresh your memory with these eight rules:

Pick your name carefully – It was really cute when your E-mail address was “PlayBoyBunny88” in college, but a potential employer or networking contact is going to find it tacky and inappropriate. When in doubt, the best E-mail address is a combination of your first and last name.

Don’t forget the subject line – Would you open an E-mail from someone you don’t know that contains no subject line? Stay out of the spam folder by addressing the topic of your E-mail in your subject line. The more specific you are, the more likely your E-mail will be opened.

Leave the LOL out of it – LOL, JK, ROFL, and other web jargon you have up your sleeve belong on Facebook, Twitter, and SMS not professional E-mails. While E-mail can be casual, resorting to jargon, emoticons, and text slang could be telling a potential employer that you don’t take this seriously.

Keep it short and sweet – Think about how much time you have to read through your E-mails. Between newsletters, daily deals, and personal E-mail, you have a lot to go through in a short amount of time. If you’re E-mailing someone your resume, making a request, or simply introducing yourself, keep it to the point.

Make your signature your own – Your professional E-mail needs a solid signature. Not only does an informative signature make for a good finish to any E-mail message, but it also provides in one location your contact information making you immediately accessible. Everyone’s signature is different, but try to include your name, E-mail address, phone number, web address, and hyperlinks to your social media profiles.

Remember to sign-off – If you have a good professional signature, do you have to include a sign-off as well? Yes! Professional sign-offs include “best wishes” or “sincerely.” Use a phrase that seems most like you.

Attach it first – This has to be the easiest to commit and most common mistake ever. E-mailing your resume and forgetting to attach it to the E-mail. We have all done it! No worries. Mistakes happen. Thankfully, email service providers like Gmail will prompt you, but don’t rely on that. Make a habit of attaching the document before you even start writing the resume.

Follow the 24-hour rule – E-mail is immediate. No need to wait for the postman or scramble for a stamp. It’s a quick click and done! However, procrastination and overflowing inboxes will often slow down the effectiveness of E-mail communication. Follow the 24-hour rule. Make a point to deal with each E-mail message you receive within 24 hours. When an E-mail requires your response, act on it within a day, even if only to acknowledge that you have received their message and need a day or two to compile the requested information. Someone is waiting for you to answer them, and your appreciation of their time and consideration will send a strong message that you value them and will respond as requested.

It seems like such a simple thing, but it is because E-mail is so simple that the quality of our communication suffers. We sometimes forget common courtesies and dismiss E-mails with a single click. Be careful. You could be dismissing your next job.

Yesterday Influences Your Performance Today in Surprising Ways

2011-11-09T16:56:00.003-05:00

by Heidi Grant Halvorson at Forbes

It probably won’t surprise you if I tell you that thinking about your past successes and failures can influence your performance in the here and now. There’s nothing like a winning season to give a player confidence going into that last game, and nothing like a string of awkward dates to make you nervous about how the next one is going to turn out. But thanks to new research, it’s become clear that the relationship between our past and present isn’t as obvious as you might think.

Imagine you are about to take a difficult test, or undergo a grueling interview. Before you begin, you take a few moments to reflect on some of your past successes – moments where you really shined. This turns out to be a really good idea, because when you think about the many times in the past when you reached your goals, you start feeling like you’ve really got something that makes you a successful person.

In other words, reflecting on past successes (plural) leads your brain to unconsciously, and quite naturally, assume that since you are the common denominator in all of those successes, your traits (e.g., your intelligence, creativity, charm) are the reason for your success.

Believing that you’ve got it, whatever it is, makes you more confident, and provides a very real boost to your performance.

Of course the same kind of process occurs when you reflect on many past failures before embarking on a new task – you unconsciously assume that something about you is to blame for your bad track record, and as a consequence your performance in the here and now suffers.

No real surprises there, right? But what if instead of reflecting on your past successes and failures plural, you just thought about a single success or failure? What does your brain do with just one particular memory? The answer: it unconsciously draws the opposite conclusion! That’s right – remembering a single episode of success can make you doubt yourself, just as the memory of a single instance of failure can leave you feeling more confident. But why?

General memories, or memories about a group of similar behaviors (like many games won, or many dates gone wrong) lead you to make unconscious inferences about your own traits, because they seem to reflect what youtypically do.

Specific memories, on the other hand, are about a single event (e.g., that one win against Central High, that one bad date with Brad). When you focus on a single event, you are less likely to see yourself as responsible for whatever happened, and more likely to unconsciously conclude that it was all due to the situation you were in. (You beat Central High because their team isn’t that strong. Your date with Brad was awkward because Brad isn’t really your type.)

In other words, memories of a single occurrence in our lives can easily feel like the exception, rather than the rule.

This was nicely illustrated in a set of recent studies. Some of the participants were asked to reflect on a number of their past successes or failures by completing the sentence: “In general, I’m successful (I fail) when….”

The other participants were focused instead on a single episode of success or failure, by completing the sentence: “I succeeded (failed) once when I had to….”

The results were remarkable. People who were asked to reflect on their many past successes or a specific failure scored roughly 10% better on tests of mathematical ability, as well as verbal, spatial, and abstract reasoning, than those who reflected on either many past failures or a single specific success.

This week in Healthcare IT

2011-11-04T16:27:00.000-04:00

M&A, Financial Reports and Funding

HealthGrades, a vendor of consumer health content, has merged with CPM Marketing Group, a vendor of customer relationship management software.

NantWorks -- a health care, educational, scientific and communications technology firm -- has acquired ZioSoft, a developer of 4-D and 5-D medical imaging analytics, for an undisclosed sum and will rename the company Qi Imaging...Blackstone, an investment and financial advisory firm, has completed its acquisition of Emdeon, a provider of revenue and payment cycle management and clinical information exchange tools, for about $3 billion...Siemens Healthcare, a health care services and IT provider, has entered into an agreement to acquire MobileMD, a provider of health information exchange services, for an undisclosed amount.

Merge Healthcare, a provider of imaging and interoperability tools, reported a Q3 2011 net loss of $1 million on $60.1 million in revenue, compared with a Q3 2010 net loss of $5 million on $45.2 million in revenue; Merge also announced that it has begun an offer to exchange $52 million of senior secured notes due 2015 that are registered under the Securities Act for $52 million of outstanding senior secured notes due 2015 that are not registered under the Securities Act to comply with obligations under a registration rights agreement.

Clarity Health Services -- a provider of online medical care coordination, patient insurance and medical data services -- has raised $4.6 million in capital.

Contracts

Centracare Health System in Minnesota, health care payer and provider HealthPartners and 11 radiology practices in California, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington state have selected Merge Healthcare's imaging and interoperability systems...Brown & Toland Physicians in California will implement Allscripts' community health record system.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has chosen HP Enterprise Services as its contractor for the VA Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology health care and benefits services program; VA also has awarded Harris a three-year, $4.5 million contract to develop an online mental health treatment and medication management system under the My HealtheVet personal health record system.

Central Ohio Primary Care Physicians will implement eClinicalWorks' EHR system across its 44 practices...The Ohio State University Medical Center has implemented iSirona's device connectivity and integration platform...the British Columbia Ministry of Health has awarded CGI Group, a provider of IT and business process services, a four-year, $15 million contract extension for its services.

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health has selected Netsmart Technologies' integrated behavioral health clinical, administrative and financial IT system...the New Jersey Health IT Extension Center and the Chicago Health IT Regional Extension Center have selected Welch Allyn as a certified EHR vendor.

Product Development and Marketing

LifeCard Plans, a provider of online storage and emergency access to medical and legal documents, and U.S. Legal Forms are jointly providing state-specific and editable legal documents...athenahealth -- a provider of cloud-based practice management, EHR and care coordination services -- will collaborate with Medley Health -- a provider of membership practice marketing and communications services -- to integrate, market and sell their products.

Personnel

Joe Boyd -- owner of the management consulting and executive training firm Boyd Consulting -- has been named chair of Encore Health Resources, a provider of health IT consulting services...T. Forcht Dagi -- a neurosurgeon and partner at HLM Venture Partners -- has been named CMO at health IT company Aventura HQ...Russ Thomas -- president and COO of health information network Availity -- has been named CEO of the company.

David Gascoigne -- former vice president of promotion management at consulting firm IMS Health -- has been named executive vice president of consulting analytics, innovation and alliances at ImpactRx, a market research and IT company serving the health care industry...Amitav Hajra -- former manager at Epic Systems -- has been named director of Hayes Management Consulting's inpatient division...Darren Schulte -- former leader of clinical and product strategy at Anvita Health, a health care analytics company -- has been named CMO of Apixio, a provider of clinical integration and health data tools.

Use the busy holiday season to find a job...

2011-11-01T15:44:00.001-04:00

Most job seekers think November and December are lousy months to look for work. People are distracted by festivities and family. When potential hiring managers are at their desks, they’re overwhelmed by year-end deadline pressure. Plus, those who have been job hunting for a long time feel like the holidays present an opportunity to take a break.

But Catherine Jewell, an Austin, Texas, career coach and author of the book "New Résumé, New Career," says job-hunters who keep at it are actually more likely to find a job over the holidays. Among the reasons: There’s less competition, the season puts people in a receptive mood, and all those parties and family gatherings overflow with networking opportunities.

“People forget what great resources they have in their current networks,” observes Jewell, who worked in advertising and marketing for 15 years before she became a career coach. Family and friends want to help you, and even if you feel like you already stay in touch regularly, seeing them face-to-face when everyone is in the holiday spirit offers the perfect opportunity for reminding them of exactly what you’re looking for. Be as specific as you can during your conversations, Jewell advises. “Tell them the title you’re looking for, the kind of company,” she says. “You’re asking for information.” If you’re lucky, your cousin knows someone at the firm where you’d love to work, and can provide a lead.

Forbes.com slideshow: Use the holidays to find a job

If you’re employed and thinking about changing jobs, or if your objective is to make a career switch, holiday gatherings also offer a chance to ask people about their own work. Be inquisitive. “You’re not pushing your agenda,” says Jewell. “You’re a sponge for data.”

It can be helpful to ask a fellow partygoer what’s going on inside her company. Example: at a luncheon, Jewell met a woman who works for a state agency. Jewell inquired about what was new in the training realm, and the woman said her division was focusing on leadership. Since Jewell does leadership training herself, she realized she’d found a great lead, and she arranged to follow up with a phone call the next week. The connection resulted in a contract for Jewell to provide 28 days of leadership training for the state agency.

In addition to parties thrown by family and friends, there are always plenty of festivities hosted by professional associations. If you can cadge an invite to the office party of the company where you want to work, you might get an inside scoop.

“The bottom line is that the best job leads come from other professionals,” Jewell points out. “They are your entry point to the secret job market, which is only available through contact with people.” Out of the 150 people Jewell has coached this year, she says, 125 got their jobs via information they found through family, friends or business associates. “That’s where the leads are,” she says, “in people’s heads.”

Most job-seekers think that it’s fruitless to call a hiring manager on Dec. 22. But Jewell says that’s wrong. “Many managers have a decreased work schedule during the holidays,” she points out. If they’re not away, they’re more likely to engage with you when you call.

Jewell has some more holiday job-seeking advice that may seem a tad Pollyannaish to the cynical among us. “The holiday time is a great time to count your blessings,” she says. “You may be unemployed, but you still have a home to live in and a family that loves you.” She points out that hiring managers are more receptive to job-seekers who express confidence and an optimistic frame of mind. If you can use the holidays to renew your appreciation of all that is good in your life, that can help you pursue your search with an attitude that’s most likely to get results.

by Susan Adams, Forbes.com

This Week in Healthcare IT

2011-10-31T12:01:00.000-04:00

M&A, Financial Reports and Funding

The Adirondack Regional Community Health Information Exchange in New York will merge with the Healthcare Information Xchange of New York...Analytix On Demand, a vendor of clinical and financial data analytics applications for health care providers and health insurers, has acquired revenue cycle management consulting firm Integrated Revenue Management for an undisclosed sum.

Computer Programs and Systems, a provider of health IT systems, reported a Q3 2011 net income of $6.0 million on $42 million in revenue, compared with a Q3 2010 net income of $4.9 million on $40.9 million in revenue.

MedVentive, a data analytics firm serving the health care industry, has raised $12 million in a funding round led by several new and previous investors.

Contracts

Notable Solutions -- a developer of document scanning, capture and distribution software -- has been awarded a $3.5 million contract by the U.S. Department of Defense to implement its software in a part of the Military Health System's health IT interoperability program...Premier Purchasing Partners has awarded Afga HealthCare a three-year, multi-source contract to provide Premier members with image management and reporting systems and services...Newton-Wellesley Radiology Associates in Massachusetts has deployed McKesson's revenue management applications.

Alexian Brothers Health System in Illinois and Harbin Clinic in Georgia have selected athenahealth's cloud-based EHR and patient cycle management services...the Virginia Department of Health has selected Community Health Alliance to manage the operations of and establish a governance structure and technical infrastructure for the state's health information exchange network...Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has selected Nexidia's business analytics and data mining software...Tucson Medical Center in Arizona has selected MethodCare's health care analytics software.

The Colorado Regional Extension Center has selected Office Ally as an approved EHR vendor...Piedmont Healthcare operating in North Carolina and Georgia has chosen TeleHealth Services' patient education and interactive communication tools...Scripps Health in California will deploy Allscripts' EHR system...Seton Healthcare Family in Texas will implement dbMotion's clinical interoperability platform...Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Texas will deploy T-System's emergency department information system...Carondelet Health in Missouri has selected eClinicalWorks' EHR and practice management system.

Revera Home Health in Canada has chosen GoldCare's home health care management platform...Catalyst Health Solutions, a pharmacy benefits management and IT services provider, has renewed its contract with SXC Health Solutions, a pharmacy technology services provider...Baylor Health Care System in Texas has chosen AT&T's health information exchange platform...the Raleigh Hand Center in North Carolina has selected ChartLogic's EHR tool.

Product Development and Marketing

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and MEDecision, a provider of collaborative health management services, are working with Illinois-based Pronger Smith Medical Care to develop an EHR system for the facility's patient-centered medical home program.

The Healthcare Information Xchange of New York has connected its health information exchange to athenahealth's cloud-based EHR system to provide community health record access on InterSystems' exchange platform...the Kansas Health Information Network and eHealthAlign are working to merge their health information exchange technology contracts with health IT company ICA.

Personnel

Tejal Gandhi -- chief quality and patient safety officer for Partners HealthCare System in Boston -- has been named program director for the Harvard School of Public Health's executive education program for IT in health care...David Pectol -- former corporate controller for National Coal Corp. -- has been named CFO of PerfectServe, a developer of health care communications systems.

Awarepoint, a provider of real-time location systems for hospitals, has named Merrie Wallace -- a former executive at McKesson -- its executive vice president of product solutions; Chris Cosgrove -- former leader of McKesson's national clinical sales department -- its senior vice president of sales for the eastern U.S.; Greg Arthur -- former director of Microsoft's global and enterprise customer team -- its vice president of client management; and Carla Gallegos -- formerly of Cisco Systems -- its vice president of national account sales for the western U.S.

HealthTech Holdings, a health IT holding company, has named Alan MacLamroc -- former executive vice president at CDC Software -- as CTO. The company also named Geoff Roten -- former executive managing partner of NorthStar Technology Consulting -- as CIO.

Hot Job Alert - Tell Your Friends Edition

2011-10-28T10:16:00.001-04:00

All successful HIT Sales professionals have a talented friend who would love to get into the business--this could be your chance to help make that happen! One of our newest and HOTTEST clients (these guys are motivated to hire) is in need of two Sales Associates to support their top territories. This individual will be responsible for identifying, qualifying, and closing new business in the 1-5 provider space selling EHR, PM and imaging solutions. This position is open to candidates with direct experience as well as those who have sold other products into the small group practice market--including device and pharmaceutical reps. Call Kate for more details or send your resume to kharlow@mr-monticello.com!

Desired Territories:

ARIZONA - Phoenix Area
OHIO - Columbus Area preferred, All Major Cities Considered

How Recruiters Use Social Networks to Screen Candidates

2011-10-24T16:33:00.001-04:00

by Erica Swallow

Over the past few years, we’ve seen social media used in the job market in a number of ways — startups, small businesses and large corporations alike are diving into the socialverse to find top talent, and job seekers are likewise getting creative with social media.

Social media monitoring service Reppler recently surveyed more than 300 hiring professionals to determine when and how job recruiters are screening job candidates on different social networks.

The study found that more than 90% of recruiters and hiring managers have visited a potential candidate’s profile on a social network as part of the screening process. And a whopping 69% of recruiters have rejected a candidate based on content found on his or her social networking profiles — an almost equal proportion of recruiters (68%), though, have hired a candidate based on his or her presence on those networks.

Check out the infographic below for more results from the survey, including what details on a candidate’s social profile make recruiters tick.

Zappos CEO on How to Hire Top Talent

2011-10-19T18:06:00.001-04:00

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Most job search advice is offered by so-called 'experts' who aren't actually responsible for hiring anyone. But hiring managers at major employers are on the front lines of the job market crisis. They screen thousands of applicants a week and are in a unique position to reveal what job seekers are doing wrong, and what candidates can do to get hired now, even in an ultra-competitive job market.

The following are edited excerpts from an interview with Christa Foley, senior human resources manager at Zappos.com. The e-commerce site hires over 30 new employees every month from February to October.
CNNMoney: You see tens of thousands of applicants. What is the biggest mistake made by candidates?

Christa Foley: That's easy ... they apply to too many jobs on our site, and when the jobs are unrelated, as they often are, it makes the candidate look too desperate, and not serious. Choose the open position that you are really best qualified for, and draft a strong résumé for that position. I think that maximizes a candidate's chances of success. Simply applying to every open job on our career page does not.

What's the best question a candidate has asked you in an interview?

"Which employee do you think best represents the Zappos culture and why?"

What's your favorite question for a candidate?

Stole this from Tony Hsieh, our CEO, but I love it: "What's the biggest misperception people typically have about you?" It can give me clues about how sincere and honest they are. I like the question because HR managers need to get candidates talking about themselves in unscripted ways, so that we can see if the culture fit is there. I'll give you an example of a poor answer to this: "People don't have misperceptions of me. What you see is what you get." That raises flags about arrogance, and a lack of self-awareness, it's just not a great response.

What is more important, a relevant college degree or great work experience?

Great work experience. College is fabulous and I encourage everyone to get their degree but outside of a few positions where we require a degree, largely we are looking for work experience and as always, culture fit.

'I have the best job in America!'

Dispel the myth that older workers aren't wanted by newer tech companies.

I can't speak for all tech companies, but for Zappos I say hogwash! We have employees who range from fresh out of high school to retirees coming back to work at Zappos. For example, we hired a retired school teacher who has been with us five years. She is working out great and is a manager for us now.

Yes, employees need to be computer savvy, but of course many older people are. And when we look for 'culture fit' it's not a code for 'younger,' it's a code for 'skilled, motivated, friendly people who are in line with the Zappos Core Values.' I urge older candidates not to disqualify themselves from the so-called 'new economy' jobs."

So many candidates are worried about the "stalker" label. Is there a way to follow up that is helpful without scaring an employer away?

This probably varies from company to company but candidate follow up is totally fine on our end. I think problems arise when the candidate isn't listening to the feedback we are sharing which is a big red flag from a communication skills standpoint.

For example, if I tell you the hiring manager is reviewing your résumé and I will have an answer for you by the end of the week, don't follow up with me before the end of the week. Also, please don't email the Director of HR, the CEO, and the VP of Marketing about your résumé. Instead, apply through our career page. If you actually know the VP of Marketing then have at it and feel free to have him put in a good word for you. Basically, showing your passion and enthusiasm for the job is great but be sure not to cross the line.

What is most creative thing you have seen a job seeker do to get hired?

Oh boy, we see lots of stuff. I will say that in general, I'd really rather candidates not send things to our office and certainly not things that are expensive. But, a few creative candidates that stand out in my mind include a person who sent us a box of donuts. He'd pasted a URL link inside the box which took us to a Youtube video from him and why he wants to work at Zappos. Oh and one person created a Twitter account called @hiremezappos. We hired him.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/19/news/economy/hiring_zappos/

The Five Drivers of Happiness at Work

2011-10-18T17:38:00.000-04:00

I am in a wood-paneled boardroom of a large multinational waiting to make a pitch. My stomach lurches as I anticipate having to use the “H” word to the CEO. It just feels too “new-agey” to associate with the hard-numbered world of business.

“We’re here to talk about happiness. Happiness at work.” The words sound so flaky; “happy clappy” and “happy hippy” ping into my mind even though the numbers tell their own story.

We’ve all had to face and deal with a very different working world, especially since the financial crisis and ensuing recession.

Data which we’ve gathered since 2006, shows that people everywhere feel less confidence, motivation, loyalty, resilience, commitment and engagement.

And whether your local economy is in a state of boom or bust, employees are experiencing similar pressures and bosses can only squeeze until the pips squeak for so long.

But imagine a mindset which enables action to maximize performance and achieve potential in these tough times. At the iOpener Institute for People and Performance, we understand that this is another way of describing happiness at work.

Our empirical research, involving 9,000 people from around the world, reveals some astonishing findings. Employees who report being happiest at work:

Stay twice as long in their jobs as their least happy colleagues
Spend double their time at work focused on what they are paid to do
Take ten times less sick leave
Believe they are achieving their potential twice as much

And the “science of happiness at work” has big benefits for individuals too. If you’re really happy at work, you’ll solve problems faster, be more creative, adapt fastest to change, receive better feedback, get promoted quicker and earn more over the long-term.

So how can you get to grips with what it’s all about?

Our research shows that there are five important drivers that underpin the science of happiness at work.

1. Contribution.

This is about what you do, so it’s made up of some of the core activities which happen at work. Like having clear goals, moving positively towards them, talking about issues that might prevent you meeting your objectives and feeling heard when you do so.

You’ll do all this best when you feel appreciated and valued by your boss and your colleagues. So it’s not just about delivering: it’s about doing that within collaborative working relationships too.

Here’s what Daniel Walsh, executive vice president at one of the world’s leading transport and logistics organizations, Chep, said about his insight into the value of his colleagues’ contributions:

“I was very task-focused and goal-oriented early in my career and I delivered significant deals. But afterwards it would take a few weeks to mop up the wreckage because I was more gung-ho than I needed to be. I had a meeting with my mentor who said, “look this has got to stop. You’re delivering fantastic results but you’ve got to take people with you.
“Now I try to create an environment where people feel their opinions or views matter and I appreciate what they bring to the table. I can’t do my job on my own.”

2. Conviction.

This is the short-term motivation both in good times and bad. That’s the key point: keeping going even when things get tough, so that you maintain your energy, motivation and resources which pull you through.

Key to doing this is feeling that you’re resilient, efficient and effective. In fact, our data clearly shows that we’re much more resilient than we are aware but we’re much less aware of how variable our motivation is and how to manage it.

Actively deciding to do this can make a huge difference.

As Adam Parr, CEO of Williams F1 said, “a driver who gets out of a car when it’s spun off or he’s been hit and it’s all gone horribly wrong and reminds himself that he’s privileged to do the work and there’s a job to be done—that takes him to another level.”

3. Culture.

Performance and happiness at work are really high when employees feel they fit within their organizational culture. Not fitting in a job is like wearing the wrong clothes to a party—all the time.

It’s hugely draining and de-energizing.

If you’re in the wrong job, you’ll find that the values mean little to you, the ethos feels unfair or political and you don’t have much in common with your colleagues. What’s interesting about our data is that employees like their organizational cultures a lot less than they did in pre-recession times: in particular “generation Y-ers” or “millennial” workers really don’t seem to like what they’re experiencing at work.

So any business which wants to attract and retain top young talent and find the leaders of tomorrow, needs to start addressing this issue today.

4. Commitment.

Commitment matters because it taps into the macro reasons of why you do the work you do. Some of the underlying elements of commitment are perceiving you’re doing something worthwhile, having strong intrinsic interest in your job and feeling that the vision of your organization resonates with your purpose.

We’ve seen commitment decline for the majority of employees post-recession as leaders and organizations think that tuning into this soft stuff is a waste of time.

It isn’t.

It’s how you enable your employees to understand why they should make a greater discretionary effort for you. What is important is to recognize that the five factors work as an ecosystem.

That means if one of the five drivers isn’t functioning well, the others will be affected. For example if you don’t feel high levels of commitment, it’s likely that your contribution will be affected. When contribution goes down, conviction, especially the motivation part of it, tends to go down with it. And that obviously has an effect on your confidence too.

5. Confidence.

Confidence is the gateway to the other four drivers. Too little confidence and nothing happens: too much leads to arrogance and particularly poor decisions. Without greater levels of self-belief, the backbone of confidence, there will be few people who’ll take a risk or try anything new. And you can’t have confident organizations without confident individuals inside them.

Here’s what Dr Rafi Yoeli, founder of Urban Aeronautics, the leading Israeli fancraft aviation entrepreneur said:

“We’ve built a flying machine that’s half way between a Harrier jump jet and a helicopter. We work very differently here, it’s organic engineering. You need a high level of curiosity and of expertise if you’re going to make something extraordinary. And you need an even higher level of confidence to put it together.”

And finally, understanding what makes you happy at work and how that affects your performance offers a whole new way of managing yourself, your career and your opportunities.

And by the way, the CEO at the beginning of the piece told me that, “when you said happiness, it really resonated with me. I’m so unhappy in my job, I hate what I do and I can barely bring myself to come in every day.”

*Read the original article here.

Hot Jobs Alert!

2011-10-13T18:00:00.000-04:00

Hot off the presses! We have a brand new client with three immediate hiring needs. The company is an established, well-regarded vendor providing a range of clinical and financial solutions for the physician market. They have thousands of current users and an impressive successful adoption rate.

Open territories:
(1) OK MO AR KY TN
(2) DC, VA, MD, DE,
(3) GA, NC, SC

Requirements:

Experience selling software to physicians groups (5+ providers)
A successful track record of meeting and exceeding sales goals
The ability to travel up to 70% within a regional territory

Email Kate to apply or call for additional details: kharlow@mr-monticello.com | 434.817.5300 x 220

What To Say On LinkedIn When You've Been Laid Off

2011-10-12T17:48:00.005-04:00

Many people who’ve been laid off feel like crawling in a hole, rather than broadcasting their new job status (or more accurately, lack-of job-status) to the world at large. But if you want to find another position, that’s precisely what you should do, says Sandra A.VanGilder, an executive coach with her own firm in New York.

In the current economy, with so many talented people being let go, there is “absolutely no shame whatsoever” in clearly indicating that you are out of work,” she says. “You exude confidence by not being ashamed that you’re between jobs.” LinkedIn, which functions as an electronic resume, is a valuable tool to help you spread the word.

Until they are laid off, some folks either don’t know how to use LinkedIn, or have a very skeletal presence on the site, VanGilder says. Perhaps they think of it as a job search tool (a mistaken assumption) and either aren’t looking or don’t want their bosses to think they are. Others are too busy.

Still, while three years ago, senior people thought LinkedIn was for lower-level employees, now everybody is connected and checking each other out. Often, the first thing people do when they are asked to interview someone – or even just network – is to look the person up on LinkedIn.

If you suddenly find yourself out of work, develop a “robust, 100% complete LinkedIn profile,” VanGilder advises. This site is so user-friendly that even newbies ought to be able to find their way. Those who need guidance can rely on LinkedIn’s online tutorial or enlist help from an experienced friend or tech-savvy teenager.

In creating a new profile or editing your current one, be very public about the fact that you’re looking for new opportunities,” VanGilder says. These are issues she suggests you address as you wind your way though the key sections of the LinkedIn template:

Professional Headline

In this line, which goes under your name, give a generic description of what you do or a sample job title (for example, Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer). Label yourself as what you would like to be, rather than feeling limited by what your last job title was.

Current Position

Since you’re now out of work, the “Current” heading should be deleted. Before you do that, though, cut and paste your previous company and job title into the “Past” section. Then click “edit” and “delete,” and make the “Current” heading disappear. Don’t be concerned that your job shows an end date. It’s very acceptable to be in between jobs.

Summary

In a couple of short, pithy paragraphs, emphasize your key skills and examples of accomplishments. Conclude with a sentence that says “I am currently looking for new opportunities in a couple of specific functions and industries.”

When trying to fill positions that are now open, both headhunters and in-house folks with responsibility for filling a job routinely comb LinkedIn for people who are out of work; it saves them the trouble of having to convince someone who is currently employed to switch jobs. So it’s to your benefit to indicate that you’re open to new opportunities.

For example, someone who previously worked as a chief administrative officer could write, “Actively pursuing chief administrative officer or chief human resources officer role in a dynamic, collaborative environment.” An experienced broker looking to reposition his career into investor relations could say something like, “Currently seeking to leverage my Equity Floor experience and education into Investor Relations.” (Alternatively, you can put “Actively seeking new opportunities” in your professional headline.)

Experience

Make sure your descriptions of past jobs adequately convey what you did. Standard rules of resume writing apply here: use active verbs, amply convey your responsibilities, and show results. Since words are scarcer in social media, aim for punchy (think soundbite). Get recommendations from your current or most relevant jobs that reflect varying perspectives — for example from a manager, a colleague and a client.

Education

A perennial question is whether people should include graduation dates, which are a tipoff to their age. VanGilder, who says most of her clients are between their mid-40s and early 60s, discourages them from trying to mask their age. “It’s just one more data point around which people connect,” she says.

How do you know when you’re finished? When you’re in “Edit Profile” mode on LinkedIn, there’s a metric that shows the percent of profile completeness. It will make suggestions about what you’re missing — whether it’s a photo or recommendations. Keep revising until you hit the 100% mark. Then proofread vigilantly.

Once you have found another position, you’ll no doubt be eager to update your LinkedIn profile to show where you’ve landed. But don’t neglect it after that. This social media tool is great for sharing updates about what you are doing; your entries on the home page appear at the top of your profile. So think of your LinkedIn page as an active site. You won’t want it to go stagnant.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljacobs/2011/10/11/what-to-say-on-linkedin-when-youve-been-laid-off/

Steve Jobs' legacy will live on in healthcare

2011-10-10T18:01:00.000-04:00

by Mike Millard, Managing Editor - Healthcare IT News

It's hard to overstate the impact Steve Jobs, who died Wednesday at age 56, has had on technology for the past 30 years. In hardware, software, communications and design, Apple's contributions have been incalculable – not least in healthcare.

The online reactions last night – with many responses no doubt tapped onto iPhone screens or typed into MacBook Pros – attested to the far-reaching accomplishments of a man many have likened to a modern Thomas Edison.

[See also: Slideshow - Steve Jobs (1955-2011)]

"He changed the way each of us sees the world," said President Obama.

Federal Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra called Jobs "a true visionary."

"In some ways, his death seems like Faustian bargain – revolutionize the world with products beyond our imagination, then die too young," wrote Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center CIO John Halamka, MD.

Chilmark Research analyst John Moore put it simply: Jobs "wanted to make computers actually fun to use."

That's the key. From the start, Apple has made products that people felt they just needed to have – cool and fun and exceedingly useful.

Physicians and clinicians like smart functionality and sexy design as much as anyone. And that's a huge reason why, in barely three years, the iPhone and the iPad – and the dozens of other smartphones and tablets that have followed Apple's lead – have found such a foothold in hospitals and physician practices.

Just this week, at the launch of the new iPhone 4S, Apple CEO Tim Cook noted that "80 percent of the top hospitals in the U.S. are now testing or piloting the iPad" – using the device "to access patient records, to review medical images, to administer bedside care."

In a healthcare sector that's taken decades to digitize on a scale comparable to other industries, Apple's mobile devices have been adopted in impressive numbers. The interest from care providers is immense. (Of the stories with my byline on healthcareitnews.com, the three most popular so far in 2011 are all about the iPad.)

The innovations speak for themselves. Many big-name electronic health records vendors have developed iPhone or iPad access capabilities. There's also an increasing number of iPad-native EHRs. The devices have proved their worth from the get-go when it comes to telehealth – and the new iPhone 4S (with its 8 megapixel camera and 1080p HD video capabilities) looks to be even-better suited for remote diagnoses in time-sensitive emergencies. The galaxy of self-monitoring, smoking cessation, fitness and assorted other mHealth apps in Apple's App Store have helped bring about a new era in personal health.

And amazingly, so many of these innovations are on fronts most of us never envisioned.

It's often said – and rightly so – that health IT systems should be deployed carefully, with plenty of input from doctors, nurses and other care providers.

But Jobs, the bold visionary, took the opposite approach. As he said famously: "It isn’t the consumers' job to know what they want."

Its a testament to his genius that so many people were happy to find that out from him.

Wall Street Journal technology columnist Walt Mossberg wrote about Jobs that, "the dominant tone he struck was optimism and certainty."

As the U.S. continues the herculean task of transforming the healthcare system for the 21st century, it would be wise to follow his example.

Read the rest at healthcareitnews.com

More Than 100,000 Health Providers Sign Up for Meaningful Use

2011-10-07T13:43:00.000-04:00

As of the end of September, more than 100,000 hospitals and physicians had registered for the meaningful use incentive program, according to CMS, Government Health IT reports.

Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health records can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.

Of the total 114,644 registrants:

88,399 physicians and hospitals signed up for the Medicare incentive program;
24,030 physicians and hospitals signed up for the Medicaid incentive program; and
2,215 hospitals signed up for both incentive programs.

As of August, 90,000 health care providers had signed up for the meaningful use incentive program.

During the Health IT Policy Committee's meaningful use work group meeting on Tuesday, Robert Tagalicod -- director of CMS' Office of eHealth Standards and Services -- said that as of Sept. 30, CMS had doled out more than $850 million in meaningful use incentive payments, including $357.4 million under the Medicare program and $492.6 million under the Medicaid program.

Since April, 3,722 physicians and 158 hospitals have received Medicare incentive payments for successfully attesting to the meaningful use of EHRs, Government Health IT reports. Health care providers participating in the Medicaid program do not have to attest to meaningful use criteria in their first year in the program, but they receive payments for adopting, implementing or upgrading certified EHRs (Mosquera, Government Health IT, 10/5).

First Friday Preview - October

2011-10-07T11:30:00.001-04:00

Hot Jobs is Back! Check out our new look.

2011-10-06T11:55:00.001-04:00

Facebook + Your Job Search (by the numbers)

2011-10-05T16:45:00.005-04:00

Your Background Check Is Now with Facebook

2011-10-03T16:45:00.000-04:00

The next time you apply for a job, don't be surprised if you have to agree to a social-media background check. Many U.S. companies and recruiters are now looking at yourFacebook-Inc" target="_blank">Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and other accounts and blogs -- even YouTube -- to paint a clearer picture of who you are.
"Almost all employers do some form of background screening because they have to avoid negligent hiring," said Max Drucker, chief executive of Social Intelligence, a consumer-reporting agency. "An employer has an obligation to make the best effort to protect their employees and customers when they hire."
And now the Federal Trade Commission has decided that companies that research how you spend your personal time and what your passions and hobbies are do not violate your privacy. The agency recently investigated Social Intelligence, which scours the Internet for the information, pictures and comments you freely share with the world and sells that data to your potential employers. The FTC found the company compliant with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. In other words, the Internet is fair game.
"When someone puts their public life out there publicly, it's there to be evaluated," said Kim Harmer, a partner at Harmer Associates, a Chicago-based recruiting firm. "You find out lots of things about people just by Googling them."
It's not the party photos
You can breathe a sigh of relief about those party pictures plastered all over your Facebook -- most employers and consumer-reporting agencies will look past them, unless, of course, you're underage.
"I look at their Facebook and see how they approach what they put on it," Harmer said. "Is it immature? Appropriate or inappropriate? I'm not judging their activity but looking at how they communicate what they do and their thoughts and their judgments to the public as a reflection of what they will do with clients and team members."
Drucker said he only searches for what the companies direct him to find and stays away from giving employers information that might be considered discriminatory to the hiring process. Employers, for example, cannot legally make hiring decisions based on race, religion, marital status or disability. But they can make decisions based on whether or not they like your attitude or your ethics.
A Social Intelligence report to a company would include racist remarks, sexually explicit photos or videos, or flagrant displays of weapons or illegal activity, Drucker said. And your decision to post a naked picture of yourself might not go over well with a potential employer.
"That might not be relevant to the job, but an employer gets to determine if that's the kind of person he wants representing his company," Drucker said."We don't make the decisions. We just generate the reports."
He said he has been surprised by how many racist comments and flagrant displays of drug use people post online. "It's not just smoking marijuana. It's snorting cocaine, talking about doing Ecstasy on Twitter or a forum or message board, showing it in photos or video-sharing sites," he said.
Some companies are mining photo- and video-gathering sites using facial-recognition software. If you were among those rioting in the streets of Vancouver after the National Hockey League championship, for example, a potential boss could find you the same way the police tracked down those responsible for some of the bedlam -- in the pictures.
"We are going from the Web being a place of extraordinary anonymity to a place where your every movement could be traced if someone's taking pictures of you and posting them," said John Challenger, chief executive of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement-consulting firm. "Job seekers need to be careful because of that," so they don't make a mistake and lose a job as a result, he said.
They also need to know that not all companies use reporting agencies like Social Intelligence. Some take a hodgepodge approach to mining your data.
"People are slowly becoming aware of the consequences of posting too much information on the Web," Challenger said. "But they shouldn't wait until they make a mistake and lose a job because of it."
What you should do
Here are some tips:
-- Make every effort to find out what's out there about you. Anything that may be taken out of context should be taken down.
-- Be concerned about the accuracy of what's gathered. Drucker said his company looks at layers of social media to determine if the John Brown it is looking at is the same John Brown that the company is considering hiring. If his identity was stolen, John Brown's information could be "correct" but inaccurate.
-- Remember that bits and pieces of you are at a number of other sites, like LinkedIn, Craigslist or Foursquare, not to mention blogs, forums and wikis that you might visit.
-- Check -- and frequently recheck -- your privacy settings on social-media accounts like Facebook and Twitter.
-- Create a positive online presence by putting up your resume on a site with your domain name or getting it on forums of charitable organizations that you support.
-- If in doubt, consider hiring a company like Reputation.com to help you present, well, a better you.
Jennifer Waters is a reporter for MarketWatch, where this story originally appeared. Write to herhere.

Welcome back, old friend!

2011-09-29T12:14:00.000-04:00

Coming very, very soon...the long awaited return of TMG Hot Jobs, your favorite newsletter!

The Art of Asking Questions

2011-09-28T12:00:00.000-04:00

by Ron Ashkenas, published in HBR Online

How well do you ask questions? From my experience, most managers don't think about this issue. After all, you don't usually find "the ability to ask questions" on any list of managerial competencies; nor is it an explicit part of the curriculum of business schools or executive educationprograms. But asking questions effectively is a major underlying part of a manager's job — which suggests that it might be worth giving this skill a little more focus.

We've all experienced times when we've failed at being good questioners, perhaps without realizing it. For example, not long ago I sat in on a meeting where a project team was reviewing its progress with a senior executive sponsor. During the presentation it was clear from his body language that the executive was uncomfortable with the direction that the team was taking. As a result, without any real questioning of the team, he deferred approval of the next steps until he could have a further discussion with the team leader. When he met with the team leader later, he ripped into him for allowing the team to go off-course. Eventually the team leader was able to explain the thinking behind the plan, convinced the executive that they would indeed achieve their objectives, and was given the go-ahead to proceed. But in the meantime the team had lost its momentum (and a week of productivity), and began to focus more on pleasing the sponsor rather than doing the project in the best way.

This is not an isolated incident. Many managers don't know how to probe the thought process of their subordinates, colleagues, and bosses — and instead make assumptions about the basis of their actions. And when those assumptions are wrong, all sorts of dysfunctional patterns can be created. In a financial services firm, for example, a major product upgrade was delayed by months because the product and IT managers had different assumptions about what was to be delivered by when, and kept blaming each other for delays. When a third party finally helped them to ask the right questions, they were able to come up with a plan that satisfied both, and quickly produced incremental revenue for the product.

There are three areas where improved "questioning" can strengthen managerial effectiveness; and it might be worth considering how you can improve your skills in each one.

First is the ability to ask questions about yourself. All of us fall into unproductive habits, sometimes unconsciously. Good managers therefore are always asking themselves and others about what they could do better or differently. Finding the right time and approach for asking these questions in a way that invites constructive and candid responses is critical.

Second is the ability to ask questions about plans and projects. The examples mentioned above both fall into this category. The challenge with questioning projects is to do so in a way that not only advances the work, but that also builds relationships and helps the people involved to learn and develop. This doesn't mean that your questions can't be tough and direct, but the probing needs to be in the spirit of accelerating progress, illuminating unconscious assumptions and solving problems. This is in contrast to some managers who (perhaps out of their own insecurity) ask review questions either to prove that they are the smartest one in the room, or to make someone squirm. On the other hand, many of the best managers I've seen have an uncanny ability to engage in Socratic dialogue that helps people reach their own conclusions about what can be done to improve a plan or project, which of course leads to much more ownership and learning.

Finally, practice asking questions about the organization. Although usually unspoken, managers have an obligation to always look for ways that the organization as a whole can function more effectively. To do this, they need to ask questions about practices, processes, and structures: Why do we do things this way? Is there a better approach? Asking these questions in a way that does not trigger defensiveness and that is seen as constructive is an important skill for managers.

Most of us never think about how to frame our questions. Giving this process some explicit thought however might not only make you a better manager; it might also help others improve their inquiry skills as well.

15 Google Interview Questions That Will Make You Feel Stupid

2011-09-28T01:38:00.000-04:00

written by Nicholas Carlson
How would you tackle questions like these in your next job interview?

How many golf balls can fit in a school bus?
How much should you charge to wash all the windows in Seattle?
In a country in which people only want boys every family continues to have children until they have a boy. If they have a girl, they have another child. If they have a boy, they stop. What is the proportion of boys to girls in the country?
How many piano tuners are there in the entire world?
Why are manhole covers round?
Design an evacuation plan for San Francisco.
How many times a day does a clock's hands overlap?
Explain the significance of "dead beef."
A man pushed his car to a hotel and lost his fortune. What happened?
You need to check that your friend, Bob, has your correct phone number but you cannot ask him directly. You must write the question on a card and give it to Eve who will take the card to Bob and return the answer to you. What must you write on the card, besides the question, to ensure Bob can encode the message so that Eve cannot read your phone number?
You're the captain of a pirate ship and your crew votes on how the gold is divided up. If fewer than half of the pirates agree with you, you die. How do you recommend apportioning the gold in such a way that you get a good share of the booty, but still survive?
You have eight balls all of the same size; seven of them weigh the same, and one of them weighs slightly more. How can you find the ball that is heavier by using a balance and only two weighings?
You are given two eggs. You have access to a 100-story building. The eggs can be very hard or very fragile; that means one may break if dropped from the first floor or may not even break if dropped from the 100th floor. Both eggs are identical. You need to figure out the highest floor of a 100-story building an egg can be dropped without breaking. The question is how many drops you need to make. You are allowed to break two eggs in the process.
Explain a database in three sentences to your eight-year-old nephew.
You are shrunk to the height of a nickel and your mass is proportionally reduced so as to maintain your original density. You are then thrown into an empty glass blender. The blades will start moving in 60 seconds. What do you do?

Weekly Wisdom: 9 Snap Judgments Managers Make in Job Interviews

2011-09-28T01:09:00.000-04:00

taken from an article by Jeff Haden published at www.bnet.com
I've interviewed thousands of potential employees and hired hundreds of them. Over time I developed the ability to quickly size up a candidate, sometimes even within a minute or two, based on one or two actions or comments. My snap judgments were rarely wrong. (Although I didn't always avoid making one of the biggest hiring mistakes.) I know what you're probably thinking: "But that is so unfair. You owed it to every candidate to wait until the interview is over to draw an overall conclusion. You can't make a hiring decision based on one or two minutes out of an hour-long interview."

Fair enough. But keep in mind most interviewers do the same thing. In fact, the more experienced the interviewer the more likely they are to make snap judgments. Fair or unfair, we’re heavily influenced by first impressions or by what experience indicates are pivotal moments. If you’re the job candidate you can either complain about the unfairness of it all and blow the interview, or accept that fact and use it to your advantage.

Here are some positive thin-slices:

The candidate immediately thanks me for the interview and says they’re excited about the opportunity. I want you to be glad you’re here. I want you to be excited about the job. If you’re not thankful and excited now you definitely won’t be thrilled after six months on the job. Plus an overt “let me see if this job is a good fit for me” interview can often be painful for the interviewer; even if over the course of the interview you realize you really want the job, you probably already lost us. Emotion — positive emotion — is good.
The candidate needs to make “truck payments.” Years ago I was in charge of part-time employees at a manufacturing plant. Full-time employees were required to work heavy overtime but part-time employees were not, making coverage (and my job) difficult. When I asked a part-time candidate about their willingness to work overtime I loved the guys who said, “I’ll work all the overtime I can get. I bought a new truck and the payments are killing me.” Every job has a hot button requirement: Maybe it’s frequent travel, maybe it’s last-minute overtime, maybe it’s a particular skill… a candidate who finds out the position’s hot button and meets it is 90% home.
The candidate is late — but doesn’t tell me why. Say you’re late for an interview. Don’t tell me about traffic or bad directions or parking problems. Just say, “I’m sorry I’m late. If I’ve thrown off your day I will be glad to reschedule whenever it’s convenient for you.” Take ownership, don’t make excuses, and offer ways to make things better. Nothing ever goes perfectly, and knowing you will take responsibility and work to fix problems is impressive.
The candidate asks for the job. Salespeople ask for the sale, and candidates should ask for the job. Just say, “Thanks for the interview. I really enjoyed speaking with you. And I would really love to work here.” Why should I offer you something you’re not willing to ask for?

And some negative thin-slices:

The candidate complains. Most people know not to complain about their present employer, but any complaint is a downer. Say you notice a photo of my family standing front of the Colosseum. You say, “Wow, I’ve always wanted to go to Italy… I’ve just never been able to afford it.” Even gentle whining is a bummer. Don’t complain about anything, no matter how justified. Negatives always stand out.
The candidate isn’t ready. Don’t you hate when you’re standing in line at the grocery store and the person in front of you waits until all their items have been scanned and bagged before they reach into their wallet for their checkbook? The same is true in an interview: Have your resume and everything else you need all set to go. Hit the ground running and immediately focus on the interviewer. “Work” is a verb. Make “interview” a verb too.
The candidate tries to take charge. Everyone likes a leader… just not in an interview. Feel free to subtly shape the interview and lead the conversation into areas that showcase your strengths, but don’t try to take over. Employers need people who can lead and follow. Plus, be honest, you trying to take over is really irritating.
The candidate gets “comfortable.” I want you to be relaxed and at ease during the interview, but I also want you to sit up, sit forward, and show the interview matters to you. Kicking back says you don’t really care.
The candidate asks throw-away questions. Here’s the golden rule: When asked if you have any questions, don’t make a few up to try to impress me. If you have no questions, say so. Don’t ask about something you could have easily learned on your own. Don’t ask questions designed to make you look good. In short, don’t ask what you think I want to hear. Interviewers can tell, and it ends the interview on a down note.

Sage Practice Management Software Sold At Big Loss

2011-09-28T01:00:00.001-04:00

The company originally known as Medical Manager--which has one of the largest installed bases of practice management software in the United States--has gone through many twists and turns in its decades long career. Now it's poised to start an entirely new phase of its evolution with the sale of Sage Software, which includes Medical Manager, to a private equity firm.

The U.K.-based Sage Group recently announced that it had sold Sage Software to Vista Equity Partners, a San Francisco-based investment firm, for $320 million. In 2006, Sage purchased the assets that would become Sage Software from Emdeon for $565 million.

Sage acknowledges it lost between $95 million and $111 million on this sale at the current exchange rate. Nevertheless, it does not appear that Sage Software is bleeding red ink. For the six months ended March 11 of this year, the Sage Group says, the division earned nearly $16 million before interest, taxes, and amortization on revenue of $114 million. And for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2010, Sage Software netted EBITA of $48 million on a volume of $245 million.

That isn't as impressive as it sounds, however, when you consider that Sage Software's net income shrank for the most recently reported six-month period in a prorated comparison with the fiscal 2010 figure. Moreover, the company's annual revenues were lower in 2010 than they were when Sage purchased Sage Software.

[Which healthcare organizations came out ahead in theInformationWeek 500 competition? See 10 Healthcare IT Innovators: InformationWeek 500.]

"This is one of the great boom markets in the history of the health IT industry," noted Sean Wieland, an analyst with Piper Jaffray, in an interview with InformationWeek Healthcare. "So if your claim to fame is that you made money, that might not be enough. You've got competitors like Athenahealth, which is stealing market share from Sage, and is growing earnings at 40% year over year, with profit margins well into the 20% range."

In Wieland's view, the Sage Group didn't understand what it was buying when it acquired Medical Manager and related assets from Emdeon. "When they bought it, it was a declining asset in terms of losing market share, and I don't think they ever turned it around."

Medical Manager's big mistake, Wieland said, was the development of its Intergy practice management/electronic health record (PM/EHR) system. This client-server software, he noted, required "a lot of care and feeding" and was really aimed at medium-sized to large physician groups. Medical Manager's PM customers, in contrast, were mostly practices of one to 10 physicians. The small practices couldn't cope with Intergy, and the large groups didn't want it because they viewed Medical Manager as a vendor that specialized in small groups.

But Sage Software still has a competitive advantage in its share of the market for practice management software, Wieland said. At its height, Medical Manager claimed to have systems installed in 22,500 sites, and the Sage Software website currently says that the company serves 80,000 physicians.

"They still have a large base of physicians using their billing system," Wieland pointed out. "What they need is to come up with is the upgrade path from that [to a new EHR/PM system]. It has to be cloud-based and subscription-based--not something like Intergy that is using a decade-old technology."

This is probably Vista's strategy, he said. (Vista did not return phone calls seeking comment.) "They probably thought they could drive better execution, better innovation in R&D and come up with that logical upgrade path for the existing base."

If Vista makes the right moves, the software vendor could be successful again, Wieland said. "Medical Manager still has a large customer base, and the market share [for billing systems] doesn't switch that quickly. So it's not too late."

by Ken Terry of InformationWeek