Why are certain staff members laid off while others are spared? What does this mean for those who are left? Are more layoffs around the corner? What does the future hold for the facility? These concerns and many others are now in the minds of employees, making it crucial to deal with the matter head-on.

As valuable as a certification can be, there is plenty of information to keep in mind before embarking on your certification journey. First and foremost, it?s important to evaluate where you are on your career path and which of your job responsibilities could be enhanced with a certification.

When physician practices look to hire new employees, trustworthiness is the No. 1 quality they seek in candidates. They ask themselves: ?Can we trust this person to treat our patients and colleagues with respect?? ?Will he or she keep financial, personal, and medical information confidential?? ?Can we trust this person around the drug cabinet or the petty cash??

Gone are the days when physicians would gather in the staff lounge and discuss various healthcare issues. Now, as the Internet has moved in, they don’t even have to be in the same room or building to converse.

It’s time to set down the stethoscope and put away the balance sheet. Pull on your marketing boots—we’re going branding. First, let’s start with some basic terminology.

Managed care contract negotiations tend to focus on financial and legal issues, but overlooking the effect of medical management on payer contracts could jeopardize your financial viability. To ensure that managed care contracts line up with your organization?s financial goals, give one of your physicians a seat on your contracting team.

Title XIII of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 focuses on HIT and quality, with $19 billion in grants and loans set aside for infrastructure and incentive payments under Medicare and Medicaid for providers who adopt certified EHR technology. The grants and loans include $17 billion slated for incentives, with $2 billion allotted to jump-start health IT adoption.