HITECH Law Blog

A warm welcome to fellow AHLA member and health law blogger, Kathie McDonald-McClure.

I just ran across her blog, HITECH Law Blog. She focuses the blog on health information technology, privacy and security and the blog was named after the HITECH Act. Looks like a great addition to the health law blogosphere.

Ms. McDonald-McClure is a member of the Health Care Services Team at Wyatt Tarrant & Combs, LLP in Louisville, KY.

Thanks Esse Diem: The Best Blogs You're Not Reading Yet

A quick thanks to Elizabeth Damewood-Gaucher author of the Esse Diem Blog for including the Health Care Law Blog on her short list of The Best Blogs You're Not Reading Yet.

I would agree with her list and glad that am a regular reader of 4 out of the 5. All produce great content and cover distinct niche areas. For example, the Rainmaking Blog focuses on the business of law and tells you where to wear you nametag. Lee Kraus' Learning and Technology is the place I first learn about new technology tools that I can use - he is always thinking on the edge of the practical use of technology. Professional Studio 365 focuses on bridging the gap between college and the workforce for those just starting their career. I don't follow the Bad Leader Blog, but what a great name. You've got to love the lead in line, "what we can learn from bad leaders . . ."

"Thanks You" Elizabeth for including us on your list.

Health Care Law Blog Makes Avvo's Top Legal Blogs

I noticed some traffic coming from the Avvo Blog and realized that they compiled a list of top legal blogs based on Alexa traffic rankings. Currently my Health Care Law Blog comes in at #98 on the list.

If you are new to legal blogs this is a great list to see the variety of law related blogs available. Thanks to Avvo for compiling and sharing the list.

Dr. Val Launches Getting Better With Dr. Val

Val Jones, M.D. has a new home at Getting Better with Dr. Val. Congratulations to Dr. Val on the launch of her hew health care blog.Check out her welcome message and the official press release. If you already follow Dr. Val don't forget to update your blogroll.

Dr. Val is also one of the new co coordinators (along with Colin Son who blogs at Medskool) of Grand Rounds. Be sure to check out Grand Rounds every week if you are involved in the health care industry.

100 Best Health Care Policy Blogs and Top 50 Best Health 2.0 Blogs

Thanks to the folks at RNCentral.com for naming the Health Care Law Blog to its list of the 100 Best Health Care Policy Blogs (see #21 under Politics, Legislation and Law category) and the Top 50 Health 2.0 Blogs (#49 under the Health Care Policy and Law category).

Looking over both lists of blogs its a privilege to be listed alongside some of the best health care industry thinkers and writers. If you are new to health blogs or health 2.0 this is a excellent resource.

5 blogs & 5 blawgers

David Harlow blogging on health care law at HealthBlawg tagged me via his version of 5 blogs & 5 blawgs. A new law meme started by the editor of Blawg Review in honor of Blog Day.

The basic rule is to post links to five great blogs (other than law blogs) and tag five of your favorite law bloggers (otherwise known as blawgers) to do the same under the post title "5 Blogs & 5 Blawgers".

5 blogs that I enjoy reading and recommend to others:

• Health Populi by Jane Sarasohn-Kahn
• Kevin M.D. by Kevin Pho M.D.
• On Location with Rick Lee by Rick Lee
• Marketing Genius from Maple Creative by Skip Lineberg
  
• Crossover Healthcare (be well. do good. enjoy life.) by Scott Shreeve, M.D.

5 blawgers who I am tagging to spread "5 Blogs & 5 Blawgers" on to other blawgers:

• HIPAA Blog by Jeff Drummond
• West Virginia Environmental Law by Dave Yaussy
• Bag & Baggage by Denise Howell
• Ohio Practical Business Lawyer by Terri Rasmussen
  
• This is not my blog. by jedi jawa

304blogs: Tons of West Virginia Blogs

Excellent work by Oncee and The West Virginia Optimist the brainchildren of 304Blogs (named after the West Virginia area code). A place to check out all the WVloggers (think WV bloggers). Thanks for adding the Health Care Law Blog front and center.

Great place to visit and see what West Virginia bloggers are doing. Tips on how to use or if you want your blog to be added.

Web/Health 2.0 For Dummies

Blogs, wikis, social bookmarking and social networking for dummies courtesy of Pew Trusts' e-patients.net. Simple explanations and visual demonstrations to better understand the basic concepts.

I've watched a couple of these before -- but have not seen a post with them conveniently in one place. Again the power of social networking (e-social improvement courtesy of the grid crowd). Moreover, I didn't really know who produced these short explanatory videos -- check out Common Craft for more videos including on RSS in Plain English.



Hmm . . . I may contact them to help me produce a clip called: Stark Law in Plain English.

Tip to Matthew Holt over at the Health Care Law Blog.

Blawg Review #142: Letter To A New Lawyer

Be sure to check out this week's Blawg Review #142 over at Build A Solo Practice by Susan Cartier Liebel.

This week's edition is creatively formatted as a letter to a new lawyer. Enjoy the read, click on a few of the links and discover interesting posts from around the legal blogosphere.

Health IT Predictions for 2008 by Jane Sarasohn-Kahn

Jane Sarasohn-Kahn has a nice round up of health IT predictions for 2008 over at iHealthBeat. Be sure to check out Get Out the Crystal Ball: Predicting What's Next for Health IT - iHealthBeat.

One correction that I just pointed out to Jane is that Nick Jacobs IMHO is the grandfather of hospital CEO bloggers (started in May 2005) and that Paul Levy comes in a close 2nd. Both are great blogs providing wonderful insight into a variety of topics.

Welcome Jane Sarasohn-Kahn: Health Populi

Today I received an email from my colleague, Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, a health economist and management consultant, announcing that she had joined the health care blogging world. Congrats Jane!

Jane will be blogging at Health Populi. Over the past year or so I have been reading Jane's thought provoking columns for iHealthBeat and have checked out her THINK-Health site. An example is today's post looking into the priorities (and shifting costs) of Americans on spending for health insurance and technology.

Here is her introductory post and why you should read her blog:

In this blog, I will share my multi-faceted perspectives on health care. In the new wave of transparency in American health care, I seek to shed light. I want to help move along the dialogue that Americans – not just politicians and pundits, but the bulk of Americans living and working outside of legislatures -- must have regarding how to honestly, openly and boldly confront the challenges facing U.S. health care.

Changing our behavior in this new world will involve re-engaging with the U.S. health system and our innermost motivations by

• understanding what health care costs,
• taking better care of ourselves,
• getting smarter about health and health care, and,
• voting in elections.

Along with education, no single domestic issue will affect every American more directly than health care will in the next years and decades to come. Now, read on. Get smart. Go health-shopping. Demand value from those who supply you with health goods and services. Vote. The health system is yours. Act like it.

I can't agree more Jane. Don't miss subscribing to the Health Populi RSS feed.

Charleston Area Alliance: The Value of Blogging In Business

The Charleston Area Alliance will be holding its CEO Roundtable Luncheon on April 4 where the topic for discussion will be "The Value of Blogging In Business."

I will be participating on a panel of Charleston area business bloggers along with Matt Ballard, CEO of the Charleston Area Alliance who blogs at the CAA Blog and Skip Lineburg, Chief Creative Officer of Maple Creative who blogs at Marketing Genius from Maple Creative.

I'm looking forward to sharing my ideas on business blogging and providing some practical tips to help local CEOs, professionals and other small business owners leverage the use of blogs in today's business market.

For more information about the event and how to register go to this link. The event is limited to 30 participants so don't wait to register.

Tags: blogs, blogging, Charleston, West Virginia, WV, CEO Roundtable, Charleston Area Alliance, economic development

Hospital CEO Blogger Blogs About Infection Rates

Hospital CEO blogger, Paul Levy, at Running a Hospital is stirring up the Boston health care community by publishing his hospital's infection rates on his blog and suggesting that other Boston area hospitals should do the same. Check out the Boston Globe article.

I mentioned Mr. Levy's blog posts on the infection rates in my recent post about transparency that can occur as a result of blogging and other technology tools as more of us participate in the live web.

As Dennis Kennedy likes to say -- the money quote from the Boston Globe article, "What's a blog?"

Tags: health2.0, web2.0, blogs, blogging