October 30, 2012 Gwen Darling
blog
Late last month, CHIME released the results of a recent survey of CIOs, which found that more than two-thirds are reporting shortages on their staffs. For those of us who make our living helping to bridge and overcome that gap between talent supply and demand, the overall findings in this survey were not surprising. But there was one specific statistic cited in the survey that was particularly unsettling.
October 24, 2012 Tim Tolan
blog
It strikes a nerve with me when I hear this now famous song by Queen (also performed by Queen + Paul Rodgers – which I like as well!), and I begin to think about the times during my career when I decided to call it quits and move on to greener pastures. You know the feeling, right? The mind begins to wander, and you begin to question your decisions - how will this organization function without my leadership, and what about the major projects underway? Surely they will fall apart if I leave now? And what about the great team I have in place, including those who joined the organization because of me? What will happen to them and their careers after I’m long gone?
October 18, 2012 Tim Tolan
blog
I get it. More and more Americans are removing traditional land-line telephone service from their homes. I did it more than four years ago and have never looked back. What I don’t get is why a candidate would to use their cell phone to interview for their next position, knowing any number of issues could (and probably will) turn up. It’s a horrible idea.
October 12, 2012 Tim Tolan
blog
Not to send a message of sour grapes with a recent candidate experience I had, but... why not? When I bring a candidate to the table, prep him for an interview, negotiate an offer, and then he decides to no-show for a position he'd accepted, it sends me a loud message to me and the countless others who've put their time into the search - we've been left "high and dry'". It's surreal to step back and think that all the effort that went into this search was wasted.
October 10, 2012 John DeGaspari
article
Trying to predict a hospital's inpatient nurse staffing needs is a tough day-to-day challenge that involves matching often unpredictable patient demand to the nurse resources needed to care for those patients. Case in point: the Chesterfield, Mo.-based Mercy health system, a 31-hospital network serving Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, a hospital system that ranges from critical care hospitals with an average census of perhaps five to 10 patients a day to large tertiary care facilities. In March, 2011, Mercy implemented enterprise-wide web-based scheduling software that has significantly reduced the guesswork involved in its inpatient nurse staffing allocation.
October 1, 2012 Tim Tolan
article
Going to an interview can be a very stressful and trying exercise for many people. We are all wired differently, and while some of us thrive in an unknown setting—others simply cringe at the thought of crossing the vestibule into unfamiliar territory.
September 26, 2012
news
The need for IT staff at the nation’s health organizations remains acute, according to the results of a recent survey of chief information officers, which found that more than two-thirds are reporting shortages on their staffs. The survey, conducted by CHIME, showed that staff shortages are continuing to trouble IT executives.
August 29, 2012
news
The Medical Group Management Association has released a new survey that indicates practice administrators in small medical groups report slight increase in compensation, while those in larger groups say their compensation has gone down. According to the report, groups with seven to 25 full-time-equivalent (FTE) physicians reported median compensation of $120,486, an increase of 4.8 percent from 2010, while for groups of 26 or more FTE physicians, practice administrators reported a 2.8 percent decrease in median compensation.
August 22, 2012 Tim Tolan
article
During an interview it’s fairly common to discuss your career successes, and where you have made a meaningful difference along the way. What’s amazing is that so many candidates are too humble to talk about why they just might be one of the top CIOs in the country. I’m not pontificating that anyone should boldly walk into an interview spouting off their greatness and providing dozens of career accomplishments from recent decades. I am, however, suggesting that you really think about how you would answer a question about a time or situation where your leadership—one single key decision you made—had a considerable impact on your organization.
August 19, 2012 Gwen Darling
blog
Let's face it ladies, it's already tough enough out there. If you find yourself doing any of these five things, it's time to make some changes (and know you're not alone - I've been guilty of every one at one time or another, too).
August 17, 2012 Tim Tolan
blog
People are simply amazing, wonderful creatures to watch, especially in an interview setting. Some candidates prepare for days while others rely on their people skills to get them through without any preparation whatsoever. Bad move. To totally rely on your gift of the gab is risky, especially when the interviewer begins to ask questions – or peels back the layers of the onion. Without some advance prep, most candidates just can’t keep it up - a few softballs - and then, game over.
