Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Administration
Been a while
I guess nearly 4 years between posts is enough. Today has been a beautiful day. Sunshine, blue skies, and 26 degrees outside.
What a summer?
Today, July 27th: I had to close the windows in the house to try to keep it warm enough to avoid having to turn on the furnace. Seriously? It’s the end of July! This is the time of year to complain about the heat, not the unseasonably cool weather. Yes, it’s NE Minnesota, but still . . . . . I’m NOT going to complain about the odd weather. It really is nice to be cool and not be sweaty hot or running the A/C.
Christmas Thanks
I don’t really have anything to say . . . no words of wisdom, no opinions I feel compelled to share. But, my last post here was back in May, and that’s really a long time to let pass without adding anything. That, and it’s getting closer to Christmas and I’ve been watching Hallmark Christmas movies for the last few hours. They suck me in and I end up happy, sad, thankful, lucky, sad, happy, thankful, etc., etc., ad nauseaum.
With all of the troubles and sadness in the world today, take a look around and you will see that there is still much good in the world and much to be thankful for.
Merry Christmas & may God bless you
There’s more to customer service than . . . . .
- standing behind a counter
- showing up for work
- wearing the company uniform
- saying the right words
- smiling and nodding
All of those things can be part of customer service, but there’s so much more. The customer should feel glad they showed up. Impressed. Perhaps surprised.
Customers should never walk away feeling like you don’t care, or that they were an inconvenience for you.
Put yourself in the customer’s shoes, and THINK before you act, react or speak.
Chicken pox lollipops!
This is one of the most amazing things I have read in quite some time.
“A federal prosecutor is warning parents against trading chicken pox-laced lollipops by mail in what authorities describe as misguided attempts to expose their children to the virus to build immunity later in life.”
Sincere, but misguided parents engaging in some very risky behavior. No solid science to support this.
Here’s the link to the full article on Yahoo!
Bridge to Health Survey
Lake View Clinic and over 50 organizations in northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin have once again joined efforts to conduct the Bridge to Health Survey to answer the question “How healthy are we?” This survey has been conducted every 5 years since 1995 in the Northland.
Approximately 5,000 residents in nine area counties will be randomly contacted by phone beginning in November. The confidential survey will ask about physical and mental health, lifestyle habits such as nutrition and exercise, smoking, alcohol use, access to health and dental care, and health care insurance coverage. More information is available at www.bridgetohealthsurvey.com
If you get a call, answer it. The information gathered will benefit you and others throughout the region. The results are extremely important to local hospitals, clinics, public health departments, and other health organizations to develop programs and services that meet our health needs.
Past survey information has been used to promote better nutrition, increase cancer screening rates, reduce smoking, and increase access to health care for the uninsured.
Bounty Hunters?
Bounty Hunters eh? I just read an AP story on my Yahoo! page. An attention-grabbing headline about Obama saying he will use bounty hunters to track down waste in healthcare. So guess what? RAC audits of Medicare are already underway in many states. The RAC contractors are paid a percentage of the dollars they recover from improper billing practices. That would make them bounty hunters too. Is there fraud, waste and abuse out there? You bet there is! But when you pay the investigators a percentage of the recovery, the audit itself becomes suspect. The healthcare providers do have some options in recourse, but it’s a tough process.
No more rat poison?
Note to self: Pay more attention to pharmaceuticals.
Being an actual health care professional, with some actual credentials and an actual license to practice nursing, I should pay more attention to the pharmaceutical industry than I do (see note to self). Pharmaceuticals can impact how we care for our patients and manage our operations. Continue reading
Please Quit
I saw this excellent story in my Yahoo! news online this morning. The article refers to a British study that concludes quitting smoking even after receiving a cancer diagnosis can significantly extend life expectancy.