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Posture is probably the least of our concerns in the day to day, but a better posture can only lead to good things that we can feel everyday: looking taller, having a more normal walk, becoming more confident, and a pain-free back. These simple tips for improving bad posture can be the key to those convenient perks you didn’t know you wanted.

1. Wear a Posture Bra or Brace

When your bad posture seems out of hand, posture bras or braces can be your go-to for correcting it. Posture bras help support your back, breasts, and shoulders. They’re designed with the latest technology that focus on relieving back tension and the pressure placed on your shoulders. Braces can also help if you need even more support than what a posture bra can provide.

2. Stretch Daily

The benefits of stretching exceeds mere flexibility. One of the other perks of stretching is reinforcing the right form of your back and spine, ultimately resulting in better posture. When you stretch, don’t forget to breathe deeply into your back muscles to extend it even more. This does the opposite of contracting, which you usually do when you don’t assume the right posture.

[Read more…] about 7 Simple Tips for Improving Bad Posture

After 19 + years creating Outreach methods – templates – systems and software to inform clinicians and technicians at flight programs throughout the USA on how to astonish customers and earn flight requests – THE BOOK OF OUTREACH; How to Astonish Customers & Earn Flight Requests (TBO) is taking flight soon.

TBO also contains wisdom from more than 39 years on both sides of the Critical Medical Aviation equation where I was a customer working as a paramedic in the field requesting helicopters for incidents like motor-vehicle accident entrapments or as an EMS / Trauma Coordinator at a Community Hospital – making flight requests when our Emergency Department took in patients that required transport to Tertiary Care Centers.

“The other side” has been as a mentor and educator working and flying with flight program clients throughout our nation – active in day to day efforts to be safe and earn their customer’s trust and flight requests.

As a customer – I learned – quite well – how to size up six flight programs that desired to serve us. There were those that really knew Outreach and excelled at the VACC MissionMetrics and those that were T-shirt, Ball Cap, Lapel Pin, Pen & Pizza Pushers – clueless about what really mattered to me and my colleagues at the EMS agency or Community Hospital where I was employed.  How the top Outreachers and flight programs performed and astonished (filled with wonder and amazement) to earn my trust and flight requests and the trust and flight requests of those with whom I worked – is communicated in The Book of Outreach.

[Read more…] about The Book of Outreach; How to Astonish Customers & Earn Flight Requests…Taking Flight Soon

By Jon Boley

In many ways, healthcare providers are undergoing a seismic shift parallel to the retail sector. Patients increasingly crave convenience regardless of whether they’re going to the doctor’s office or the grocery store. In some cases, they’re visiting both in a single trip thanks to the ongoing “retailization” of healthcare.

Just like in the retail industry, healthcare providers must continue to adapt to evolving expectations to maintain a competitive advantage. Medical office buildings (MOBs) need these top-three features to be successful in 2019 and beyond:

Main Street Locations

In recent years, the reimbursement model has changed to measure the value of services, not the volume alone. This is a key driver for health systems as they move to off-campus facilities that are closer to the patients they serve. 

Research firm Advisory Board found about 20 percent of baby boomers surveyed don’t want to travel too far for care. For Gen Xers, the firm found that travel time is three times more important than doctor quality. They also want to combine errands during the same trip. 

That’s why more healthcare providers are selecting retail sites, offering proximity to residential neighborhoods, ample parking and flexible layouts. They also benefit from the built-in foot traffic and signage opportunities.

A good example is the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Drexel Town Square Health Center in Oak Creek, Wis., just south of Milwaukee. Planned and developed by HSA PrimeCare, the multi-specialty facility is part of the larger 85-acre mixed-use project, Drexel Town Square, which includes a new city hall, public library, shopping, restaurants, service-oriented businesses, hotel, and apartments. The fact that an MOB fits into this modern, master-planned development is a harbinger of what’s to come in healthcare development as providers continue to move closer to the patient.

[Read more…] about Top 3 Ways Medical Office Buildings Are Adapting to Changing Consumer Behaviors 

Take a look around today, and you’ll likely see countless people using vape pens. Vaping is steadily growing in popularity, particularly for people who are interested in giving up smoking. If you want to know more about this fast-growing hobby, taking a look at the science of vaping is a great idea.

The Basics of Vaporization

When we discuss the science behind vaping, it’s important to learn about the vaporization process. As you may know, vaporization involves turning a liquid into a gas through the use of heat, and this process is the backbone of vaping. The purposes of an e-cigarette, which is also sometimes called a vape pen, is to heat up a substance known as vape juice to create vapor, and then to deliver that vapor to the person using the e-cigarette.

[Read more…] about What You Need to Know About the Science of Vaping

Getting health insurance is one of the best investments that you can make for yourself and your family. However, it can be challenging to find a health insurance policy that covers everything you need and want. There are also other factors like price, which can make choosing more difficult than it already is. This article will list tips to help you select the most suitable insurance plan so that you can get the coverage you need.

1. Compare plan types

There are different health insurance types available. Each type is designed according to meet various needs. It’s crucial that you compare health plans before jumping into a purchase because some types have certain restrictions. You want to be informed beforehand so that you can maximize your insurance benefits. You can consult with a health insurance broker if you are unsure of what to pick. 

Examples of plan types are:

• Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
  This plan is a fixed package of health care services for a fixed cost, with a network of health professionals and facilities. The out-of-pocket costs are often lower with an HMO, and there is usually no need for claim forms, but specialists may require a referral from your primary physician.
  
• Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO)
  PPO plans have a managed care similar to HMO, with the flexibility of being able to go to health facilities and professionals of your choice when you think that it’s necessary to do so. There will be more unpredictable costs to pay for going outside the network, but you will still have some coverage.
  
• Fee-for-service or Indemnity Plans
  This plan allows you to visit any doctor or specialist that you prefer without the need for a referral, and your insurance company pays a fixed amount, then you’ll pay the remaining cost. These plans can cost more compared to HMOs and PPOs.

[Read more…] about Health Insurance Tips – How To Choose The Best Health Insurance Plan

For professionals operating in Critical Medical Aviation – when we see or hear “CRM” – our cognitive reflex will identify and interpret this as; Crew Resource Management (or AMRM [Air Medical Resource Management])

For business professionals and professionals engaged in Outreach in Critical Medical Aviation – “CRM” also represents Customer Relationship Management

WIKIPEDIA’S DEFINITION OF CRM

“Customer-relationship management (CRM) is an approach to manage a company’s interaction with current and potential customers. It uses data analysis about customers’ history with a company to improve business relationships with customers, specifically focusing on customer retention and ultimately driving sales growth.

One important aspect of the CRM approach is the systems of CRM that compile data from a range of different communication channels, including a company’s website, telephone, email, live chat, marketing materials and more recently, social media. Through the CRM approach and the systems used to facilitate it, businesses learn more about their target audiences and how to best cater to their needs.”

If you are a flight crewmember or a full-time designated Outreach Specialist working at a flight program – this article will inform you about why Outreach without a CRM being relentlessly utilized by all = Outreach without a Nervous System; Is a set up for Outreach failure.

It’s 2019 – What is the Current State of Your Flight Program’s CRM Platform

Given it’s the year 2019 – most professionals operating in business enterprises throughout the world that are profitable, successful, thriving, innovating and growing have fully implemented, highly customized and fully integrated CRM platforms. Most would agree that CRM is as essential to doing successful business as having computers, mobile phones and electronic accounting systems. CRM is essential and crucial. And how well it is used is a potent sustainable competitive advantage.

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS – MAY BE UNBELIEVABLE CIRCA 2019

As this article is being “penned” – in early 2019 – in the nano-niche of Critical Medical Aviation – very few are hyper-utilizing CRM in their Outreach efforts. If you are reading this and you do not operate in Critical Medical Aviation – I assure you this is the case. I realize you would find this shocking and unbelievable – but yes – very few flight programs throughout the USA are highly proficient at using and optimizing CRM platforms. Some don’t even have one in place!

NO PATIENT DATA ON WHICH TO MAKE CRITICAL MEDICAL DECISIONS – PERFECT SCENARIO – RIGHT

Imagine this. You are a clinician for a flight program and you receive a flight request to transport a critically ill patient from a small rural community hospital. When you communicate with the Comm Spec and request information about the patient – they tell you, “There’s nothing.” During your flight to the facility you and your team have no idea about what you will encounter – but – you can deal with this. It happens often.

When you arrive at the rural hospital E.D. – you enter the area where the patient is located and – as you always do – you make eye contact with whoever is attending the patient and professionally state, “Thanks for requesting us. So what’s going on?”

You do this to show respect and authentically take a patient status report while your fellow crewmember begins to prepare the patient for transport. The response is, “We have no idea.” That can happen, so then you ask, “What are the current vitals?” The response, “We don’t know. We have nothing hooked up to monitor the patient status.”

Now it’s getting a little weird – you follow up, “What is the Chief Complaint and history?” You’re told, “Before they brought her back down to the E.D. she had been in the ICU for three days but – we don’t have a Chief Complaint or history, we don’t have any records, no labs or imaging and we haven’t documented anything. But – please do what you can to help our patient. Just – don’t ask any questions and don’t use any diagnostic tools or technology – oh and – put on these welder’s goggles and thick welder’s gloves because we need you to operate as if you were blind and cannot feel anything. Like us.”

WHAT? How do you think you would do? How effective would you be?

Imagine trying to treat a patient with nothing to guide you. Imagine not documenting every intervention you do and imagine not running any diagnostics or having comparatives of vital signs and O2 sat over time to assess changes.

SOME OTHER QUICK SIMILAR EXAMPLES

Mechanic – imagine trying to keep a rotorcraft flight-worthy having no technical manuals, no information on engine hours and no diagnostics – just “wing it.” Would you be effective with no data or specs to make decisions?

Pilot – imagine flying VFR with an opaque cover over the entire windscreen. Total blackness. Would you be effective? No input – no visual feedback to analyze and synchronize. How safely and proficiently could you fly?

Comm Spec – imagine taking a flight request for a 5-motor-vehicle crash including an elementary school bus in a mountainous rural region and when you ask the caller for the location – they tell you, (as their signal is breaking up) “I have no idea.” Would you be effective? No geographic reference point to enable you to determine which aircraft should be assigned and to where. Decision-making with no critical data – how does that work for you?

BLIND & BRAINLESS OUTREACH – THIS IS NOT YOU

If you are involved in Outreach – try this.

Let’s use the example that; your helicopter base covers a 70-mile radius. Composed of 12 counties.

In your market space – just at the basics of organizations and individuals that can request your helicopter – CUSTOMERS – you have;

• 24 community hospitals
• Two Level III Trauma Centers
• Two Level I Trauma Centers
• 62 Public EMS/Fire Agencies
• 12 Emergency / 911 Dispatch Centers
• 14 Private EMS agencies
• 6 MoICUs
• 36 Training Centers / Community Colleges/ Universities educating future medical professionals
• 3 competing Critical Medical Aviation Provider bases.

Of course, this market space has many more organizations and agencies that will employ, have volunteers or train.

NOW – LET’S BEGIN TO CATEGORIZE AND PRIORITIZE; Outreach TRIAGE

Based on our ThinkThroughTools’ proprietary Outreach TargetingMatrix® – you will populate customers in each of the following nine categories:

• Loyal, Neutral and Antagonistic Decision-Makers (How many do you actually have in each in your CRM – right now?)
• Loyal, Neutral and Antagonistic Influencers (How many do you actually have in each – right now – in your CRM?)
• Loyal, Neutral and Antagonistic Dormants (How many does your CRM have in each category – right now?)

You can see how your CRM has current essential data used for monitoring and managing your Outreach activity and measuring the results – flight requests – from each of these individuals and their organizations.

NOW THE REAL INTELLIGENCE POWER BEGINS TO BECOME APPARENT WHEN;

By using your “Set Up Customers for Success” interviewing protocols and through your Social Media surveillance and monitoring as well as data relentlessly collected at all of your Outreach events (large and small) you have captured, curated and documented the three crucial intrinsic drivers for each of these individuals so that you know how to customize your Outreach Modular Plan for each – to set up each one for success.

You have professionally trained the Outreach Specialists at your base and properly assigned the ones with Outreach DNA to be connecting with – understanding and astonishing each individual according to your Outreach TargetingMatrix ® status – so that resources are allocated for maximum impact focusing on the right customers.

GET GRANULAR

If this was your market-space would your CRM be populated with crucial data and activity monitoring, scheduling and synchronizing on:

• Each of the 24 hospital’s; CEO, CFO, COO, DON, Chief of Medical Staff, Directors of ED, ICU, CCU, Surgery, Radiology, Security, EMS Coordinator, Nurse Managers for every department, Social Workers, Case Managers, Directors of Marketing, Director of Volunteers, The Board of Directors, The Foundation members – just to name a few.

(This includes scheduled education, meetings, and events going on within each hospital system and throughout each hospital or system’s immediate community.)

• Detailed information on the key staff at both Level III and both Level II Trauma Centers

• The Chief’s, Deputy Chief’s, key leaders and educators as well as staff of the 62 Public EMS/Fire Agencies and their affiliated Emergency / 911 Dispatch Centers

• The leadership and key staff of the 14 Private EMS Agencies and 6 MoICUs

• Your CRM has a cross-reference and inventory of all of your staff that may also work at any of the above – or have spouses, family or friends at each

• Key educators and outstanding students of the large number of future customers and/or employees currently in training at myriad institutions throughout your market space are in your CRM

• And you have detailed data – at a minimum – on the leadership and staff of your 3 direct competitors

DON’T BE OVERWHELMED: This could add up to a lot of individuals and data on each as well as data on activity.

But this is highly valuable intelligence for you and your flight program – if you have a CRM to manage it.

Can you imagine planning your Outreach strategy and executing your plan without just this partial data? *

It would be like operating without a nervous system that interconnects all of your market-space intelligence, memories, and sensing data.

It would be like flying blind, maintaining a helicopter with no manuals, operating a Comm Center without phones or assessing and treating a patient without vital signs, medical history or diagnostics.

REMINDER IT’S 2019

In 2019 – Outreaching without a CRM platform at each base that is relentlessly utilized by all involved in Outreaching is a guarantee for Outreach failure.

Those that have a CRM and use it effectively – however – have a super competitive advantage – that is a game-changer… speaking of game…

FINALLY – YOU’LL NEVER BELIEVE THIS – REALLY!

From my first-hand experience – there are some flight programs in the USA where full-time Outreach Specialists and flight crews also helping with Outreach are being told by superiors/management, “We don’t see the ROI (Return on Investment) for a CRM.”

I truly hope you are competing against such flight programs. Unless – however – you are in such a program – and you believe – or know – that your flight program is safer and more clinically competent than your rivals.

In this case – please be in touch. You cannot let less worthy competitors using CRM Out-Outreach you! Customers and their patients are counting on you. Don’t let your lack of CRM be the reason that you are not getting the first call. That’s just wrong.

Get it right – get CRM active as core to your Outreach Operating System. OPERATE WITH A POWERFUL OUTREACH BRAIN INTERCONNECTED WITH SENSING AND SYNCHRONIZING OF YOUR PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Get out of 1989 and get up to 2019!

Be in touch for help with your CRM – selecting a CRM and for help with its custom-configuration.

DON’T BE OVERWHELMED – WE HAVE 19 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE AT THIS

WE HAVE A “WALK BEFORE YOU FLY” SEQUENCED PROCESS TO BUILD YOUR DATABASE AND GET YOUR CRM OPERATIONALIZED. When flight programs put this in action – the process itself – can increase flight requests.

JUST GET GOING BEFORE YOU GET LEFT IN THE CRM DUST.

IF YOU WANT ACCESS TO OUR;

2019 KEY THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CRM FOR CRITICAL MEDICAL AVIATION

e.mail rich.obertots@thinkthroughtools.com

And always keep the 1st Rule of Outreach Out Front; Safe Operations in All Actions

CRM will be covered in The Book of Outreach 2019 – Going Live April 2019

* (In the article I did not list many kinds of other organizations and professionals that we typically have in our custom CRM configurations.)