Consultants needing to consult.

Consultants needing to consultant.

What is an consultant? A consultant is an  independent contractor, a person who provides subject matter expert advice professionally.

Now there are two types of consultants in the Healthcare IT world. There are the new consultants and the seasoned consultants.
The seasoned consultants are those who have been SMEs for some time now. Such as 7+ years. Versus the new consultants whom have a couple of years.

A lot of companies and healthcare services require a certain amount of years for employment. Although many can get around said requirements with what they have done in the experience that they do have. Options very also with having various certificates and trades.

In order to consultant one need the opportunity to show it's talent. A consultant have to sell it's self as a brand. Reach out to the companies. Network at different events, workshops and conferences. Be sociable and to the point on what one's skill set is.

It is hard work to be a consultant. From finding a contract, to staying up to date on the current subjects, laws, amendments and interest. An Independent Contractor must be well rounded in their SME. They must be concurrent with the current.

To all Consultants I wish you all the best! It is a very busy time now. I hope that every one gets a piece of the pie.

Happy Spring!

4th Quarter of Healthcare IT

It is the end of the year and I hope that all is well with everyone.

As Healthcare IT Consultants we are all aware of things go during this quarter.  Work is happening right now. Some of you may feel that things are slow right now. But, I know of several consultants that may disagree.

With that said Consultants need make themselves marketable and well rounded. They need to own their skills. If training is your thing then train from different angles. Train the analyst on the proper workflow of the system. Train the administration so that they know what exactly is expected of their employees. Train the Clinicians on proper end user usage. Train and support during post implementations. Offer your expertise Pre, Intra, and Post Implementations.

You can also expand your range to having knowledge on several emrs. There are more emrs than Epic. Some such as Cerner, Nextgen, Allscripts, Meditech, Mckesson, GE, Criterion, eClinicalWorks,  etc. Just to name a few.

It is 4th quarter. What does that mean?
It means attestation time. 2015 Meaningful use deadlines. Preparation for ICD-10. PQRS, GPRO, Hedis, and PCMH. The start of 2015 attestation!!!

Hope that you all are lining up work for the new year for contracts are going out.

I wish you all the best and Happy Holidays!

Versatile in this Industry

What do you know?
Seriously, what do you know about your job?
Do you know how the company got to where it currently is?  Do you know why your company is running the way it is,  as in it's purpose? What is the trend for your industry? What makes it tick?

In my work world it consists of Health care IT different entities. Entities such as Physicians, nurses, administration,  pharmacy, nutrition,  information technology, government, state, local, and at a federal level. These entities make up the industry of Healthcare IT. 

It is a must for me to have knowledge in each area if I am to continue to be successful. Continuation of education on the latest information. For times are changing constantly with the technology and legislation. For myself I strive to be well rounded, while still holding onto the basics. Apply yourself all the way around. Once done right,  it won't have to be redone again. 

Boundaries for/after work, Do you have any?

Boundaries, believe it or not many do not know or respect boundaries.

My personal take on workplace boundaries are quite simple. It keeps everything aligned so that discrepancies can not be formed.

Rules of workplace conduct.
#1.No exchange of social media,unless it's LinkedIn. This is a boundary that many can not understand. Facebook, twitter, and instagram are personal social media were at times one may want to voice a not so friendly work statement or picture. Human Resource of the majority of employments asked that mentioned above social sites be regulated of not including your employment.

#2. Exchange of cellular device only pertaining to the work place. The act of calling or texting one another off peak hours is shunned upon.  Respect of one another and have time allowance set if there is a need to communicate to one another.

#3. The knowledge of one's personal affairs can be messy in the work environment. Knowing to much information and/or allowed such information is a terrible No No. Personal information can and will be used against at work. This is not Law and Order, It will be used against. Performance is always being judged.

#4. Now this where many argue,  but socializing with coworkers on and off of employment hours. Especially for off hours. Granted some coworkers might want to fraternize and have dinner and drinks with one another. I personally am opposed to it.  My work ethics are highly different than others. You can go from dinner - drinks - obscene social media posts - unregulated "communication " hours = Messy! It doesn't look good nor work out well.

Anything can happen. In the Consulting world you have to understand that, "It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all". We all know everyone. Believe it or not. We do and we all talk.  Recruiters are friends with other recruiters at the competitors office.  Same thing goes for the project managers and the leads.  Best believe that they talk just the same way that the consultants do.  They hear the same personal stories about that consultant at the bar and about how that other consultant was unaccounted for on such and such a project.  "It's a small world after all". These conversations are used when being considered for your next employment opportunity.

There is nothing wrong with setting rules and boundaries. It keeps everything aligned, organized for The  better. Keep work separate and it will help balance out the personal lives. 

Power Trip Consultants

Everybody wants to be the boss, but everyone is not the boss.

When working a go live project, or any other project for that matter. Know your work role and stick with it.

Remember to know yourself.

I have seen and heard from others in my network of the horror stories of those on a Power Trip.
Some people get a title and let it go to their head. Want to dictate everyone's movement. Have say so in any and everything. Want to be the designated "timekeeper". Delegate tasks that are not up their avenue.

Don't let that "Epic" get to your head, a few of us jokingly say.

Then there are the buttocks kissers.
You know the ones that go run telling on other consultants. Reporting their every move. Wants to be the center of attention. All eyes on them. Act as if they know it all. Granted, some of them may know something of something, but not really. Let's be honest here. There are those who are trouble-makers. As if they go around attempting to intimidate others.

I believe that people should always be humble and respect one another. Business is business. We are not here to make friends. We are here to work. Boundaries need to be set.

Stay in your own lane.

Saturated Industry

I have been working in Healthcare IT for the past 6 years and counting.  It is sad to say that it is becoming saturated with "consultants" who don't know a thing.

It is one thing to know where to click in an EMR. But, it is even better to know the whys of the click.

Don't just do a contract gig just because the money is good or decent. Because truth be told accepting anything = accepting anyone to do a job.  Clients and companies should want the best of the best to work their implementations. That way it is done correctly the first time. No need to go back over it and retry an attestation. A complete waste of time.
I personally would want the best for buck.

I personally would love to be paid what I truly am worth.

These consultants are taking advantage of the market while lowering the market value for us qualified, knowledgeable consultants.

Your work is a reflection of you. Aim for the best.

Knowledge is power, stay current.

Recruiters recruiting.

What makes a good recruiter???????

1. A recruiters presence.
2. A knowledgeable recruiter, who has actually worked the field.
3. A recruiter who follows up with, regardless of if there are any updates.
4. A recruiter who keeps you in the loop at all times.
5. A recruiter who encourages you to stay current in your field.
6. A recruiter who is not afraid to have his/her consultant's back.
7. A recruiter who will try to get you thee best offer.
8. A recruiter who will match up your skill set to a desired job and not set you up for failure.
9. A recruiter who will think outside of the box and get you something that will help build you up to success.
10. A recruiter that actually recruits.