Wednesday, December 27, 2006

2006: Things that I've learned.

2006 will undoubtably go down as one of my greatest years. Here is a list of all the things (maybe not ALL) that I have learned the past 12 months.
  • How to set-up a blog
  • How to set-up a website
  • The difference between a Cat 5 and Cat 3 cable
  • What VPN stands for
  • What VOIP means and how to use it
  • How to insert a meta-tag
  • How to develop a good system to keep track of outgoing patient labs, studies and referrals
  • How to maximize patient compliance with follow-ups
  • How to set-up an andrology lab for semen analysis
  • How to write a QC manual for a lab
  • How to do QA and QC for my lab
  • The difference between QA and QC
  • How to extrapolate lab QA to overall practice management QA
  • How to enroll in PT
  • How to report a semen analysis result by CLIA standards
  • How to get a CLIA ID
  • How to become a lab director of a moderate complexity CLIA lab
  • What CLIA'88 is
  • What COLA is
  • How not to write an operational manual
  • How to write an operational manual
  • How to collect a copay
  • How to get a Federal TIN
  • How to incorporate
  • Why to incorporate
  • Why to elect an S-corporation
  • How to manage cash flow (still learning that one)
  • How to autoclave instruments
  • How to disinfect a flexible scope in cidex
  • How to install a reticle in a microscope
  • A more efficient way to do a semen analysis
  • The code 257.8
  • How to use Iweb
  • How to use FrontPage
  • How to use an FTP client
  • An in-depth meaning of the Quarter
  • How to set up a medical practice
  • How to quickly set up a credentialing packet
  • How to design an inexpensive an efficient EMR for a solo practice doc
  • How to develop a near paper-less office
  • How to bill for a sperm retrieval
  • How to interpret an EOB
  • How to submit a claim
  • What a clearinghouse is, though not why
  • How to hire
  • How to fire
  • How to "sniff out"a really bad employee
  • That I have no clue about how to interview a prospective hire
  • How to build a practice
  • How not to run a practice
  • How to market a practice in a non-"cheesy" way
  • That I really like Thai food
  • An efficient and effective way to do a scrotal sonogram
  • A great way to do a painless, no scalpel vasectomy in my office
  • How to do a "Q"urine, who to do it on, and why I seldom do it any longer
  • The value of "nickles and dimes"
  • The real value of money
  • The value of independence
  • The BS of the buy-in
  • The worth of a medical practice
  • The value of myself
  • How to be mentally tough as nails
  • That I possess skills I never knew I had
  • That I can live on much less
  • That money and income do not equal happiness
  • That difficulty paying bills stinks
  • The value of surrounding myself with really good people
  • That creating a successful endeavor that had never existed before I got there is awesome
  • That it truly is the struggle that makes success so sweet
  • That I have an amazing wife
  • That I have an amazing family
  • That I miss Granpa George more than I thought I would
  • That I have a lot more to learn

Have a happy, healthy, and successful new year.

The Independent Urologist