Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Note to Self: Add Controversy!

When I started writing this blog in August, I learned from a NY Times article that there was only one CEO of the Fortune 500 companies who was writing one. Boy, things have changed since then.

Here are just a few major company CEO blogs:
Jonathan Schwartz, CEO and President of Sun Microsystems -- http://blogs.sun.com/jonathan/

Bill Marriott, Chairman and CEO of Marriott International -- http://www.blogs.marriott.com/

Rick Wagoner, CEO, and assorted executives, General Motors -- http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/

Bob Parson, CEO and Founder of goDaddy -- http://www.bobparsons.com/

David Neeleman, CEO of Jet Blue -- http://www.jetblue.com/about/ourcompany/flightlog/index.html

Of course, someone has created a wiki with a full worldwide list. Other than Nick's blog from Windber Medical Center, listed to the right, I have not seen many from the health care provider or insurance companies.

And, in case any of us need help, Debbie is available to give CEOs advice on how to write blogs!

And, a fellow named Seth, who suggested in 2004 that the last thing we need is more CEO blogs, unless they are based on candor, urgency, timeliness, pithiness and controversy. Golly, I need to work on that controversy part!

15 comments:

Written by Micky Tripathi said...

You should be congratulated for pushing the envelope on a number of dimensions, Paul, and for providing a valuable community service along the way. So....congratulations! And please, keep it up.

Ben Busy from the Bean said...

Good stuff man.

Unfortunately for the stagnatists, this Is the future.

How is BI in integrating Web 2.0 technologies into their (your) website?

A quick review shows that very little has been done actually.

I think you're in need of a site revision.

Integrating things like RSS, AJAX.

Worldpeace,
Ben

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Ben. Dunno. Will check.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of Controversy, can you pose this question to your CIO:

Is open source the future of healthcare information system software?

Aparently Medsphere has released an open source, .NET driven front end to the US Veterens system, VistA. Screenshots and more here:

http://www.medsphere.org

Anonymous said...

I am sure he would say "yes".

Anonymous said...

Does this help, from the comments below my posting on our information systems?

"We build and buy systems. The core system is self developed and is a service oriented architecture with an entirely web-based user interface. It communicates with purchased systems via web services and Hitsp compliant standards - www.hitsp.org"

Anonymous said...

It helps to describe your own system, but the question is more to whether he would predict that the leading Vendors - Cerner, EPIC, McKesson will ultimately be surplanted by Open Source.

A Healthcare equivalent of predicting the winner between Microsoft versus Linux.

Anonymous said...

I think you're progressing with the controversy part. I've seen references at several other sites to your posting of your nosocomial infection rates on your blog - and fun is usually poked at your competitors' responses, appropriately. You go, Paul! (:

Pat Kelleher said...

Paul - somewhat inspired by your blog. I have started a home care blog in Massachusetts. It is work and I have not really distributed it too widely yet - I have been writing for a limited audience - but I would be delighted if you want to link me - I cant promise to be as provocative as you, but I think issues of home based care are going to be huge in the coming years and want to get some conversation started.

http://www.thinkhomecare.blogspot.com/
Pat Kelleher
Executive Director
Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts
pkelleher@hcalliancema.org

Anonymous said...

Good for you for opening up the conversation. I wish more health care leaders would do the same! For too long, health care has hidden behind an artificial veil.

Jaz said...

"How is BI in integrating Web 2.0 technologies into their (your) website?"

The CEO is blogging. I'd say that's pretty darned Web 2.0 of him ;o)

I doubt the current BI infrastructure is open source, although to do so is simply to publish the code. The real test will be when BI (forgive me if it's already happening) starts exchanging clinical data with other organisations, other providers, even - dare I say it - the patients.

An underlying open source infrastructure will easily support the open data standards needed to effect data exchange, and given the industry's ability to leverage technology standards that have been in play in other sectors for a decade or more, not using open source would seem to be shooting oneself in the foot.

I don't think we need to worry about McKesson using open source in the back end, it's whatever is getting supplied to the RHIOs/HIEs that will test the system. Any RHIO using open source will catapult past closed source exchanges.

Open source is the future of *all* software systems, and health care should be no exception.

I can't believe I just said "leverage". Sigh.

Anonymous said...

I'm sure what you say is true, but I don't understand most of it!

Jaz said...

It was a long-winded way of saying:

Transparent software supports transparent business practices

:)

Anonymous said...

Paul,

I like the drift of thinking into the unexpected - it opens new perspectives (in directions one doesn't know!).

Thanks for doing that great blog:-)) Actually got to know about it after your speech at MIT a couple of months/years (?) ago talking about process improvement in a hospital.

Would be happy to connect directly as the change you have started at BIDMC is terrific and other organizations can learn lot - if they would know that you are already on track.

Best regards

Ralf

Anonymous said...

Having withdrawal and reviewing old posts; remarkable how people are still commenting years later. (see above post on Longwood also).

I just wanted to say that you no longer need to work on the controversy part. (:

nonlocal