Personal Pediatrics Aligns with Consumer directed care

This article stresses the importance of IT for Physicians wahting to provide the healthcare of the future.


To help ease the financial and management burdens that will come from consumer-directed health (CDH), physician practices must invest in health care IT first, finds a new report from First Consulting Group. According to the report, EHRs are a must first step for physicians wanting to compete in a CDH environment. However, FCG cautions that not any EHR system will do. The consulting firm says it should be an ambulatory EHR system that has decision-support capabilities, e-prescribing, and the ability to report on performance as a result of documenting care. Physicians will also need to store and exchange information electronically, so they can give consumers the comparative quality and pricing information they want, the report adds.


The Personal Pediatrics administrative support solution for pediatricians takes healthcare IT to a never before seen level. We are the pediatricians of the future who talk to patients directly, contract with patients directly for their care, slash our malpractice risk and costs, dramatically cut wasteful office overhead by an amazingly simple practice method, the house call. Our company supports a seasoned network of pediatricians via a web based paperless platform that recreates the relationships that are lost in pediatric medicine. Get ready for the Pediatrician of the Past and Future...Today. Natalie Hodge MD

Cigna notes Consumer Directed Care Increases Prevention

Look at this:

CIGNA Finds Consumer-Directed Care Lowers Expenses, Increases Preventive Care

Reprinted from the Nov. 24, 2006, issue of INSIDE CONSUMER-DIRECTED CARE, a biweekly newsletter with timely news and insightful analysis of benefit design, contracts, market strategies and fina

The latest consumer-directed health study from a large health insurer confirms what previous studies have found: CDH enrollees tend to receive more preventive care and typically have lower utilization rates than do those enrolled in more traditional managed care plans.

This month, CIGNA Corp. released a study based on an analysis of 38,200 members (from 44 employer groups) who were enrolled in a CIGNA HMO or PPO in 2004 and migrated to a CDH plan in 2005. The vast majority (86%) were enrolled in an HRA-based plan, while 14% had an HSA-based plan. Trend comparisons were made to a "control" population of nearly 232,000 HMO and PPO enrollees from the same employer populations. Recent studies from Aetna, Inc. and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association have had similar findings. CIGNA released preliminary findings last February.


Funny how Sick care insurers are interested now in Prevention?? Having spent 10 years practicing pediatrics with denials for any preventive pediatric codes, I find this late in coming. What will cigna do when many users spend 4000 a year on health insurance rather than 13,500? When familes pay their Personal Pediatrics Affiliate Pediatrician directly for attentive preventive at home care and combine this with a high deductible plan, Pediatricians will begin to recoup some of those shareholder dollars that Blue cross, Aetna, and Cigna have been paying out all these years. Natalie Hodge MD
Personal Pediatrics Affiliate House call Pediatrician

Will Doctors be put out of Business by Google??

Here's a tidbit I found this morning off my AIS newsletter... Google's role in helping people diagnose their symptoms is compelling.




Take these, and Google your symptoms in the morning. An Australian study has found that Google correctly diagnosed uncommon medical conditions 58% of the time, after entering some symptoms from 26 cases into the search engine, reports London's Daily Express. According to the newspaper, researchers from the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, Australia "Googled" three to five symptoms from each of the 26 cases selected from the New England Journal of Medicine. Then the researchers documented three diagnoses and selected the one that seemed most probable for the relevant symptoms, adds Daily Express. What the researchers found was that Google's diagnoses were correct in 15 of the 26 cases. The researchers concluded that, as Internet access becomes more readily available in outpatient clinics and hospital wards, the Web is rapidly becoming an important clinical tool for doctors. The use of Web-based searching may even help doctors diagnose difficult cases, according to Daily Express.



The Personal Pediatrics Affiliate House Call portal will consider how Google may play a role in pediatric diagnosis. Natalie Hodge MD Personal Pediatrics affiliate St. Louis

Doctors are Outsourcing their Jobs to Nurse Practitioners and PA's

Speaking of outsourcing... Everyone is talking about China and India and the evolution of many highly technical fields as accounting, legal, finance. The medical profession is always included in these discussions. Doctors are slowly replacing themselves with midlevel providers over which they oversee. The midlevels can bill 100% of a pediatrician's fees if they have an MD in the building signing off on the chart. Pediatricians in business are moving towards overseeing midlevels rather than providing care. The Personal Pediatrics House call system is an innovative practice system that puts a seasoned pediatrician back in the driver's seat of medical practice. Our affiliates practice utilizing a scalable system of IT infrastructure, security, systems, and support that minimizes upfront hardware/software costs of the traditional in-network pediatrics practice. Natalie Hodge MD Personal Pediatrics House call affiliate pediatrician

Hardware for the Pediatrician of the Future

Lenovo has announced a commitment to small business rather than exclusive contracts with big pharma and the like... Could the computer of the future for the Pediatrician of the Future be the new x60 tablet?? I'm eagerly awaiting the new device which promises to get the SCREEN right, which has been my beef with this series...Personal Pediatrics Affiliate House call Pediatricians need total freedom and mobility to care for children in their natural environments and we are excited to bring Lenovo into the realm of small business as we move forward. Natalie Hodge MD Personal Pediatrics House Call Affiliate Pediatrician St. Louis

Docs Slow to adapt EMR due to hardware/software costs

Here's a newsflash...

"Health care advocates have long encouraged physicians
to switch to computerized medical records, saying they
could improve patient care and increase efficiency.
Doctors, however, have been more concerned about the
high price tag - often more than $20,000 per physician
for software, hardware and Internet connections - as
well as having to maintain a computer network. Surveys
estimate less than 20 percent of doctors have fully
automated their offices.

"They're saying, 'I'm shelling out the money and
everybody else is getting the benefits,'" said Tom
Leary, director of federal affairs for industry group
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society."

As a former in network pediatrician running on the treadmill of Blue Cross Blue Shield, I can sympathize with doc's who say no to the EMR from the standpoint of upfront hardware costs. Consider another solution for your pediatrics practice... The Personal Pediatrics administrative support system which is an adaptation of our common EMR systems. The difference is that Personal Pediatrics shows you how to get off the Blue Cross Blue Shield treadmill of 40 pediatric patients a day, and create strong relationshiops with your clients, practice medicine in a nurturing, more grafifying environment. The Conventional EMR shows you how to see even more patients for even LESS and LESS money!! The Personal Pediatrics administrative support system flip flops your entire overhead structure of your office. It eliminates most of it through our web based portal. Rather than working three and a half days for overhead and one and a half for take home as most pediatrics offices do, you're working one half day for overhead and four and a half for revenue... Do you want the hospitals to own you at a higher level by purchasing your emr for you?
Personal Pediatrics, the Pediatrician of the Past and Future... Today. Natalie Hodge MD St. Louis Personal Pediatrics Affiliate Pediatrician

American Doctors WAY behind in adopting technology

Look at this survey:



"What gives, North America? Only 28% of U.S. primary care physicians and 23% of PCPs in Canada use electronic medical records (EMRs), compared with 98% of physicians in the Netherlands, 92% in New Zealand, 89% in the United Kingdom and 79% of PCPs in Australia, finds a new survey by the Commonwealth Fund and Harris Interactive. According to the study, Canadian and U.S. doctors are also the least likely to have systems that provide decision support, such as computerized alerts about potentially harmful drug doses or interactions."

In America since we have no national health service and private insurers dominate reimbursement for the majority of doctors, physicians are reluctant to adopt the emr due to initial cost, this is the worsening picture for many practices. Hopefully the natural evolution of business and innovation will create new models of medicine for modern practice. The
Personal Pediatrics system of practice is a marriage of platform software technologies and retainer based medicine that takes the pressure of declining reimbursements for physicians off the table so that they may be able to AFFORD to buy the SYSTEM that enables future practice. Many pediatrics practices right now are struggling to get throught the next year on their billings with the collected amounts being such a fraction that this is their top concern! Natalie Hodge MD

Pediatricians Bottom of Barrell Salary for Doctors

Look at this:

Meanwhile, United said Nov. 8 that incoming CEO Stephen Hemsley had signed a four-year employment agreement and agreed to reprice his stock options through 2002, bringing the value of his options down by $190 million. In addition, CFO Patrick Erlandson resigned and will be replaced by G. Mike Mikan, United's senior vice Bof finance. Forrest Burke has been designated acting general counsel for the company. Robert Dapper, United's senior human resource leader, is retiring, the firm added.

United Health Care's CEO has REALLY sacrificed to bring his options down to 190 million. Lord, how will he live on such a scant amount of money? 40 % of pediatricians make less than 125 grand a year. We have played the pawn for the health insurance industry way too long. It's time for The Pediatrician of the Past and Future...Today.

Health Insurer CEO's top dollar pay

I was just talking to a retired surgeon about the state of healthcare. This is a guy who has been accepting insurance reimbursement for decades and was slowly put out of business by the pressures of in- network medicine. It strikes me as I read about CEO salaries in the Health Insurance industry, you will see these numbers like 8 million and 10 million in pay! Why would ANY physician in their right mind accept assignment for the insurance industry and enable shareholders to squeeze them to see so many patients that you put YOUR good name at risk?? This baffles me. The status quo in medicine right now places a real threat to your malpractice risk. If you don't have a RELATIONSHIP with your patients and they blow through your office disgruntled with unanswered questions what do you think is going to happen when there is a bad outcome?? There are multiples solutions coming for patients and doctors as our dysfunctional industry evolves. Take a look at the Personal Pediatrics administrative support solution for Pediatricians. We have negotiated preferential rates for our affiliate physicians in Missouri. Now this was not so hard to do. When I went to my med mal insurer and told him how I was practicing, making house calls, reducing my patient population, leaving my insurance network affiliations, contracting with patients directly through a yearly retainer, he was TICKLED PINK. Yes, Dr. Hodge here's a 20 percent discount for you, because he knows I am a lower risk! This will play out nationally as we bring on house call affiliates and negotiate preferential rates for our affiliates in other states. Take control of your life and your practice, slashing overhead and move into the future of pediatric medicine. Create a legacy for your family that you can be proud of, not to mention a practice that you can actually SELL at retirement because it will be PROFITABLE. Natalie Hodge MD St. Louis Personal Pediatrics House Call Affiliate

Fixing Healthcare and The Chicken and the Egg

I was reading a post from Seth Godin's blog today entitled The Chicken and the Egg.

There are countless innovations that would make our world a better place (and would make you a wealthy marketer). The problem with almost all of them is that getting from here to there is almost impossible. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try, but it does mean you should count on failing. Sure, every once in a while an eBay happens. But for every business that solves the chicken/egg problem, there are thousands that fail (insert dead chicken/broken egg joke here).

In almost every case I can think of, the problem isn't solved by fixing a big industry. It's just too hard to get all the big players to change at once. Instead, the problem is solved in a tiny industry (college admissions a hundred years ago) and then the industry grows around it. So, if you've got a breakthrough for the big guys, watch out.

This point is well taken in the Personal Pediatrics mission, you can't fix " Healthcare" Everyone is talking about "Fixing Healthcare" In reality we will have multiple small niche solutions that evolve out of the disfunction of the industry, and the Personal pediatrics administrative support solution is just one in a sea that will come over the next few years. Wouldn't it be great to have a personal relationship with your child's doctor, be able to call on his cell phone and have personalized house calls for your babies and children?? Natalie Hodge MD

Physician morale at all time low

I'm just reading an article in Modern Healthcare today that addresses the low morale of physicians in practice today. Six of ten physicians are considering leaving practice due to the long list of concerns that we read about daily in the newxpapers ad nauseum. Loss of autonomy and frustrating tangles of red tape paired with low reimbursements and long hours are the top of every pediatrician's list. One doc's quote reads" One thing that rarely gets mentioned is that unlike other industries that are cyclical, the practice of medicine gets continually gworse and worse...more intolerable, more onerous, with absolutely no hope or reason for any optimism in the near or remote future" This makes me so sad to read. We at Personal Pediatrics would never be so bold to say that we have a "fix' for " healthcare" but our targeted solution for pediatricians and their patients is loght at the end of a long dismal tunnel that many in practice will find refreshing. The Personal Pediatrics network of doctors utilize our tech platform that enables a return to a simpler form of pediatrics practice, the house call. Our retainer-based system providing administrative support for pediatricians eliminates the entire overhead structure of the busy pediatrics office and essentially shunts money away from health insurers and directly into the pockets of our doctors. Take a look at Personal Pediatrics and watch our story as it unfolds! Natalie Hodge MD

New Network of Pediatricians in St. Louis

The Saint Louis area will be pleased to have access to a network of forward thinking pediatricians who adopt the Personal Pediatrics administrative support system and provide a high level of service for babies and families from downtown extending out to west county! I found that as I started my house call service several years ago, I had to say no to families in the Chesterfield, St. Charles, Wildwood areas. As our network evolves will be able to service further west neighborhoods! Look for a Personal Pediatrics affiliate house call pediatrician coming to a neighborhood near you. Sign up for our Personal Pediatrics Top Ten Advantages of Breastfeeding e-series. and forward on to your expecting friends!!

New Network of Pediatricians in St. Louis

The Saint Louis area will be pleased to have access to a network of forward thinking pediatricians who adopt the Personal Pediatrics administrative support system and provide a high level of service for babies and families from downtown extending out to west county! I found that as I started my house call service several years ago, I had to say no to families in the Chesterfield, St. Charles, Wildwood areas. As our network evolves will be able to service further west neighborhoods! Look for a Personal Pediatrics affiliate house call pediatrician coming to a neighborhood near you. Sign up for our e-series. and forward on to your expecting friends!!

New Network of Pediatricians in St. Louis

The Saint Louis area will be pleased to have access to a network of forward thinking pediatricians who adopt the Personal Pediatrics administrative support system and provide a high level of service for babies and families from downtown extending out to west county! I found that as I started my house call service several years ago, I had to say no to families in the Chesterfield, St. Charles, Wildwood areas. As our network evolves will be able to service further west neighborhoods! Look for a Personal Pediatrics affiliate house call pediatrician coming to a neighborhood near you. Sign up for our e-series. and forward on to your expecting friends!!

New Network of Pediatricians in St. Louis

The Saint Louis area will be pleased to have access to a network of forward thinking pediatricians who adopt the Personal Pediatrics administrative support system and provide a high level of service for babies and families from downtown extending out to west county! I found that as I started my house call service several years ago, I had to say no to families in the Chesterfield, St. Charles, Wildwood areas. As our network evolves will be able to service further west neighborhoods! Look for a Personal Pediatrics affiliate house call pediatrician coming to a neighborhood near you. Sign up for our e-series. and forward on to your expecting friends!!

Pediatrics medical record portal in St. Louis

Wouldn't it be nice to have access to your child's medical record immediately in the comfort of your own home? Wouldn't it be nice to call your pediatrician and get a quick call back? Wouldn't it be nice for your baby to avoid all the infectious exposures of the typical busy pediatrician's office? Keep an eye out for the evolution of Pediatrics.Look for a Personal Pediatrics Affiliate Physician heading to a Saint Louis neighborhood near you! Some call it "Concierge Medicine" We just call it common sense.

Personal Pediatrics affiliate doctors make house calls, are available by phone, and make use of a paperless system that empowers them to have access to all your child's medical data at their fingertips. Not only this YOU will have access to your child's medical record such that you don't have to beg your doctor's office for a copy. So far it's Personal Pediatrics, Inc. and the Country of Denmark that have this level of patient portal available. A subsidiary of IBM built the portal for Denmark. Personal Pediatrics, Inc. Has built it for the healthcare of our children. Our government is flailing when it comes to providing innovative healthcare for Consumers. Take a look at www.personalpediatrics.com and watch our story as it unfolds. Natalie Hodge MD St. Louis Affiliate Personal Pediatrics Pediatrician.

Personal Pediatrics Invest in Your Child's Healthcare Rather Than Sick Care

The Personal Pediatrics administrative support system enables pediatricians to return to a simpler form of practice with a focus on relationships and prevention. These are two important aspects of care that our conventional health insurers have distanced physicians and consumers from. My AIS newsletter today carries the headline...

"Wellness Coupled With Consumer-Directed Care Yields Lower Costs, Healthier Members"

As much as 70% of all health care costs is related to personal health behaviors.

In conventional pediatrics remember that your doctor wants your child to be sick, because this is how he makes money. Imagine a pediatrician that makes house calls and enables your child to be healthier??

Watch for an affiliate house call pediatrician coming to your neighborhood soon. Natalie Hodge MD Personal Pediatrics affiliate pediatrician St. Louis