2006 Irish America Magazine Business 100: News Release!

A bit of shameless self-promotion but I'm so proud of my Irish heritage that I must toot my blogger horn loud and clear! I've been named to the 2006 Irish America Magazine Business 100. The distinction celebrates the entrepreneurial and business success of Irish-Americans.

What makes me even more proud about this honor is that I am one of just 10 women to be named to the list of 100 this year ... joining the ranks of a distinguished and diverse membership roster that includes Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, Conan O’Brien, and Bono. How cool or lucky is that?!

Other 2006 honorees include James McCann, founder of 1-800-flowers.com; Alan Lafley, chairman, president and CEO of Proctor & Gamble; and Anne Mulcahy, chairman of the board and CEO of Xerox Corporation

Here is the press release.

Wisconsin Small Business Expo With Global Feature

Looks like an interesting program. Wisconsin Business & Technology Expo on May 2.

Key to this event:

"In addition to the national speakers, the 2007 Expo will feature several other events to help businesses grow, including The Fittest CEOs program, the Manufacturing Summit and the Expo After Hours reception.

The Manufacturing Summit on Thursday, May 3, will feature a CEO discussion about how Wisconsin manufacturers can compete in a global marketplace."

Happy Holidays Around The World!

Wishing you a joyous Holiday Season and a happy and healthy 2007!

Re-Gifted...(quotes)....1/5

Thought I'd decorate the tree, so to speak, with a few choice ones.

"We are attracted to Essent because its hospitals are financially sound(????) and provide essential, high quality(????) care to the residents of the communities they serve," said James L. Elrod Jr., managing director with Vestar's New York office."Essent's business model is consistent with our investing strategy. We are particularly excited about becoming partners with Hud Connery and his management team."

These are the folks that Hud and bud put on their little show for at the Med Staff meeting so long ago. They're also the ones that chipped in $80M for investment. That's why Hud made such a fuss about RRVR taking a fee from the hospital (false), and why he was adament on getting rid of them. Kind of a Hitleristic approach, might one say? One might. His version of the "big lie".

But, it served two purposes: Tarnish the reputation of RRVR, and allay the investor's fears...making them feel that profits would be up $1.2M (what they were supposedly paying the Radiologists to read films.)

So comes a lesson, of sorts. Just plugging in money to the wrong thing does not success guaranty:

“We’ve made significant investments in Crossroads over the past five years, including the construction of three medical office buildings, renovations to the emergency room, and a new 3,000 square-foot outpatient physical therapy facility,” said Bill Heburn, executive vice president, operations, Essent Healthcare. “Despite these significant investments, Crossroads posted a positive operating income only one year out of the five we’ve owned it."

After that, Bill's future was made...or un-made.

Rule Number 1: Never make Hud look bad or laugh at him or contradict him in front of someone. Heads will roll.

One also might wonder about Hal Andrews, and how he disapeared so fast: Apparently he and Hud had rehearsed some song and dance for the Essent board about something. Well, Hal inadvertantly said something that embarrassed Hud in front of the board, (according to HUD , himself) and the next thing Hal knew, he was fired. (Rule #1)

So, Rule Number 2 for PRMC execs: You serve at the pleasure of Hud. It could be that Drew's statement in support of Tony Williams will be imortalized here as well....frank

20 Books To Get You Global in 2007

1. Start & Run a Profitable Exporting Business
2. The World is Flat
3. The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid
4. The Next Global Stage
5. The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy
6. The Box: How The Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger
7. Insanely Global!
8. GODZILLA Global Marketing
9. The 86 Percent Solution: How To Succeed in the Biggest Market Opportunity of the Next 50 Years
10. The Global Competitiveness Report 2006-2007
11. Building an Import/Export Business
12. Export/Import Procedures and Documentation
13. Import/Export: How to Get Started in International Trade
14. Kiss, Bow, or Shade Hands
15. Do’s and Taboos Around the World
16. How Small Business Trades Worldwide
17. The Borderless World
18. Going Global: Four Entrepreneurs Map the New World Marketplace (by the founders of Fast Company magazine):
19. The New Argonauts: Regional Advantage in a Global Economy
20. Entrepreneur Magazine’s Global Village Archive

Glad Tidings?...8/10

Getting close, so I'll say Merry Christmas ahead of time. Guess we're going to find out who's naughty or nice....

From the Northeast--Naughty

Physicians at Nashoba Valley Medical Center strike again!!!! Another physician has entered into a Voluntary Agreement Not To Practice Medicine with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which was a disciplinary action. Dr. Rimas Maurukas, pulmonologist is the 5th in a growing line of doctors falling by the wayside in Ayer, Massachusetts. The doctors being investigated by the commonwealth are outnumbering the new recruits. Am I seeing a pattern here??? Quality care just seems to be something NVMC can't attain. Are double digits in our future???? Once again check mass med physician profiles (link on left list.)

From Texas--Naughty

Frank,

Radiology is the ugly-redheaded-stepchild of the hospital! Seems that we are being treated to re-runs of Laverne and Shirley: The courtship of Squiggy! Should someone dig a little into his previous work history, they might be surprised. But that does fit the average Essent recruit--dependent on Essent.

The first graduating x-ray class from PJC is taking their boards this month, and the proof is in the testing. With only a few lined up with jobs in a super-saturated market, it does seem like the students going into the field are a bit naive, and not making informed choices. It's going to be like those schools that are promoed on TV at three in the morning which had such pitiful placements. With 10 applications for each x-ray job, one might need to re-evaluate one's career choices.

From Texas--Nice

Hi Frank,

Someone is reading the blog because an email was sent out by Cheryl Perry to check your education and make sure all your tests are finished. (Referred to the insertion of educational requirements after the listed due date.)

So "Dash away, Dash away, Dash away all"!

Art Collecting Is Going Global

From India to China to Russia ... collecting art is going global, and prices have room to run. Read the article here.

Martha Stewart Going, Going, Global!

The lifestyle and media company, founded by Martha Stewart (pictured), built on tips for cooking and decorating is looking at expanding food products, retail and its magazines overseas.

Read all about it here.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes???12/28

Just when you thought it was getting better:

I've been getting rumors, and now several folks have emailed that I probably should put the warning back on the site as to monitoring of PRMC computers. But, that isn't the only thing....

The clicking that you've been hearing on the phone lines--Yep, Big Brother. The new "smoke detectors"? Some have cameras built in to them. Might be interesting to see what ones actuate from actual smoke....
I've heard that the outlying clinics all have gotten their monitoring upgraded, as well as Aerofit (wonder where the cameras went there! Better keep the swim suits on in the hot tub!)...guess they feel when the cat's away....

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (Who watches the watchers?) Me.

Footnote: From a comment, looks like public opinion wins--apparently Huddie doesn't like the flak, and some of the cameras, if not all, have been replaced. Makes me all warm and fuzzy towards Essent. Now we just have to watch the various other appliances to see if they end up in those....frank

Okies from Muskogee....12/12

I'm sorry, I ran out on an ongoing story. MRMC did make a decision, and that was almost a month ago. They selected Capella, and follow the link to see what was agreed to. I really wish they had been the ones bargaining with Essent...for us.

The employees were taken care of:

"• Existing commitments to all employees won’t change."

And standard of care issues as well.

Well done, Muskogee! You get a gold star!

2006 Irish America Magazine Business 100

A bit of shameless self-promotion but I'm so proud of my Irish heritage that I must toot my blogger horn loud and clear! I've been named to the 2006 Irish America Magazine Business 100. The distinction celebrates the entrepreneurial and business success of Irish-Americans.

What makes me even more proud about this honor is that I am one of just 10 women to be named to the list of 100 this year ... joining the ranks of a distinguished and diverse membership roster that includes Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, Conan O’Brien, and Bono. How cool or lucky is that?!

Other 2006 honorees include James McCann, founder of 1-800-flowers.com; Alan Lafley, chairman, president and CEO of Proctor & Gamble; and Anne Mulcahy, chairman of the board and CEO of Xerox Corporation

More official news to follow.

Just one more...well maybe...12/22

Hud Connery, President and CEO of Essent Healthcare commented, "Doctors Hospital is a perfect fit with the Essent model. Doctors Hospital is an essential hospital in the middle of a rapidly growing community. The hospital provides a fundamentally important service, there is a great team of physicians and nurses, and we hope to make the purchase of this hospital part of a grander scheme. It's just the kind of opportunity we were looking for."

For those who haven't followed the blog, Doctor's Hospital was renamed Crossroads--and is now part of SMS, not Essent, after Hud finally gave up. Cat-herding is rough business.

Okay, so just one more:

Quoted from the Paris Snooze, 7/25/04, "Knizley (PRMC CEO) said the best way to achieve such a prestigious rating (one of the top 100 hospitals) is by finding problems the best way he knows how -- by listening to employees."

We just never expected it to be through tapping phones, and bugging the smoke alarms....

Global Entrepreneurs Create Domestic and Foreign Jobs

If there's ever a book to read in 2007, it's this one: The New Argonauts: Regional Advantage in a Global Economy

From Publisher's Weekly: Argonauts, Saxenian's mythic term for global commuters employed in the high tech sector, are not the ominous invaders American economic isolationists fear-stealing jobs and ideas from Americans and spiriting them abroad. Rather, Saxenian argues, such global entrepreneurs have created domestic and foreign jobs and reduced the cost of technology for businesses and consumers.

Saxenian is at her best when describing the relatively short history of the international entrepreneur-commuter: the Argonauts, though equipped with Ph.D.s from American universities, hit ethnicity-based glass ceilings in the States and chose entrepreneurship over floundering in middle-management.

Bright, young, foreign-born entrepreneurs formed technology companies (with the help of western venture capital and management theory) in their home countries and succeeded where traditional development initiatives failed. However, when Saxenian projects the implications of Argonaut activity or their future, she sounds prematurely optimistic; some readers may have a hard time envisioning, as Saxenian does, widespread future interglobal cooperation aimed at solving humanity's problems. [Laurel here ... I don't.]

Abridged Borderbuster: 12/5/06

CONTENTS

If you are not a subscriber to Borderbuster, here's a glimpse of what you missed this month:

1. Welcome From The Publisher
2. Feedback From Our Readers
3. Secrets, Lies, and Sweatshops*
4. Business and Cultural Tips: Have Some Fun!*
5. Oh, Canada!*
6. How I Went Global: Ongoing Series // National Defense
7. A Reader Asks: Q&A*
8. Everybody Loves a Freebie -- repeat: FREE OFFER*
9. Unique Gifts From Small Businesses*
10. A Danger in China?*
11. Language Barriers*
12. Blog World: Metroblogging*
13. Laurel’s e-Book: “GODZILLA Global Marketing!”
14. Take A Walk On The Wild Side (TAWOTWS)
15. Wind Behind Your Sail*
16. Miscellany*
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

*Indicates exclusive to Borderbuster subscribers only.

Sample section:

5. OH, CANADA!
*Subscriber Exclusive*

Want to jump into the international market? Meet our friendly neighbor to the north.

To read the article, visit: Entrepreneur.com

(Remember, inaction is the worst kind of failure.)

###

To subscribe to Borderbuster, visit:
Sign Up For Borderbuster!

Who's Who in Readership...12/12

Just thought I'd give you an update on who actually tries to find this site, rather than stumbling into it (from what I consider outside the norm):

• I've had hits from India, the Ukraine, Turkey, Israel, Italy, Austrailia, China, Iran, the UAR, and even one from Vietnam, but that was a fluke. And either someone has been sending links, or one individual has been bouncing off multiple international servers...because the MSN search is exactly the same for about five countries.
• Numerous mentions have been seen in Power Point presentations given in the Netherlands, Norway, and Germany....
• Various healthcare groups from all over the nation.
• Investment companies.
• Healthcare Management groups.
• Obviously, the highest percentage of hits are from Texas, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, but I was suprised at the high numbers for North Carolina, New Jersey (probably the new CEO for MVH and his family), Minnesota, Florida (not just Andrew's defender), and D.C.
• The Dallas hospitals love it, the Essent states camp on it after hours, and I don't know how many people have Google alerts for new comments.
• A chat room would probably lock up someone's server.

I don't get information on the user, just the ISP (Internet Service Provider), and Essent has their own fixed IP (handy for me), as do other various organizations.