We do love summer and those rare glimpses of the Northwest sun...... but then the warm days start me dreaming of a "chocolate cellar", kind of like a wine cellar, where your chocolate never gets too warm. 

At the risk of being boring, I need to be redundant and remind you that email addresses which used to end in "attbi.com" are being phased out and in most cases replaced with something ending in "comcast.net".   Please remember to replace my old "attbi" backup  address in your email address book with:  footzine@comcast.net  along with the usual  gaylejohnson@footzine.com 
By actually adding those to your email address book, you will also reduce the possibility of your program's anti-spam features rejecting your FootZine when it is sent to you.

 ~  Gayle

From:  Heather Schafer
re:      Office Brochure (Renee Gross, PMAC, Volume 37)

We have just completed the "task" of updating our office brochure.  If you would like me to fax you a copy of ours (or snail mail one to you) I would be more than happy to!

Heather Schafer (360) 293-4502 (phone)

*_*    *_*    *_*

From:  Kelly Lasswell
re:      Tourniquets

Gayle, this is Kelly Lasswell at Dr. Schroeder's office.  I am looking for a
tourniquet for our surgery center.  I was wanting to see what kind other offices
use.  I am having a hard time finding one.

Thank you,
Kelly
Wenatchee, WA

*_*    *_*    *_*

From:  Yolanda R.
re:      ASPMA or Other Study Manuals for Assistants

Dear Gayle,

I just started working for a podiatrist and everything is so new to me, and I realize there is so much for me to learn!  I was told there is a book written specifically for podiatric assistants, put out by the American Podiatric Assistant Society, that I feel would be very helpful in learning more about this profession.  But heard I cannot get a copy of it from them unless I register to take their certification exam. Is that really true?  Having just started in this field, I am certainly not in a position to do that just yet and was wondering if you could either direct me where else to purchase a new copy, or ask if one of your readers would be interested in selling theirs?

Currently, I don't have a direct email address, so if you could post my letter on your website and have replies sent directly to you, I'd be very appreciative.

Thank you for your help and for your great website!

Yolanda R.

*_*    *_*    *_*

From:  Ed Linebaugh
re:      Continuing Education Opportunities

Gayle,

I'm really glad to have discovered your website and have passed on the info to our two DPM assistants.  Are there any training opportunities (i.e. continuing education classes, workshops, etc.) specifically designed for
podiatry assistants?  I'd appreciate any info you might provide!

Cordially,

Ed Linebaugh
Senior Ortho Tech/Dept. Manager
SportsMED Orthopedic Surgery & Spine Center
4715 Whitesburg Dr.
Huntsville, AL 35802

*_* Editor's note *_*

Ed,

There are always seminars, usually put on by the various state podiatry associations, as well as the National meeting every August.  Not every state offers an assistants' program, but most do.  The FootZine web site's "Calendar" page has listings of such meetings, at:  http://www.footzine.com/FZ_4.htm
(Note to meeting coordinators:  If we know about your meetings, we'll be happy to list them.  Email the details to  gaylejohnson@footzine.com )

The "Networking" page is a place where people in a given area, like Huntsville, or Birmingham, or Central Texas, or wherever, could post notices to try to get a group together for occasional study meetings, at:  http://www.footzine.com/FZ_6.htm

There are also some books, and other seminars, such as those by AAPPM, that have an assistant's focus.  (See Yolanda's note above.)

~ Gayle

7-7-2003   Seeking Position:  16 years experience as Medical Receptionist in front office for Family Practice, Pediatrics, Surgeons and 1.6 years in Podiatry.  Excellent skills in working with people.  Love geriatrics.  Desire full-time position in Centralia/Chehalis/Olympia (Washington) area, but would accept part-time.
Call Kathy A. Ladd   (360) 736-4294 or (360) 508-1054.
E-mail address:  laddka1@juno.com

Notices of positions wanted or positions available, as well as other "classified" information, are welcome. They are posted at the FootZine web site's Networking page. Have a look at http://www.footzine.com/FZ_6.htm

 

In the last few articles I discussed preventing unauthorized access to your computer workstations via Biometrics, I discussed protecting your data from malicious software via Anti-Virus software and I discussed protecting discarded PHI via shredders.  In this article I will discuss one of the most overlooked pieces of security, Firewalls.  Firewalls are designed to prevent unauthorized access to your computers from the web.

The broadband explosion has provided Internet users with a better, faster solution than the traditional dial-up connections we've been used to over the years.  That's the good news.  The bad news is, broadband connections have some drawbacks, the most serious of which is the fact that they are "always on."  A connection that never shuts off is a hacker's dream.  Hackers like "always-on" connections like DSL, cable modems and T1 lines because they're always there and they're predictable.  This isn't to say that broadband connections are bad.  Quite the contrary: Broadband is a great technology.  Users just need to make sure they're using the appropriate level of protection that a firewall solution can offer.

Without a firewall in place, hackers can access your PHI and either use it for their own purposes or disseminate it to the world at large.  A hacker in your system can have other serious consequences. For example:

Lost Data - What if someone deleted data on your offices' network?  What if you didn't have that data backed up?  How much would that cost you?
Down Time  What would it cost in terms of labor to restore lost or damaged data?  What would be the cost in lost productivity, having an office full of employees sitting around waiting for the computer system to be restored?
Computer Jacking - Do you like impersonators?  Well, hackers who get control of your computer can launch attacks against other networks using your computer.  When the cyber police find out, guess who they're going to be looking for? 

Attacks like those previously mentioned occur in many forms.  Some are minor while others create havoc and do a lot of damage
 
Firewalls are a great way to protect your practice’s computers from intruders.  They're designed to defend against attack by implementing a series of rules that permit, or deny, traffic to pass between your network and the Internet.  Based on the way these rules are set, the inbound and outbound flow of information maybe extremely tight or very relaxed.  The trick is to maintain a balance between your practice’s need for security and your employees' need to get their work done without interference.

Firewalls are absolutely necessary and are not very expensive.  I would strongly suggest having the firewall installed by an expert.  While anyone can take it out of the box and plug it in, the trick is to configure it properly.  Otherwise, it becomes a useless piece of hardware sitting on your network not protecting you, and only providing you a false sense of security until your network is compromised.

By: Raymond F. Posa, MBA
Technology Advisor to the American Academy of Podiatric Practice Management
President, R. Francis Associates

Any questions or comments can be addressed to Mr. Posa by E-mail: Rposa@Rfrancis.com
Or visit WWW.NJHIPAA.COM

 

The Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz is our favorite character because of the many powerful lessons he can teach us all.  When he first met Dorothy he surely hit the nail on the head with saying “But some people without a brain do an awful lot of talking, don’t they?”  It seems that brilliance and talking are oftentimes inversely proportional.  God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason!  Patients love to talk and our listening to them makes them feel valued and appreciated.  Some of the best assistants we have worked with are those who have least to say and let the patients tell their story, whether it be about their family, job or foot problem.

Dorothy invited the Scarecrow to join her on her journey along the yellow brick road to the Emerald City.  He responded with “Do you think he’ll give me a brain?” and Dorothy provided an answer that has led many to much success… “I couldn’t say.  But even if he didn’t you’d be no worse off than you are now.”  In our offices we are often anxious to try new things to improve efficiency, reduce workload and increase productivity.  We are afraid of risk and failure, not realizing that in a sense if we do not grow, we shrink.  Our managers and doctors lose sight of the fact that if their staff is not empowered, job satisfaction shrinks along with the employees’ feeling of value to the practice.

Most successful people will tell you that a common thread among their faction is that they surround themselves with others who possess skills that they lack.  Whether it be intelligence, communication skills or contacts, if you identify a skill you don’t have, you can achieve success by collaborating with a person who has the ability, talent and training you need.  The scarecrow reflected this quite simply when he said “Look, I won’t be any trouble.….because I won’t try to manage things, because I can’t think.”  He thought he would be a threat to Dorothy if he tried to manage things, not realizing that this was just what Dorothy was looking for in the new land, someone to be by her side to partner against any apple-throwing trees and wicked witches that may cross her path.

When they finally reached the Wizard, it was obvious that along their journey it was the Scarecrow who indeed led the crew and drove most of the decisions.  The most compelling lesson learned through studying the Scarecrow’s voyage is that most of us have all we need to get what we want, but lack the confidence and faith to believe we can get there.  The Wizard never even came close to giving the Scarecrow brains.  All he did was merely make him believe that he had brains.  The Wizard’s message was crystal clear:  “Why, anybody can have a brain.  That’s a very mediocre commodity.   Back where I come from we have universities.…seats of great learning.…where men go to become great thinkers.  And when they come out, they think deep thoughts, and with no more brains than you have.  But, they have one thing you haven’t got, a diploma!”  This diploma made the Scarecrow believe, and so can you!

Previous "Gems" can be found on their own pages of the FootZine.com web site, at
http://www.footzine.com/FZ_90.htm