Opportunities for Healthcare Professionals around the World from the Michigan Physicians Society
I look for angel investments that have the potential to produce a 10x return on my investment in 5 years. Startup investing is one of the more risky investment categories. Therefore, you should expect these businesses to have the possibility of doing well. If you invest in 10 businesses, and nine of them fail, the remaining business needs to give you a 10x return just to break even. Ideally, you will do better than that and enjoy healthy returns.
We are pleased to offer the following benefits to healthcare professionals in Michigan, the United States, and around the world.
Most startups need funding at some point. Once you have the addressed all of the items in the previous episodes, it is time to build your list of potential investors and start the conversations. They can be friends, family, social network, social media contacts, work colleagues, people in the business industry, etc. Try to put together a list of at least one hundred people. A list of one hundred potential investors may seems like a lot, but the more people you have on the list, the better your chances are of success.
You have proven you have a business that works. Now it is time to put the foot on the gas pedal. When you do this, here are some questions you should be considering.
It is time to make money! You have been through a couple of rounds of market testing now you feel like you are on to something. The next step is to run the numbers to make sure that the business is sustainable. There are two sides to making money, profitability and cash flow.
After finishing your first set of market tests, you need to evaluate the results. It helps you determine whether your business strategy is working or not. It also saves you money down the road if you are not pursuing the right opportunity.
As your business starts to grow, what do you see? Is everything running smoothly? Or are there hiccups in your business operations? When everything seems okay, you grow confident and start to take on more and more customers.
When battling for resources or investment, early-stage entrepreneurs may believe that competition is a bad thing. On the surface, they are correct. There are a limited number of angel investors willing to provide a finite amount of venture capital to founders.
This is one of my favorite hacks/shortcuts for raising money. It will save you a ton of time and get more attention from potential investors.
Pitch Investors Using the Perfect Slide Deck and What Air Bed & Breakfast, Better Known as Airbnb, Included in Their First Pitch Deck
Find Angel Funding & Venture Capital for Business Startups, Entrepreneurs, & First Time Founders...
Congratulations, your market testing worked and you were able to find customers, or at least one customer. Your beta test was successful and you are confident that you are ready for more. What do you do when you start getting customers or users? I recommend you do some scaling or upscaling.
After you have your business idea and your sales pitch in place, the next step for an entrepreneur is to understand how to beta test his/her business idea. Before you can build a billion or trillion dollar empire, you might want to start with one sale.
After you pick the business idea you want to explore, it is time to go to work. The next step is for an entrepreneur is to build an elevator pitch. What is an elevator pitch?
When it comes to brainstorming startup ideas, new entrepreneurs and even seasoned ones scratch their heads in confusion. Living in the information age, you can scan the current market and see countless new business ideas. With so many options out there, how do you know which one is right for you?
We are looking for a new partner to manage the healthcare division of Omega. The ideal partner will be responsible for evaluating and advising business startups in the healthcare industry.
Preventive maintenance equipment inspections help maintain the functionality and longevity of your equipment and reduce your exposure to liability. These annual inspections may also be referred to as Annual Inspections or Performance Verifications.
Income diversification is important for everyone, especially doctors. Misconceptions persist that doctors are highly paid and have no need to seek investment opportunities. Of course, some physicians continue to be well compensated as compared to most of their counterparts in other professions, but a unique concern is risk.
Dr. Timothy M. Wasmund, D.C. has joined the Michigan Physicians Society (MPS) as an advisory board member to help drive the MPS mission to support and achieve physicians’ business goals nationwide.
As physicians, we are expected to be compliant with rules, restrictions, and regulations. We are expected to be risk averse. We are expected to be “providers,” but not necessarily innovators or leaders. As the healthcare system becomes increasingly consolidated into large overcrowded clinics, we are required to perform to the standards set by bureaucrats and clinic managers. These rules are often at odds with the best interests of patients and with our sanity.
The best and the brightest simply don’t want to become doctors anymore. Physicians are burning out. They are leaving the profession. They are going bankrupt. They are selling their private practices to big hospitals. They are retiring early. We are facing a growing doctor shortage.
Michigan Physicians Society (MPS) partners with Professional Casualty Association and Doeren Mayhew Insurance Group to Offer Express Medical Malpractice Insurance Checkup and Exclusive Insurance Discounts to MPS Members
The United States healthcare system is often berated for how it treats patients near the end of life. They are purportedly attached to tubes and machines and subjected to unnecessary invasive procedures that cause inordinate pain with no potential benefit, there is underutilization of more compassionate hospice services. This “travesty” is expensive, as the care of dying seniors consumes over 25% of Medicare expenditures. We hear this story so often; it is almost taken as gospel-- but is it actually true? Is it more expensive and invasive to die in America than in other developed countries?
According to the Pew Research Center, there are approximately 32,000 gun-related deaths annually in the United States; 19,000 are suicide, 11,000 are homicide, and the rest are accidents, police shootings or of unknown causation. Moreover, there are more than 78,000 nonfatal gun wounds each year. Given the disproportionate number of victims that are less than 40 years of age, the morbidity and mortality of gun violence is significant. Physicians are involved with many types of public health issues, but few are as controversial or divisive as gun safety. Is it really an issue that falls within the medical domain?
I confess I was a strong proponent of the Affordable Care Act. My reasoning was subtler than the hallowed pantheons of its staunch supporters and the apocalyptic predictions of its detractors. Forty years after graduating medical school I concluded, after many stutter steps, the American healthcare delivery system was economically unsustainable and the citizenry was neither living longer, nor better, despite medical expenditures that dwarf any other developed nation. My career also allowed me to personally interact with cardiac surgeons from all continents and see that their clinical results and research efforts were laudatory by any standards.
The December 8, 2015 issue of JAMA had a startling key clinical point; the prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms among resident physicians in training was 28.8%. The data was generated by meta-analysis of 31 cross-sectional and 23 longitudinal studies published in peer-reviewed journals involving 17,560 trainees. Two-thirds of the trainees were in North America, but the others were from Asia, Europe, South America, and one from Africa. Sensitivity-analysis confirmed that no individual study affected overall prevalence by more than 1% and that the incidence of depression was not influenced by study design, continent of origin, surgical vs nonsurgical program nor level of residency year.
In the current competitive environment, healthcare providers often attempt to separate themselves from their competition by marketing themselves as using the newest technologies for their procedures. This is an age defined by finding the next best thing and the American public responds to this strategy. My personal experience has been in cardiac surgery, but the principles are equally applicable to other specialties, particularly tertiary referral practices.
A nonprofit hospital care system in Oregon with 450 beds has been in an acrimonious negotiation with its staff hospitalists for the past 2 years. The mounting economic pressures on this small, community oriented institution have had the expected consequences of hiring new administrators to implement the latest trends to rein in the budget and effect efficiencies of healthcare delivery-- as if that has been so successful in the rest of the country. The battle has really centered over the physicians losing control of their work time allocation, individual decision-making for diagnostic and treatment plans, as well as bristling at bonuses based on the administration’s definition of quality.
I did my undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. The school’s Latin motto is “Vox Clamantis in Deserto”, which translates to “A voice shouting in the wilderness”. Its founding mission in 1769 was to “civilize” the Native American youth and, perhaps in a deconstructionist era, this sounds paternalist and demeaning.
Yesterday afternoon I had the privilege of helping to honor the graduating class of 2016 at Experiencia Preparatory Academy. They have 3 graduates this year that have overcome a special set of challenges, including moving from Mexico to the United States and having English as a second language.
We are excited to announce our next MPS Event! We are hosting an exciting evening of learning, networking, and fun at 4-Seasons Golf, a private indoor golf club in the heart of Downtown Birmingham on Wednesday, Apr 27, 2016, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM.
Entering its third annual open enrollment period, Obamacare is the subject of cacophonous political acrimony, again, championed by its supporters and vilified by its opponents. Each side presents its own “metrics” of success or failure
American healthcare’s mostly fee-for-service reimbursement model encourages doctors to order tests and procedures so as to make a reasonable living from practicing medicine. There is no incentive to have conversations with patients.
The United States has the dubious honor of paying the highest prescription drug costs in the world. Many healthcare economists attribute this to relatively lax cost regulation compared to other wealthy countries; however, a decade of insurers paying only for generic drugs when available and limiting drug choice in specific formularies has had little modulating effect.
The Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) was initiated as part of the 1997 Balanced Budget Act with the goal of controlling Medicare Part B spending for physician services. When Medicare spending under a year’s physician fee schedule exceeded the rate of growth of the covered Medicare population and the rise of GDP,
Several weeks ago I was in Palo Alto, California walking along Camino Real abutting the Stanford University campus. I noticed a newly-constructed high-link fence isolating the commuter train tracks from the pedestrian walkways. Another “shovel-ready” infrastructure project to nurture the economy?
Our auto show event at the Lingenfelter Collection was a huge success! Approximately 100 attendees enjoyed an evening of learning, networking, and fun at the Lingenfelter Collection, one of the most notable car collections in the world! A special thanks to M1 Concourse and the Lingenfelter Collection for sponsoring this event.
We are excited to announce our next MPS event! MPS members will enjoy an exciting evening of learning, networking, and fun at the Lingenfelter Collection, one of the most notable car collections in the world! Learn about car collecting as an alternative investment strategy while enjoying a private tour of the Lingenfelter Collection.
Two new drugs, Repatha and Praluent, were approved by the Food and Drug Administration several months ago amid much ballyhoo. Both are antibodies that specifically target PCSK9, a protein which reduces the number of receptors on the liver that remove LDL cholesterol from the blood. By blocking PCSK9’s ability to work, more receptors are available to clear LDL. This novel mechanism was proven safe and effective in clinical trials, lowering LDL cholesterol levels by 40% or more in patients already taking statin drugs. However, powerful treatment comes with a powerful cost-- over $14,000 per year for each patient.
Maybe it’s because we have entered the silly season with a full cast of presidential aspirants, but I have recently mulling over the perception of behavioral impropriety. To translate from spin doctor to medical doctor, I mean professional behavior that may not be overtly unethical, but exudes self-interest over patient well-being. In the academic world, full disclosure includes financial interest with potential conflict, disclaimer of previous publications, responsibility for informed consent and approval by the appropriate research committee. In our practices, particularly in the clinic or hospital setting, much focus is on constructing a firewall between the pharmaceutical and the medical-device sales force and medical providers.
According to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), inpatient hospital costs account for nearly 30% of healthcare spending in the United States and are increasing by about 2% per year over inflation. This cost issue is a focus of the Affordable Care Act, which is accelerating the move away from fee-for-service to a single, diagnosis-related comprehensive payment, similar to Medicare reimbursement. Such payment systems punish unnecessary testing, prolonged hospitalization, and readmissions.
On April 8, 1966, Time Magazine caused a national commotion when the issue’s cover was emblazoned with the question, “Is God Dead?” The Time article was a measured consideration of how society was adapting to the diminishing role of religion in an age of stunning scientific advances. The writer posited that people would no longer believe things out of received doctrine, but faith would steadily succumb to the scientific method as mankind unraveled the truths of the physical world at the expense of the myths of the metaphysical.
I strongly suggest that a pledge to read a synopsis of the philosophy of the 13th century Franciscan William of Ockham on a weekly basis be inserted in the oath of office taken by every government employee. Clearly highlighted should be his nominalist doctrine, Ockham’s razor, which avows that the best solution to a problem is usually the simplest. Pare to a minimum the number of confounding variables.
Supplement Makers: The Teflon Industry - All-Natural Health Evades FDA Regulations, Invades Consumers’ Wallets
In the weekend review from ACEP, two articles caught my attention. The first one was on new guidelines from the American Society of Addictive Medicine on the use of prescription medication to treat opioid addiction. These guidelines were created soon after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) declared opioid use and resultant death as an epidemic. The second article refers to a study showing that pain is underdiagnosed and undertreated in the ED. This is the challenging dichotomy we live and work in.
The fast-growing arena of personalized genetic medicine provides an intoxicating brew of hype and hope. The technology will purportedly provide revolutionary benefits in medical care.
Recently I read in a New York Times magazine article that the 130th richest man in the United States wants to match his age with his Forbes magazine wealth ranking. His riches have not bought him a unique, scientifically-formulated elixir for immortality; nor is he a wacky proponent of perpetual hyperbaric oxygen chambers or cryogenics.
Concomitant with the metamorphosis of the practice of medicine into the business of healthcare delivery, patients have been transformed into customers. Healthcare providers compete not only on the basis of outcomes, best practices, centers of excellence, advanced technology and cost, but also on customer service
Now that physicians are learning to work with the new provisions of the Accountable Care Act, many are taking the time to look at some of the issues that have arisen, specifically regarding cyber insurance and risk management.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet proclaimed, “What a piece of work is a man,” but now, almost half a millennium later, this could be amended to what a set of sequences is man. The nobility, reason, infinite faculty and admirable form can be attributed to the 20,000 or so genes that contain the chemical
code for specific protein formation
The Michigan Physicians Society is offering physicians a free networking and real estate seminar, 6 pm to 7:30 pm, Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Fleming's Steakhouse, Birmingham, MI. The event will offer physicians an opportunity to learn about buying, selling, building and investing in real estate in Southeastern Michigan.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was endorsed by Congress in 1996 and was the last significant legislative legacy of Senator Ted Kennedy. It is enforced by the Office for Civil Rights and mandates nationally recognized regulations for use and/or disclosure of an individual's health information by a “covered entity”. Such an entity is a health plan, healthcare clearinghouse or healthcare provider.
Although individual judgment and technical dexterity are obviously important, best surgical outcomes, particularly for complex procedures, reflect the performance of many medical providers before, during and after an operation. Professionalism and a competitive business environment both stimulate medical centers to continuously focus on quality assurance programs, and to improve patient safety.
Why do Americans pay so much for healthcare? Ask a lawyer and a common answer is greedy practitioners. Ask a physician, and the scapegoat is the plaintiffs’ bar with usurious malpractice premiums and unscrupulous attorneys. Unfortunately, this antipathy does nothing to address the real issues
We are regaled in the lay press about new medical breakthroughs a novel cholesterol-lowering drug mimics the effects of a genetic mutation and improves lipid profiles when conventional treatment is ineffective; new cancer therapies are tailored medications designed to specifically attack tumor cells without the nonspecific toxicity of conventional chemotherapy; hepatitis C can be cured by short-term oral agents, not prolonged courses of parenteral infusions; mitral valves can be repaired percutaneously without the potential risks of extracorporeal circulation.
The Michigan Physicians Society (MPS) supports excellence in healthcare by supporting physicians. Our team of physicians, entrepreneurs, and business professionals help physicians earn more, spend less, protect what they have, and navigate regulations.
Here at Michigan Physicians Society, we’re dedicated to the financial betterment of physicians by providing continuing education and technology, along with an extensive network of other like-minded professionals in our space....
There is another skewing of physician allocation with similar serious implications, particularly in the current maelstrom threatening the financial sustainability of our healthcare delivery.
In 2012, the United States spent 17.7% of its almost 17 trillion dollar economy on healthcare. Rounding out the top 20 largest budgets, the remaining nations spent 8.9-11.6% of GDP on medical care. Do Americans live 33-50% longer and better to validate this increased cost?
A recent wellness blog on the New York Times website contradicts Mae West’s old adage that too much of a good thing is better. Specifically, the question is whether excessive exercise can actually be injurious to your heart.
Successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act will provide tens of millions of previously uninsured Americans with healthcare coverage. However, when these individuals seek medical care outside the emergency room or charity clinic setting will there be practitioners to serve them?
The legislation was passed by Congress on April 15, 2015 and signed into law by the President on April 16, 2015. It introduces sweeping changes to the reimbursement methodologies and financing of health care in the United States.
Wealthy Physician Fallacy - No matter the recent trend, cutbacks in payments for provider services is a relentless and persistent tool universally acclaimed as cornerstone to healthcare cost containment. Concurrent with the bludgeoning of physician income is the populist conviction that this is morally justified to combat physician greed and unwarranted overcompensation.
