Best of HIStalk and other housekeeping issues

OK, it took way more time than I expected, but I've created a "Best of HIStalk June 2003-June 2004" PDF document. I culled out the best stuff from over 250 HIStalk articles (which was a ridiculously tedious process of clicking, cutting, and pasting all 250 articles) and put them together in a single document of around 115 pages (hey, I write a lot and every article is like a child of mine, OK?) Anyway, to download this 500K Acrobat file, look toward the bottom of the right panel where it says "Briefcase." Click on File Download, then click the file title to download it. I wrote this for low-bandwidth newcomers who might never realize there's a ton of stuff here, a small part of which might be entertaining, informative, or both. If you download it, let me know what you think. About the content, that is. It's no work of art because it's late, I'm tired, and I get impatient, but the content is what counts.

Thanks very much to new sponsor eOptimize. They're in for the long haul and I greatly appreciate their support. Give 'em a click for me, OK? I think the ad they created looks great.

At the end of each article, you'll notice a little "Comments/Trackback" link. If you see a number there other than zero, someone has left a comment (please consider doing so yourself ... it's a heck of a lot more fun for me to get a dialog going instead of listening to myself pontificating alone.) I've asked the Blog-City folks to consider placing these comments right below the article instead of being linked. In the meantime, here are some fresh ones you may not have seen:

"Been a loyal reader for a long time...I work at a hospital a stones throw from the Fleetcenter in boston...I wonder if HIT will be brought up at all during the numerous speeches at the DNC this week...Talk about a great spot to discuss it...It looks like the democrats are going to let the republicans make this there issue...which is a mistake. Keep up the great work..."

"Thanks for the editorial on workflow.  You just justified my existence as a process engineer in healthcare IT.  Not to mention that in recent weeks one of the IT Directors told me that there was "no future in process engineering in healthcare."  As you said,  it is definitely something that I am passionate about.  Unfortunately, if the traditional operation management within healthcare is unable to take ownership of workflow issues, or more to the point -- if it is not enforced, then workflow analysis is for naught. Healthcare is going to have to accept the fact that, like everyone else out there, they need to take a good look at how they are working.  There is no system in the world that will make them work smarter, no matter how many bells and whistles it provides.  To be more efficient and productive, you need to look at how you are currently working, why you are doing things the way you do (influencers, etc.), and what can be done to change it.  Overlaying that is the assessment of how technology can enhance that need. Maybe they'll come around someday -- but the support is appreciated!"

As I mentioned yesterday, HIStalk is about to get a plug in an HIT publication. If you see it, please let me know. Hopefully I'll find out via a punishing number of site hits, but you never know. I got a head-swelling, lovefest e-mail from a reporter, but I'm too much of a gentleman to share it. It was enough to know that I wasn't paranoid: writers and publishers are reading HIStalk quietly and anonymously for story ideas and to get the sniff test on news. Hey, I'm happy to help, and a brief, perfunctory nod to HIStalk is all I need to happily keep steaming along.

I have one request. In the past, I've asked for help in getting readers. Those are coming, so here's what I need now. If you hear good stuff about vendors, products, or anything else that would interest me, would you let me know? Or, if you would consider writing an article yourself that I could use and credit to you, that would be great too. I think we're hitting critical mass here and I could use the content help. Thanks.