New Initiative for the University of Iowa

As some of  you may be aware. Padre is helping to spearhead a new initiative for the University of Iowa. This initiative is currently called the Office of Healthcare Leadership Education (OHLE for short).  Here is a reasonably good write up that appeared in Iowa Today (a University of Iowa online publication). 

As a side note, it's clear I wasn't interviewed for this article, or would have dissuaded them from using my full name, Alexander.  So it goes...

Turkey in the Field

Spring brings out the Turkeys, and the Big Dawg. It's great to be outside and enjoying the green of Spring. And so it goes.

The Tiffa

Our rescue dog ... A year-and-a-half later. Tiffs by name; as in "Queen La... " I call her Peefa...as in "I pee at will anywhere". The Pee.

Pivot Time

As many of you know, we own a Woofables retail location on the Peninsula in Iowa City.  It's a fantastic commercial property on a small block with three other businesses:  Dingo Cafe, Apres Bistro, and an exercise studio. 

While our Paw traffic is "ok", we would like to offer something a bit more practical for our 2-legged neighbors. So, we're changing the business from Woofables, to Peninsables (here is the first sketch of the logo). Only ONE "N", the lettering will be thicker, the river will be a bit wider and darker blue.  With those changes, we'll see if it'll be Officially adopted.

Next up... a simple web page with description and hours. 

Peninsables will be a mini-grocery store to serve the Peninsula neighborhood.  The nearest convenient store is more than 2 miles away!  So Peninsables will stock some of the basic supplies so residents don't have to trudge over hill and dale to get something simple such as toothpaste, dish soap, toilet paper, razors, eggs, milk, butter, flour, sugar, cooking oil. etc....

We hope to have this done by July 1, and then our pivot will be complete.  And so it goes...

Slow News Day in Eastern Iowa

It must have been a SLLLOOOOWWWW News Day if they have to scrape this tripe up from the bottom of the barrel. That, and/or Chelsea is a cub reporter and she got stuck with this assignment... or both.  

University of Iowa, Iowa Medical Society to teach business of health care

Course to use practical knowledge that can be used 'in the clinic'

Chelsea Keenan The Gazette More stories from Chelsea

Apr 10, 2017 at 2:39 pm

The Iowa Medical Society and the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business have teamed up to give the state’s physicians a crash course in business.

The two groups, along with the UI’s Carver College of Medicine and College of Public Health, have put together a curriculum covering the basics of how to run a health care business.

“We want to give them practical information and knowledge that they get on Friday and can apply back in the clinic on Monday,” said Clare Kelly, executive director of IMS, which represents Iowa’s physicians, residents and medical students.

Leaders for the groups plan to offer the education first to attendees at IMS’s annual conference in Des Moines April 28 to 29 to gauge interest and build the program from there. They eventually will offer online courses as continuing medical education — requirements for those in the medical field to help physicians and others maintain knowledge and learn about new areas in their field.

“The intent is for us to pilot this program, and survey member physicians on program needs and the desires they have,” said Alex Taylor, UI’s associate director of the Executive MBA program.
Tippie worked with the UI’s College of Medicine to develop a similar program for medical students, offering elective courses on accounting, negotiation, human resources and team work, among other topics.

The Distinction Track program is comprised of 12 topics, delivered in four-hour blocks, one Saturday per quarter, over the course of a three-year period. Students who complete the program are awarded a Certificate in Health Care Delivery Science and Management.

There also are possibilities to extend similar educational courses to the state’s dentists, nurses and pharmacists. Taylor said he’d like this to gain enough traction with IMS that it becomes a standard in the Midwest and the nation.

Medical professionals “don’t get this education, it’s so foreign to them,” he said. “We take for granted simple business ideas that they don’t get exposed to. ... They might be handed a budget and told to stay within this and they don’t know how.

“We wants to give them the tools to be effective, good stewards of our health care dollars.”
Teaching physicians — both practicing and those still learning — about the business of health care is becoming more important than ever, IMS’s Kelly said, as more physicians are being asked to fill leadership roles, use data to improve health outcomes and work with a wide-range of medical professionals to deliver coordinated care.

“More and more it’s important to be versed by the C-suite language,” she said. “You need to be able to speak the language, understand a spreadsheet, know where revenue comes from and pitch that idea or business solution.”

Big Dawg plays the Violin

Follow the link to watch Ike Taylor demonstrate his violin chops. He's improving every time he picks up the bow.  

Bravo!!! 

Weekend in Des Moines

Big Dawg crushed it on the field this weekend. They went 3-2, 1-3, 3-1. Not bad he looked good in the tea bag, and had a few good touches.

Meanwhile in Decorah, peanut was on the Dance Marathon Leadership team that raised over $72k for the Children's Hospital.

Now off to a violin recital with Big Dawg. And so it goes.

A Favorite OF Mine

Big Dawg is learning from The Chalupa. Study buddies. We can only hope some of her academic DNA rubbed of on him. So far so good. Next year when he starts HS (Liberty), the proof will be in the pudding.

BTW... the photo was three years ago. Chalupa was a Senior in HS. Wow!

Sisters?

They are only a "few" years apart.  I love 'em both. Wish they were home. 

Soggy Pitch

Soccer season opened in rainy cold weather to a nil-nil the. Big Dawg held his own against a few guys who were clearly bigger and faster.

Tonight we have the Heels tipping off against Gonzaga. Should be a game of deft finesse vs. The barreling brawn from the great North West. Go Heels.