There is an old joke about the doctor and the plumber.

A surgeon’s sink gets clogged. He called a plumber who comes directly and unclogs the drain in fewer than five minutes.

The doctor says “What do I owe you?” “$200,” says the plumber.
Surprised, the surgeon says “That’s $2400 an hour! Even I don’t make that!”
The plumber laughs and says “Yea, neither did I when I was a surgeon.”
You have an honourable trade. Do it well.

The difference between a trade and a profession is something we must all protect. This includes the community because this ultimately affects you or a loved one. I hope you enjoy this practical but thought-provoking edition. Feel free to provide us with any feedback.

David Dahm
Editor, CEO and Founder Health and Life

Your Medical Records Exposed... Confirmed!

As I had predicted in February 2016, your personal health record is being exposed, with or without your full knowledge. The Federal Government's new $2bn national patient electronic health record system rollout is at full throttle.

This potentially means others have electronic access to your mental health, drug and alcohol abuse, sexually transmitted disease, domestic violence, and other sensitive information.

The New Pathology Rent Police!

As an accountant specialising in assisting medical practitioners, I am concerned about the unfair playing field and potential intimidating and questionable legality of the Government's new initiative to protect big pathology business against small practices with a new data kick back monitoring system, when the there are no clear rules for enforcement.
 

Powerful New Way to Manage Your Practice or Business…!

In a world that is already going through major changes due to technological advancement, the business of healthcare is evolving to meet the demands of a new fast-paced culture. Today, we want everything immediately, and this has created opportunities for optimisation in the world of healthcare. Will you be ready to ride with these changes, or will you fall behind to outdated healthcare systems and practices?

Time to change to a proactive Accountant/Adviser?

Start off on the right foot with an experienced, future proof accountant/advisor who cares for your practice/business and will help you work on the fun stuff too!

This in-depth article will help you find the right accountant for you. Asking the right questions is more important than asking for the right answers.

Do you find trouble in interpreting the MBS item numbers? Complete our survey for the Federal Health Minister...

If you want to know why you have trouble interpreting the MBS (Medicare Benefits Schedule),  here is why you cannot get a straight answer- the answer is nobody knows. It is time this issue was fixed, so we need to hear from you, regardless of whether you are a doctor or a practice manager.

We need your feedback and will write to the Health Minister. Please complete the short survey.

Why we nearly liquidated our high profile international professional body CPA Australia

Dear readers; you are probably wondering why I, David Dahm am involved with this matter. The answer is simple. It has to do with my work in promoting the accounting profession (and issues in the medical profession as well - in particular how the medical and health care professions can reduce fatal medical errors.)

2017 Not for profit Governance Training -  Indian Australian Association of South Australia (I.A.A.S.A)

Thank you to the Indian Australian Association of South Australia for inviting me to present on not for profits and governance issues affecting ethnic communities. This was a real honour.

One Moment Foundation

UPDATE: We continue to work on our Giving Patients and Providers a Fair Go. 250,000 people die annually due to avoidable health system errors.The solution is to create international healthcare standards and ethics Board across 190 countries backed by the United Nations. This has the support of many influential people locally and internationally in the healthcare industry. Government and patients. More details will be released soon.

Tax nightmare looms healthcare homes May 2017

Disease challenge April 2017  - the need for standards

David Dahm’s innovate solution to prevent ‘bullying’ was cited in the American Journal of Physicians and Surgeons

David is interviewed on top practice tips you can implement.

How can we teach and monitor trainee doctors better?

Does spending $70m to recover $13m for rorting Medicare sustainable? There is a better way to prevent this. Does the nature of Medicare audit activity interfere in the doctor patient relationship? Why are there no commonly agreed clinically relevant standards?

Other interviews and articles with David Dahm

Video's on Demand - New Video Releases

We have a pro bono library of our cutting-edge seminar presentations made around Australia. Armchair Medical have made this initially available free. You can subscribe see below for a special subscriber offer. (We receive no commissions or payment for this service).

You will obtain access to nearly 3,000 Australian lectures on the latest topics as diverse as Allergy, Business, Dermatology, Paediatrics and Women's Health.

These are the latest topics and practical tips that you may find useful.

1. Practice Automation  - work smarter and not harder. It is cheaper, improves quality and makes life less stressful for everyone.

2. The-business of healthcare hippocrates v hypocrisy

3. The Perfect Practice - Key Performance Indicators.

4. Risky Patient Billing - You cannot get a straight answer on Medicare Billing item Numbers, There are no commonly agreed clinical standards this is why you cannot. This is a new solution supported by your peers and influential people in Government and healthcare.

5. AAPM - A fair go to patients and providers. Establishing an international healthcare standards andEthicss Board. A revolutionary new vision for healthcare. A practical solution to your local and international health care system.

6. Doctors and staff contracts and optimal business structures (these videos have proved very popular)

7. All David Dahm Armchair videos

• New offer to our subscribers.

• If you are interested in the latest high quality clinical and non-clinical topics, Armchair Medical offer a low-cost subscriber option. They offer excellent, practical and timely information tailored for time-poor people.

• We are pleased to announce for Health and Life subscribers only a generous free trial and offer.

  Use the coupon 'healthlife' and you will receive 33% off and so only pay $16.75US/mth Here's the direct link http://www.armchairmedical.tv?code=healthlife

Employment Kit Updated 2017 -18

From 1st July 2017 wages will increase by 2.6%. Medicare rebates have been frozen for many years.We can provide an employment kit, that can help save you time and money. The kit has:

• Remuneration tips
• Employment templates
• Job descriptions
• Restraints 
• Occupational health and safety agreements
• for doctors, allied health, nurses, practice managers and administration staff.

Contact us for more information.

Doctors Pay Calculator 2017-18 Update

2018 New urgent update. Service Fee percentage calculator has a new service agreement tracker and document manager. Warning make sure you have the latest Microsoft compliant version or it may no longer work and you may lose your data. You will need to upgrade to the latest version visit our website. Contact us for more information.

2017 Health Professionals Australia Reform Association (HPARA)

Thank you to Health Professionals Australia Reform Association (HPARA)  founded by neurosurgeon Charlie Teo to Chair for inviting David Dahm to Chair sessions on health regulation reform and doctor bullying opened by Senator Nick Xenophon. 

2017 Rural Workforce of Victoria Seminars

Thank you to the Rural Workforce Agency for asking David Dahm to speak about Key Performance Indicators and how you can improve practice productivity and efficiency.

Thanks to all the participants. We had a great time and look forward to working with the Mildura and Shepparton Practice Managers.

2017 Risky Patient Billing

Thank you Dr Anchita Karmakar for inviting David Dahm to talk on Medicare Audits. We discussed our experience at the 2011 Federal Senate Review into the lack of commonly clinically agreed standards that still do not exist and what to do about it. We felt honoured to present with the past AMA national President and international President of the World Medical Association who shares similar concerns.

UP AND COMING EVENTS

Book Now! A Powerful New Way to Manage Your Practice!

2018 NEW national series

If you are serious about running a practice efficiently without the stress and anxiety, this may be for you. You are certain to be impressed, and it will be well worth your time and money.

In February 2018, we will be holding an exclusive face-to-face national seminar limited to five participant practices.

Tribute to Sushama Dahm

In memory of Sushama Dahm
2nd December 2017

It has been an amazing year and also personally a sad one. The much loved mother of our CEO and Founder David Dahm passed away. With her ‘community comes first’ belief in life, she was an enormous inspiration to David. As a medical practice manager, working for her late husband Dr Hari Dahm, she gave David many insights into how to run a healthcare practice and how the system worked, and what could be improved.

As another year draws to a close, we celebrate 25 years in practice. The team at Health and Life would like to wish all of our clients, readers and supporters a happy and safe holiday and New Year. It has been an amazing year.

For all of us, it is a time for reflection. We have had many highlights and could not have achieved as much as we have without your support.

With the help of our dedicated staff, clients, suppliers and your help, we have sustainably future-proofed our practice and are excited to continue offer a wide range of services, including new services, to you.

Our pro bono work continues, allowing us to highlight serious community issues and solutions. We really appreciate all those that have been part of this effort. It is the very soul of the firm that drives our success.

Many hundreds of selfless hours goes into trying to improve how we live and make our community a better place. We thank you all (there are many of you and you know who you are!) from the bottom of our hearts. We look forward to working with you all in 2018.

Our office will be closed on Friday 22nd December 2017 and will reopen 8:30 am Tuesday  EST 2  January 2018. For any urgent matters, please contact David Dahm at pa@healthandlife.com.au.

Pro bono: we would like to promote those organizations that have provided or currently provide pro bono support to us.

It is our small way of saying thank you. If we have missed you let us know.