Since I have been asked to contribute my two cents worth to this website, I thought it appropriate for me to give some introductory information.  While I could send my CV to anyone who asks, what I have done/am doing is not as important as who I am.  The question is, why should anyone care about what I say? 

First, I am a primary care physician in a 4 physician practice.  This has pushed me in my various duties outside of my practice to represent the "normal" practices out there.  In the world of medical informatics (of which I am highly involved), most of the voices are from large institutions, the government, or large IT oversight institutions (like HIMSS).  Very few voices are from practices like mine, which represents the largest segment of the physicians in the US.  This means that many of the "experts" in the field have little understanding of what will really play on Main Street.  They generally fail to recognize that practices like mine are small businesses that need to be profitable to survive.  What is possible in the larger institutions (with their own IT departments, etc.) is not possible for the average practice.  This applies to the medical realm as well, as many of the "ivory tower" recommendations for care do not necessarily apply well to the exam room.  We have to keep our "customers" satisfied, and we need to continue to be profitable.

The second thing is that I am very passionate about what I do.  I see being a physician as a gift that has been given me - the ability to spend my day really making a difference in people's lives.  That sounds hokey, but it really is true.  I am not certain why I feel this way more than other physicians, but it is the main reason I hold such strong opinions.  My frustration with not being able to find information drives me to find a solution, which has made me active in the health IT community.  My frustration when "gnomes" on the phone tell me I can't order appropriate tests on my patients makes me want to change the insurance industry (more on that later).

The upshot of this (why you should care) is that I tend to be very "fanatical" about things.  I would rather make mistakes for a good cause than to sit back and complain about things.  I do realize I am not always objective in my views (some would say seldom), but if you wanted that, you would read a textbook or medical journal.  I can do no more than express what I think and feel - that is what this website is all about.  Obviously there will be times in which you may disagree, finding my view either naiive or fanatical.  I guess that is why I have been asked to contribute.

My goal with my Blogs is to push the learning process for both me and my readers (if I get any).  I can spout off my opinions in a room by myself, but spouting in front of others makes the likelihood of being right much greater.  I would rather be right than smart.

Finally, I feel self-conscious being thought of as someone whose opinions are worth reading.  It is unlikely that I am smarter than my readers, so forgive my ramblings.  I will do my best to at least keep things entertaining.  Thanks a lot for taking the time to read this.