May and June, 2008

Well, I worked day and night from May 1st through the end of June while the other doctor was out getting married and honeymooning. I think if I had to do it over again, I would have told her, simply, to leave. At the time, it seemed like I had to keep her to keep the boat afloat, but I was wrong. I’m not sure she is the right fit after all. It took her absence for me to understand her priorities, and UHI might not be high enough on the list. She loves to do what she does, but it strikes me that it is more like a favorite hobby. I'm still not sure. So, for now she will stay, and have a place here, but it will be different from what I originally thought. I want to hire leaders, self-starters who see themselves at UHI; who want to be part of the path of serving the community and opening the eyes of the public to the benefits of this kind of health care. There has to be a passion and commitment to something bigger than their own agenda. I don’t want someone selfless, but I do want someone dedicated. UHI's mission has to be part of their higher purpose.



In the meantime, I interviewed several people to either replace her or help me. A couple of good candidates, but I haven’t finished the process yet. One candidate was angry that I didn’t offer him a job after a short interview process. He had no idea what it would take to really work in this environment, so his expectations were out-of-line. Every hire is so important. In this small company it could make or break the flow. So, my interview process gets more refined, still. I am looking for Great, and sometimes, when I am certain it’s worth waiting for and I follow my mind and heart, I hit it! I enjoy working with people I respect and admire. It's a thrill to work with someone who really sees the vision. I know they will be keys for growth and expansion.



Financially, wow, this has been a struggle. How do people grow their businesses without going broke? There are so many mistakes along the way – time and money mistakes – and they are so incredibly expensive. I can’t even believe my risk tolerance, in fact. Despite our growth, it is hard to make ends meet. It seems to be what I think about, ask about, read about, and hope to understand….but I don’t get it yet. I just keep taking steps (and risks), crossing my fingers and continuing to learn. It doesn’t help that health care payments are at a trickle, but that’s another subject. I firmly believe that a great service can exist with or without the insurance industry. Being caught in the middle of it is really tough right now, though. There has actually been a freeze on medicare and state insurance payments, meaning "no payments". Thank God we don't rely on medicare. On the other hand, we have a large chunk of payments that aren't coming in. That hurts.



So, the review of the last two months? Love doing the clinical work; it makes me feel alive. That is really where I belong – that and teaching. My executive work piles up and up and up, though. I need, at least a part-time secretary, but don’t want to add on the expense. I love training and going out doing the new business development, too. Doing the things I love makes me feel powerful and special. But when I stick to that, I think I am not developing my weaker areas of being in business. It doesn't matter that I don't have the answer yet. Right now I have to work like a maniac to grow this business, and everything else has to be put on hold.