Hide and Seek

How many pheasants in this picture? They blend in so well with the background, it is hard to tell. We got a skiff of snow, and lots of wind today. We have had unusually mild weather up until now. It will be a short winter.

The biggest news this week is that I decided to give up my quilt shop job and spend the extra day at the hospital. The board agreed to fund a part-time physician recruiter. I will spend one day a week trying to follow up current contacts and find new ones.

I am still doing the electronic health record. I spend about 20 minutes a day preloading the information for the new e-refill requests. When the physicians go through the list, it is a quick process. I've gone back to doing data entry of charts into the computer. No one else is doing it any more, and the nurses just don't have the time if they want to keep the doctor on schedule.

The process of change had put strain on good-natured people. I can see the long term benefit of the ability to study the population and do more preventative care. I've always thought we are the perfect site for study of rural health.

We are in the process of applying to be a training site for second and third year Family Practice residents. Hopefully we will be ready for a resident in 2013. We have two residents and one fourth year student here right now. What a great addition to the group. It is fun to come to work.

I thought I might regret my decision to give up the quilt shop. but I feel good about it. The owners are unsure whether to keep it going, and the indecision and lack of new fabric is apparent. It is losing value through neglect. I just don't have the desire to stand in the gap. It is not my responsibility. Time to move on.

Number of birds (3)

Goodbye yellow shed

Last week we said goodbye to the yellow shed. It was so unstable, Lance had a huge hole dug next to one wall, and then pushed it in with the tractor. Why do I get so much enjoyment out of fire and destruction? Without the trees and the shed, the view out the south window stretches as far as the eye can see.

I am improving on the electronic record. I have become the cheerleader, trying to lift up and encourage where possible. I can hear the nurses stress over it as they talk to one another. The doctors vary from determined to frustrated. It is hard for administration to see why it is so hard.

I am waiting to hear if the board approved a part time position for me as physician recruiter for the group. I would be good at it, but money is scarce. Physicians are also scarce. We'll see. The other new project is establishing a rural residency training program for 2nd and 3rd year residents. They would do the first year in Bismarck and some specialty electives elsewhere. It is a lot of paperwork. (Think 7th grade science project) We are on a short timeline. It would make it easier to recruit new doctors. Updates as it unfolds.

No sewing in a while. I may give up the quilt shop day to use the time at the hospital. I haven't decided yet. The quilt shop is selling off inventory and not replacing it, so I think its days are numbered anyway. Sad. Nothing ever stays the same. I don't enjoy change.