Dr. Vikram .R. Lotwala

Three Fast Ways to Build General Surgery Volume If you look at what brings the most bottom line Contribution Margin (or Profit) into your hospitals, it is probably General Surgery . More that Othro, Neuro, Cardio, or Cancer, good ole’ General Surgery brings in the most profit. But General Surgery is almost never promoted like a service line. It never gets the love like the big sub-specialty procedures. But this Plain Jane is a big bottom line producer. So how do you drive in more of this business? #1 Emergency Department Promotion We will talk about all the ways to promote the right kind of ER traffic in another post. But this much is true, the money you spend on driving the community to the ER when they have abdominal pain or any other hard to explain symptoms pays off in spades. #2 Promoting Minimally Invasive Surgery and Other Technologies Everybody gets it: a scope through a tiny hole in my belly is much better that cutting me wide open . Studies show that people

1. Don't Be Happy What are the downsides of happiness? For one thing, happier people are more prone to prejudicial behavior [source: Holt]. One possible explanation is that a contented, lackadaisical or happy attitude allows people to easily turn to stereotypes or other caricatures when making judgments. Happy people also can have excessively high self-regard -- to the point where they think that their thoughts or actions can control events clearly beyond their control. Similarly, concerns have been voiced that happy people may be easier to manipulate, particularly by unscrupulous political leaders. But happier people show higher levels of political involvement. Happy people generally live longer, but one study found that "cheerful and optimistic" U.S. children actually did not live as long as others, so draw your own conclusions [source: Holt]. There are other reasons not to reach for happiness at all costs. A blind pursuit of happiness may neglect some complicated eff

Written by Millie Barret BSc(Hons), mBANT There are more than 293,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed each year in the UK, and more than 1 in 3 people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime. More than 1 in 3 people – that is a shocking figure. According to Cancer Research UK, approximately half and probably more, of all cancers could be prevented by diet and lifestyle changes. So we do have the power to act and reduce our personal risk of developing cancer – but how?                                                         The following nine recommendations come from the World Cancer Research Fund Global Network (WCRFGN), which is made up of a panel of international experts working in the fields of cancer prevention, epidemiology, human nutrition, obesity and public health. Many of the recommendations are familiar public health goals based on maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise and a well-balanced diet. The WCRFGN recommendations: Let’s take a closer look

1: Partially Hydrogenated Oils Partially hydrogenated oils are added to foods to increase shelf life. This good intention is not consistent with good health. These oils provide fats that are very harmful to the cells of our body. Our cells will try to use these incorrect oils anyway, but the consequences are damage to the blood vessels and lack of needed oxygen to our cells. 2: High-fructose Corn Syrup High-fructose corn syrup is a potent sweetener found in a large amount of processed foods. Since it is cheaper to manufacture, it has replaced sugar as the sweetener in soft drinks, jams, jellies and even bread. Unfortunately, it is really too potent for the body and contains mercury from the manufacturing process. Many speculate that the rise in obesity and the rise in the use of high-fructose corn syrup are not a coincidental relationship. 3: Margarine Margarine has been heralded for many years as the safe replacement for butter to better prevent heart disease. Margarine is no safer, d