As our team continues to build out the iMedExchange platform, I've been thinking a lot about a piece of technology folklore from the bad old days of the early 80's. Many of us are familiar with the recent exploits of Steve Jobs -- the often lauded and maligned "inspirational-genius-ego-maniac" behind Apple's success. But, in my opinion, the greatest Jobs stories come from the early days when Apple was truly blazing a new trail.

My personal favorite involves a 1983 interchange between Jobs and Larry Kenyon, one of the key architects of the first Macintosh computer (the successor to the Apple II). The Macintosh was 10 times faster than the Apple II when actually running programs but it took several minutes boot the computer. Jobs found this unacceptable. The following account of the conversation comes from http:// folklore.org, a web site dedicated to preserving the stories behind the creation of the first Macintosh
computer:

Steve came into [Larry's] cubicle and started to exhort him. "The Macintosh boots too slowly. You've got to make it faster!"

Larry started to explain about some of the places where he thought that he could improve things, but Steve wasn't interested. He continued, "You know, I've been thinking about it. How many people are going to be using the Macintosh? A million? No, more than that. In a few years, I bet five million people will be booting up their Macintoshes at least once a day."

"Well, let's say you can shave 10 seconds off of the boot time. Multiply that by five million users and that's 50 million seconds, every single day. Over a year, that's probably dozens of lifetimes. So if you make it boot ten seconds faster, you've saved a dozen lives. That's really worth it, don't you think?"

Steve's math was wildly off: 50M seconds is only about a year and half. But his heart was in the right place -- miss no opportunity to make the product better for the user. It may be too much to expect iMedExchange to actually save lives but I know we're making every effort to create a product that will save time for those who really do help improves lives and even saves lives every day -- you, the doctors. And who knows, maybe some day that few seconds or few minutes that iMedExchange saves you really will make an important difference in the outcome of a patient. If that ever happens, I hope that you'll share that with us.


The early Machintosh team, ca. 1984.

Wednesday night we had a fun event at Truffles in the gorgeous Ladue neighborhood of St. Louis, MO General Manager John Cain runs a first rate resturant with a terrific wine selection.

One of the iMedExchange Sr. Advisors, Jeff Atkins, MD was gracious enough to act as host for the evening. Dr. Atkins fits right in with the rest of the iMedExchange team if for no other reason than his appreciation for great wine.

The event resulted in an interesting discussion amongst the physician group and members of the iMedExchange management team. Aside from the topics of wine, favorite restaurants, private aviation, updates on kids and the like, we were able to hear first hand what physicians are eager to get out of iMedExchange. It was clear that every physician is truly different and one of the important features of iMedExchange will be its ability to adapt to the individual needs and interests of the physician user.

I am looking forward to similar discussions in coming weeks across the country with physicians who have joined our iCN team and others who have become investors with the company. It's very rewarding and energizing to hear about your personal experiences in practice and learn a little bit about your interests and needs.

Send me comments....I am curious what changes you have seen in your profession since you completed your Residency?

One of the great Seattle traditions is SeaFair. While the celebration technically includes lots of events, the highlight is the final week-end of hydroplane races combined with a spectacular air-show. Where else can you get boats and planes all doing their thing on a beautiful lake setting?

One of the great SeaFair traditions is the Navy Blue Angel demonstration. The Blue Angels begin practicing on Thursday and get the entire town into a frenzy. One co-worker commented that only the Blue Angels can turn an entire downtown of adults into gawking kids.

The iMedExchange team gathered just up the street from the SeaFair venue to enjoy sun, food, kids, boats, Blue Angels etc.

We look forward to making this an annual event... so mark your calendars next year and come join in the fun.

I want to thank the physicians who joined us at Cardwells in the beautiful Plaza Frontenac a week ago Thursday evening. I am just getting caught up on blog entries after non-stop travel. Our second event in St. Louis drew a terrific group of diverse doctors all with a common interest in helping iMedExchange become the greatest online place for physicians. We also captured some great footage that will go live on the website in a few days...very exciting things coming over the next few weeks on the site...stay tuned.

A special thanks to Dr. Atkins and Laurie Lieberman for their efforts in getting the event together.

Today I am blogging from our nation's capital where we just finished meeting with a renowned physician who has joined our advisory team. Enjoy the photos from Washington DC in my next blog entry and there will be more tomorrow from Philadelphia.

Tobin Arthur and I continue to tour the country meeting with iCN members and Physician investors. This past week we made a stop in Washington D.C. The trip was empowering. Surrounded by the mammoth historic buildings that house the federal government, it was the perfect time to capture questions on video from our iCN advisors and investors for the upcoming YouTube/CNN Presidential debates. And, on our way to meet with some folks from the House of Representatives, we ran into none other than Mathew Lesko...The Question Mark Man! (see attached slideshow for proof)

Thank you for a great introduction to Washington DC and I look forward to returning soon.

The City of Brotherly Love was a great venue for meeting with a group of very bright physicians this past week-end. We were treated to wonderful dialog at the beautiful Fairmont Hotel in downtown Philly. Discussion ranged from healthcare IT to the famous Flexner Report and its impact on US healthcare. It's hard to believe we didn't even have time to touch on important matters such as the Eagles and Phillies.

From Philly we headed to the Coast and a chance to relax in Rehoboth Beach. For those of you who haven't been to the beach cities of Delaware, you really should make a point to go. The beaches are beautiful, the restaurants are top-notch and the people are fascinating. Only 2 hours from "the District", the area draws heavily from the political machine of the Capital. But, once folks arrive at the beach, they shift into a new gear, let their hair down and the agenda is all about relaxation, food and an occasional adult beverage.

An InformationWeek article about a security test that was recently conducted with IRS employees is quite eye-opening. Researchers called 102 IRS employees and tried to‘trick’ them into changing their computer passwords to something suggested by the caller. A surprising 61 of the 102 employees complied with the request, which could have exposed highly personal and confidential tax-payer information.

Fortunately, this was a just a test... and also a huge wake-up call. What surprises me most about this study is that only 8 of the 102 employees called administrators to check on this request or report the calls! I take it as a well-timed reminder that it never hurts to be sure when it comes to security. It's also valuable to have resources to whom you can take your questions.

The reason we’re so grateful for our iCN (iMedExchange Consultant Network), is that we have the right resources to whom we pose constant questions. Who better to ask about what physicians need, than physicians themselves? And not a small handful, but a diverse group representing broad specialties, geographic locations and practice types. So this is a quick ‘thank you’ to the iCN for being there to answer our questions... and a reminder that if you ever have questions that we can answer, we’re always available.

What does it mean when Google creates a Health Advisory Council? It means over a dozen of the nation's most influential business, health and technology moguls gather to improve the search, delivery and storage of health information to millions of people worldwide. The days of calling grandma for a remedy are all but gone. With resources like Web MD, Revolution Health and soon iMedExchange, we all benefit from expedited communication with health experts and easily accessible yet more accurate information on health.

For those of you who follow the markets, these trends have not gone unnoticed. Healthcare is not only a focus politically, but from a business development and acquisition standpoint. A recent article in the New York Times notes the resources that Google and Microsoft are channeling towards healthcare is growing rapidly - especially in the area of acquisitions.

Decide for yourself what this means for the future of health information technology. I'm certainly excited about the trends.

iMedExchange is being built to facilitate fun among other benefits. Our team, including the physicians that work with us, are always looking for interesting opportunities to enjoy time away from the office or practice. Pictured below are iCN Advisor Dr Scott Lieberman an OB/GYN from St Louis, MO and Laurie Lieberman the iMedExchange Regional Network Consultant from St. Louis on their recent trip to Manitoba, Canada.

Tony Chen’s recent blog post and the subsequent string of comments touch on the reality that virtual communities are here to stay and will have a significant impact on everything including healthcare. I too grew up largely in the 70s and 80s…a time when community was mainly built around the local pool, school, etc. MySpace and its ilk are changing the landscape faster than we can even imagine…and healthcare will feel the impact immensely. Give Tony’s blog entry a read and let me know what you think.

The medical blogosphere is buzzing over the announcement that Medicare will stop paying the extra costs for treating preventable errors, infections and injuries occurring in hospitals – including bedsores. The new rules, scheduled to be published next week, outline the new policy. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services say this is part of a new initiative to improve the quality of care with the $400 billion it spends per year on healthcare. What does this mean for the average Physician? Potentially lower reimbursements, as hospitals are likely to absorb the costs. Among physician blogs that have covered this issue are Kidney Notes, KevinMD, and Clinical Cases.