From 2011 to 2012

(subtitled: Reflections and Resolutions)
I am sitting at my usual Saturday morning spot, my neighborhood Starbuck's, and it is 10:30 am.  My usual pals have come and gone, and now it is down to me and my little Windows 7 Acer Iconia tablet netbook.  This is the third netbook I purchased in 2011, with one as a present and another to serve as our digital EKG/spirometry computer at the practice and the third as a my work laptop. 

With so much "in the cloud" these days, it is truly possible to get by with the most basic and hence less expensive computer.  I really love this one.  I love computers I can touch to make things work, including smartphones.  While this computer is no iPad, it shares many of the cool features.  2011, among other notable mentions, was the year of the tablet.  These new tablets are a lot smaller and faster than the tablets I first started using in my old practice in 2005.  They have come a long way.  What is not to love?

Also reflecting upon this year:

2. 2011 was the year of the beginning of our PCMH Pilot (our new practice model as part of the MMPP), bringing Amy's arrival to the practice (thank God!) and countless other positive changes

3. 2011 was the year of meeting Phase I Medicare requirements for Meaningful Use, which was no small feat despite my early adoption of electronic medical records technology

4. 2011 was the year of Twitter

5. 2011 was the year of a timely trip to Tuscany with friends

6. 2011 was a year of rediscovery for me:  that I really do appreciate having my own practice and having my own space at home, that I am not wired to work with or live with bossy people

7. 2011 was a year of staff transitions and growth of the practice from a total of two people in January to five in December

8. 2011 was the year of the revolution in the Arab world and elsewhere

9. 2011 was the year the Iraq War ended

10. 2011 was the year the Iraq war ended

2012 holds many aspirations for me.  With 10 resolutions, I won't lose sleep if I fall behind on one or two of them.

1. to grow in my IT skills

2. to stabilize the staff and grow Green Spring Internal Medicine further along the pathway of Patient-Centered Medical Home transformation, to become leaders in small practice PCMH

3. to regain Fridays off (real days off) by introducing administrative time during my work week.

4. to find more time to write

5. to hand over bookkeeping

6. to deepen friendships

7. to learn new recipes and make healthy modifications to old favorites

8. to grow a deeper understanding of the whole gospel, with all that it means in terms of justice and mercy, and to let my thought life transform my actions

9. to take a few key trips to be with family

10. to meditate and pray more, to sync my heart more with God's