Due to the aging population, forecasted changes in health care coverage and insurance, and a national focus on electronic medical records, job opportunities in this area are expected to grow by 18 percent through 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Certified Coding Associate (CCA) exam offered by AHIMA (the American Health Information Management Association) is designed for entry-level medical coders and provides potential employers with evidence of their commitment to and proficiency in the field as well as up-to-date technical knowledge.

Patient records are crucial to the practice of medicine. Medical coding helps doctors with diagnoses and treatment as well as providing important insights into injury and disease. By ensuring proper documentation of diseases and disorders, you contribute to public health by optimizing diagnosis and treatment.

Upon completion of the program students will have an understanding of:

• Medical Terminology
• Basic concepts in anatomy, physiology, and pathology
• Standard Medical Coding Guidelines
• Laws and Ethics related to medical records and patient information

If you are interested in advancing your career in a comprehensive and fast-paced, the online Medical Coding Certificate program offers the convenience and flexibility of online study combined with the structure of an instructor-led classroom this might be the program for you.

Professional certification is becoming increasingly important.

If you are looking to enhance your career in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management with an online certificate, you might want to visit purchasemanagementcertificate.com. Purchasing and Supply Chain Management is evolving. Purchasing and supply chain managers manage trillions of dollars each year. Purchase Managers are highly valued and have a great advantage if they are able to buy goods and services at the right time and the right price.

The Saint Joseph’s University Professional Online Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Certificate program will put you ahead of the curve. Supply chain managers are expected to boost the bottom line.

Completing the Saint Joseph’s University Professional online purchasing certificate will develop your current management skills or help you achieve your goal of becoming a manager.If your goal of earning the Certified Purchasing Supply Management Certificate or the Advanced Purchasing Certificate - the most globally recognized credential in project management.

The CPSM certification is designed to guide professionals through the main components of supply management. The CPSM is internationally relevant and tests for the most comprehensive body of knowledge in supply management. Organizations are seeking qualified employees with a CPSM certification because it shows that the person has a solid base of purchasing knowledge and experience.

Often an Intranet is a good solution to keep people connected. Your company’s information can be secured behind a firewall and access can be provided in a variety of levels of security.
Information distribution is a daunting task for companies with thousands of employees but now it is starting to make sense for smaller companies as well.
3 reasons why more companies may be leaning towards an Intranet solution
Communication suffers when dealing with more than one person

Unfiltered communications in informal company settings lead to confusion. If you add individuals who travel frequently or employees telecommuting communication is further diluted and misconstrued. An Intranet can enhance communication through message boards, instant messaging and moderated chats.  Using these tools to collaborate before scheduled meetings allows for democratic contributions and more focused meetings.

A single source for relevant content saves time and money
There is no better way to distribute time-sensitive information, scheduling information, policies, benefits etc. A single source of information combined with a company knowledge base arms each employee with all of the tools they need to succeed.

Email has its limitations
Email is a horrible way to manage projects. Imagine your team is working on a single proposal and each of you has an individual task. The project manager emails the proposal out t each person on the team. Keeping track of the most current document would be much easier if the master was on the Intranet.  Scheduling and deliverable responsibilities would also be more effectively managed. Remote contributors to projects and project leaders could also manage projects and people more effectively.

Bite the bullet and get started
It’s not that expensive. Some packages, such as Instant Intranet Builder, use Microsoft Access as the core database and can cost as little as $5 per month per user.
Before you set up an intranet, set goals. Understand how employees will use it and adhere to good design principles.
You need to designate someone who owns the content and you will need to train your employees on how to use it. Once your company’s Intranet is up and running, the ROI will be significant and it will be measurable. If you need help setting up your intranet, find a marketing agency that understands and is willing to help.

Komando, Kim (2008). Why your business needs an Intranet, Small companies can act quickly.     Retrieved November 14, 2008, from http://www.microsoft.com Web site:     http://www.microsoft.com/canada/smallbiz/issues/running/streamline/intranet.mspx

Three things to consider when evaluating the legality of content you post or provide access to are:
1.    Current copyright law
2.    Fair Use
3.    Public Domain
1. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act
On October 12, 1998, the U.S. Congress passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This act encompasses many forms of protection for Intellectual property, ranging from circumvention of anti-piracy measures to providing provisions to facilitate distance education. The link below will explain in more detail what the current copyright laws encompass.

http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/dmca1.htm

2. The Fair Use provision and the four factors to be considered in a fair use analysis were dramatically fleshed out in the 2 Live Crew case. Here, we look at the fair use provision and the four factors to be used in making a determination of fair use.
1.    The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
2.     The nature of the copyrighted work;
3.     The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole;
4.    The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work
The Public Domain is that repository of all works that for whatever reason are not protected by copyright. As such, they are free for all to use without permission. Works in the Public Domain include works with the following characteristics:
1.    Originally Non-copyrightable
These are items that by their very nature are not eligible for copyright protection. These items include: ideas, facts, titles, names, short phrases, and blank forms.

2.    Lost Copyright
The public domain contains all works which previously had copyright protection, but which subsequently lost that protection due to pilot error. For example, all works published before January 1, 1978 that did not contain a valid copyright notice may be considered to be in the public domain.
2.    Works Granted to Public Domain
Copyrightable works may also enter the public domain if the copyright owner grants the work to the public domain.

http://www.benedict.com/Info/Info.aspx

To ensure that your content does not infringe on copyright law, do it yourself!
The best ways to ensure that the content on your website is original is to: create the yourself, ask permission to use the content, cite the resource or purchase the rights to use the content.
Here are some sources I use to ensure that content for my websites are original:

http://www.godaddy.com/

If you are looking to create an original name for your website or company, type the desired name into the domain search feature, if the domain name is available, buy it.  You now own the domain name and have rights to that domain on the Internet.

http://www.istockphoto.com/index.php

iStockphoto has all sorts of photos or images for as little as $1.00 a piece. Images can greatly enhance the professionalism and interest of your website.

http://tech.yahoo.com/qg/quick-guide-to-digital-cameras/digital_cameras

If you don’t already own a digital camera or your phone doesn’t have one, go here and pick a camera that is right for you.  Create your own images. It’s fun, it’s creative and it is original.
If you do find content or images on other websites you can always link to that website. Go to

http://www.ehow.com/how_4443919_exchange-links-other-websites.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art to learn how to exchange links with other sites.

If you are still unsure how to create an original website, find a reputable marketing agency like Big Black Pencil in Chicago and you can be sure that your content is original, findable and marketable.

Education Pays

“[Higher education] yields a high rate of return for students from all racial/ethnic groups, for men and for women, and for those from all family backgrounds. It also delivers a high rate of return for society,” the study reports.

Saint Joseph’s University Professional was created to help professionals currently in the workforce improve their skills through certificate classes and exam preparation.

These certificate programs will also prepare individuals to accept the increased responsibilities necessary to reach their career goals.

The crisis management certificate will help prepare you to effectively respond to crisis situations.

The project management certificate will help you solve problems at work before they happen.

The purchasing management certificate will help you make more accurate and profitable decisions for your company.

Saint Joseph’s University Professional can help you supplement your professional experience by providing you with the necessary preparation for your industry certification exams and help you attain your career goals.

Saint Xavier University School of Nursing offered the first baccalaureate nursing program to receive accreditation in the State of Illinois.  Now Saint Xavier University is offering a Master of Science in Nursing Online. Saint Xavier University’s online MS in Nursing-Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) program was crafted to meet the needs of today’s baccalaureate degree-prepared Nurse with the flexibility of online delivery to accommodate your busy work schedules.

The curriculum is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Their faculty and instructors oversee all course content and direction. You’ll be happy with their small class sizes and the personal attention you normally expect in a private university. Their high quality online programs provide you the flexibility to complete your degree around your personal schedules.

Assume greater responsibilities and leadership roles in patient care with a Clinical Nurse Leader online Nursing Master’s degree.

There’s no better time to receive your Master’s in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution. Mediation and Conflict Negotiators are among the fastest-growing professions in the early decades of this century.

If you are looking to become part of an international negotiation and conflict team or if you are looking to become part of a mediation team at a healthcare or educational facility, the Master’s in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution from Creighton University is a great choice.

These Degrees are offered online.

They have 4 specializations:

Organizational/Transactional Negotiation and Dispute Resolution

International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Healthcare Collaboration and Conflict Resolution

Educational Collaboration and Conflict Resolution

Creighton has consistently ranked as the #1 Master’s degree granting university in the Midwest by US News and World Report for the last 13 years.

Marketing and advertising has never been easier for small businesses in Chicago, or in other parts of the world for that matter.

When the economy is tough, you can lean on your marketing agency to help your small business, or you can try to make some marketing decisions on your own and become your own marketing agency.

Google offers advertising programs that will bring your customers to your web site or to your store.

These sponsored search programs place you right on top of the search engines, where your customers will find you.

Not in a month, not in a week. How does today sound?

Do you want to regionalize your traffic to a state or a city?
Google can do that.

How many other advertisers will let you select how much you want to pay for an ad?

How many advertisers will allow you to turn on and off your ads at a touch of a button?
How many advertisers will give you access to the results of your programs during the same day?

If you want more customers, Make Google Adwords part of your integrated marketing plan.

You can manage the program yourself or let the experts at bigblackpencil.com manage your campaign for you.

Big Black Pencil is a small business marketing agency in Chicago. We learn many of our marketing strategies from the very best . Today I learned something about Steve Krug, author of Don’t Make Me Think. I recently visited his web site and thought I had uncovered a usability issue in his web site. I wrote Steve an email to let him know my thoughts.

I really wasn’t expecting a response, but Steve wrote me back and I thought I’d share the email with you. The reason I am sharing isn’t just because his understanding of usability and how people search the web is legendary, It’s because he took the time to respond to me. People who listen to their customers, never stop learning.

First my email to Steve …

From: Mark Cramer
To: Steve Krug
Subject: Problem with your site

Steve,

You are my hero. I use your book to make me look smart. I was on your website today and I had to think too much.

Your Version

“So if you know someone who’s going to buy the book, please do me a favor and ask them to buy it by clicking here.”

My Version

“So if you know someone who’s going to buy the book, please do me a favor and ask them to buy it by clicking here.”

Regards,

Mark Cramer

bigblackpencil.com

From: Steve Krug
Subject: RE: Problem with your site
To: Mark Cramer

Mark…

Thanks for the kind words. I figure we can all use all the help we can get to look smart.

About your suggestion: You’re right, of course, and it’s something I never noticed. (Which is exactly why I’m so gung ho about user testing: we’re all too close to our own “stuff” to see the blemishes.)

But this particular flaw also falls in the category of Probably-a-kayak-problem: Even though it may cause a question mark to appear over some people’s heads, it’s hard to imagine that most of them won’t eventually figure out what it’s supposed to mean (click one of the buttons over on the right that say “Buy!”).

My first instinct was to rush in and change it, and in fact I was already in DreamWeaver when I realized it was a little more complicated than it seemed at first. The two paragraphs actually say
Thanks to Amazon’s Associate program, if you use the links on this page to buy my book, they pay me a small commission.

So if you know someone who’s going to buy the book, please do me a favor and ask them to buy it by clicking here.

[“here” actually meaning “on this page”.]

I was going to change the second sentence to read
So if you know someone who’s going to buy the book, please do me a favor and ask them to buy it by clicking _____.

Except I realized I wasn’t sure what _____ would be. “The links on this page”? It already says that in the previous sentence. “One of the buttons on the right”? Kind of awkward, and why did I call them links in the previous sentence and buttons now? Maybe the first sentence should talk about buttons.

And on and on.

So in my book at least, the math works out like this in the long run:

Probably not causing most people a lot of trouble
+ No good solution obvious to me
————————————————————-
Leave it alone and hope for the best

It may not be the right choice, but at least you can see where I’m coming from.

Thanks again, though. It’s always interesting.

Steve

Look how Ebay lists people’s positive feedback. If you want new customers to trust your company, let satisfied customers voices be heard. Interested in having a blog to direct people to your store or website? Contact Mark Cramer at Big Black Pencil. A social media firm in Chicago that listens to the small business voice

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