Dean’s Update 

Dr. Mark Meyers 

Acronyms R Us? I am going to ask for your help here. As most of you know, I am not from the healthcare side of the academy originally. After some study and a great deal of patient assistance by faculty, staff, students, and alumni, I believe I have come to at least be able to understand the questions being discussed if not able to formulate my own answer to any given issue.

With that said, I have to ask for some help with the growth of a new “disease” that I see spreading in the heathcare arena, Paralysis by Acronym. ACO, EMR (EHR), HHS, CMS, PPACA, RINO, and this does not even get into the acronyms for all of the positions and organizations in Healthcare that are listed on all of the business cards. And yes I will give you bonus points if you can name all of those. Just put it this way, there is even a site that will help you figure out what the acronym stands for, at www.acronymfinder.com , and no it does not have an acronym.

Everyone one is so busy figuring out how to handle the latest version of (fill in acronuym here) that are we taking the time to actually think strategically and put together the best possible healthcare system? Perhaps this is another great example of getting stuck on treating the symptoms instead of the disease. Can we all take a stand and call for a push for direct communication focused on the creation of a healthcare system we can be proud of? Or are we going to continue being stuck in the rut of filling in the latest version of the acronym we might come across. Just think, we might all be speaking like Robin Williams’ character in Good Morning Vietnam, when he said, "Excuse me sir. Seeing as how the VP is such a VIP, shouldn't we keep the PC on the QT, because if it leaks to the VC, you could end up an MIA, and then we'd all be put on KP." And before you go any further with that question, yes acronyms are not just limited to healthcare. FYI, as this is being written, we have HLC at XU, OMG!