What did they base this information on? The formula takes into account six factors: weather conditions, debt level and our ability to pay that debt, time elapsed since Christmas, time elapsed since failing our New Years resolutions, our general seasonal motivational levels, and our need to take action and to have something to look forward to.

Experts offer a variety suggestions to help relieve the malaise, including creating a budget to pay down debt, scheduling a vacation and exercising. We hope this helps.

In the meantime, we are giving you permission to feel a little blah. But take heart! Here are a few little gems to help brighten your day:

• 2010 Will Be an Important Year for HIT: it’s predicted we will see the some critical milestones met, including the definition of meaningful use and the certification of EMR’s. HITECH funding dollars will be spent as hospitals and large practices purchase and upgrade EMRs to meet meaningful use standards.

• There Are an Abundance of Opportunities for Qualified HIT Professionals: Although we are a boutique firm, FIVE has added 75+ new opportunities in the first half of the month…and this is January! The jobs run the spectrum from direct placement to contract, encompass a variety of HIT technologies, and are located throughout the United States.

• There will be an additional 1 hour and 9 minutes of daylight when you receive the next issue of the FIVE Career Advisors newsletter.

Have a great month!
Cecilia Hiland
FIVE Career Advisors
866-912-FIVE (3483)

1. McKesson Clinical Analysts

2. Epic OpTime Analysts

3. Epic Rx Analysts

4. Epic Ambulatory Analysts

5. Eclipsys Analysts/Trainers

For more information about these and other opportunities from FIVE, check out our “Hot Links” section below, or visit our website at www.FIVECareer.com.

FIVE values our fabulous network of HIT professionals. To show our appreciation, we offer a referral bonus of up to $1,000 for every candidate who is hired by one of our clients. For more information on our referral program, reply to this email and paste “Referral Info” in the subject line.

January 15, 2010 | Diana Manos, Senior Editor

WASHINGTON – Members of the HIT Policy Committee wrestled with the fate of the Nationwide Health Information Network during their meeting on Wednesday.

Committee members said the NHIN, a federal interoperability initiative begun in 2004, must now align itself with the newer and more urgent timeline established in the HITECH part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed last February.

The HIT Policy Committee adopted the NHIN workgroup’s recommendation for a "conceptual" framework for the NIHN and what the NHIN should expect from federal agencies. The members don’t know how those recommendations will be turned into actions and deadlines.

David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health IT and chairman of the HIT Policy Committee, said the group will continue to expand its vision for the NHIN at upcoming meetings.

"The NHIN was developed before HITECH," he noted. "Is this sufficient, or should we be thinking more broadly?"

Blumenthal urged the committee to think of ways the government can promote meaningful use as part of the NHIN.

With providers who want to receive bonuses under ARRA expected to demonstrate meaningful use of healthcare IT by 2011, Blumenthal said of the NHIN: "If there are new investments we have to make, new aspirations we need to communicate, we have no time to lose."

The NHIN workgroup chairman, David Lansky, said the NHIN should enable the broadest range of providers to exchange information to achieve meaningful use and enable consumers to be able to access their health information. It should also provide access to states and other organizations that support providers.

If you are like me, adding another potentially stressful activity like looking for a new job sounds like a crazy idea. But actually, it is sort of crazy not to. Here are a few reasons why the holidays can be a great time to look for a new job:

• Less Competition – Many other job seekers are crumbling under the pressure of holiday demands. Fewer people looking equates to more opportunities for you.
• Slow Season – Several companies are wrapping up their 2009 projects. The slower pace means that hiring managers have more time to dedicate to interviewing.
• 2010 Budget – Across the board, budgets for next year are set. Many companies know what projects are on the horizon, and are proactively searching for the right talent to insure their endeavors are a success.
• Networking – The holiday season usually means an increase in social activities. It’s a great time to put the word out with family, friends and former co-workers that you are in the market for a new opportunity.

At FIVE, we are experiencing the best quarter of 2009. We are actively looking to fill 70+ opportunities. Not only are our clients hiring for this month, they are also positioning for a very successful 2010.

Remember, life is always going to be busy. There is no “best” time to for finding a new job. Whether you are currently employed and just thinking about a new opportunity or you are in between engagements, there is not time like the present!

Best wishes for a fabulous holiday season!
Cecilia Hiland
FIVE Career Advisors

1. Siemens Soarian Clinical and Financial Analysts
2. McKesson Paragon Builders
3. Cerner Pharmacists
4. Meditech Magic and Client Server Analysts
5. Epic Interface Analysts

For more information about these and other opportunities from FIVE, check out our “Hot Links” section below, or visit our website at www.FIVECareer.com.

We are doubling the normal referral fee to give you a little extra cash for paying off those holiday bills or planning a vacation escape in 2010. Just refer a friend by 12/31/09, and if they are hired directly by one of our clients on or before 2/28/10, we will pay you $2,000!

WASHINGTON – The nation’s healthcare IT chief says he has faith in the "inevitable advancement" of healthcare IT. David Blumenthal, MD, spoke Friday at a conference of the National Committee for Quality Assurance.

Making healthcare IT part of the accepted culture for providing healthcare is not far off, Blumenthal said. With persistent support from the federal government, physicians will see the "value and inevitability" of healthcare IT for improving patient care, he added.

Blumenthal said medical students today are not likely to accept paper records as the standard for use in their profession, when electronic means of information exchange and recordkeeping already pervade the rest of their lives.

He called the era following the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) "an unprecedented opportunity" for advancing healthcare IT.

In February, Congress provided the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) with $2 billion in discretionary funding through ARRA to advance HIT. ONC has already earmarked $235 million for regional extension centers and $80 million to expand the healthcare IT workforce.

Despite the federal investment in healthcare IT advancement, Blumenthal said he envisions a time when the federal government won’t need to be involved. Providers will want to adopt healthcare IT on their own, and electronic health records will become an everyday part of practicing medicine.

There will be a day when providers won’t  expect federal subsidies for healthcare IT any more than they would ask the government to fund their stethoscopes and examination tables, Blumenthal said.

According to a recent physician survey highlighted by Blumenthal, 90 percent of doctors who adopted electronic health records were satisfied. Providers cited the avoidance of adverse drug events and duplicate tests were just some of the reasons they favored EHR use.

Though many physicians still complain about the difficulties initially associated with EHR adoption on their practice workflow, very few would go back to paper records, he said.