We want to welcome you to our exciting new site, PhysicianCrossroads.com, designed as a concise, timesaving tool for your armamentarium! We plan to supply answers to many questions you have, which are not typically compiled and addressed on job boards or other forums. You will find key links here, pointing you towards practical, professional assistance:
Posting your resume on our site is free and empowers you to control the access and amount of information you want released to prospective employers.
Our “think tank” group consists of leading physicians within their professional specialties, and a multitude of physician advocate professionals who are intent and passionate about helping our colleagues be more successful in their medical practices without having to go through a maze of online searches.
You will note PhysicianCrossroads.com is a work in progress. Our team of professional contributors invites your feedback as we work towards our final design. Our goal is to create the Internet's most popular, best-of-class “answers and resources” site for physicians. We aim to devise a practical, concise and useful research tool.
Our ultimate mission is to assist you at every stage of your professional life. Whether you are a young professional in training, have recently completed your education, are a seasoned practitioner considering a new practice setting, or are at another point in life's journey, our site will help you find the permanent, locum tenen practice, or the volunteer opportunity you are looking for.
We hope you will consider bookmarking PhysicianCrossroads.com and returning often. Please consider joining us and inviting your colleagues to come along. More participation will ensure a unique, stimulating, collegial environment for all of us.
Suggestions are welcome. We would love to hear from you and have your input.
A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), John Paju has served as a staffing consultant to hospital systems and physician groups since 1969. He was the first person to provide locum tenen specialists in anesthesia for temporary assignment to hospitals and clinics nationwide, earning him the recruiting industry's nod as "Mr. Anesthesia." Paju has provided staffing to such noted medical organizations as Mayo Clinic, Kaiser-Permanente, HCA, Adventist Health, Sutter, Shriners, Universities, Military and VA facilities, providing all specialties of physicians and advanced health care professionals. "I'm passionate about connecting excellent health care providers who fill my clients' needs." he says. When not at work, he seeks to make the world a better place. Among his many activities is leading a Bible study at a juvenile detention center. He also enjoys traveling, and has visited all 50 states and numerous countries around the world.
Bohdan Lechnowsky is the technical expert behind physiciancrossroads.com, having worked with computers since he was 12 years old. He has been involved in several businesses since 1985, including founding two computer companies. Since 1998 Lechnowsky has worked with a firm in the medical field. He comes from a family steeped in medicine-his mother and sister-in-law are physical therapists, and another sister-in-law is a nephrologist. An admirer of well-designed new technology, Lechnowsky enjoys using his creativity to solve problems and create products to help others. Computers represent a hobby as well, with Bo using his skills to develop a Bible software program for real-time video display and a computer-controlled lighting system for his church. A father of four and husband since 1991, he enjoys human-powered vehicles, outdoor activities, and many other activities.
Vicky Vega has handled multiple duties in her 16 years with medically-oriented businesses, most recently handling travel arrangements for the general public and doctors assigned to temporary positions across the nation. A capable and talented customer service representative, Vega strives to be as knowledgeable as possible about her field. That skill has saved numerous clients from booking inconvenient or time-consuming travel arrangements: "I love knowing exactly where to send them. I listen carefully to my customers so I can know what they want before they do." Not surprisingly, this attitude has earned her agency considerable repeat business. The mother of one daughter, Vicky is an avid soccer player and novel reader.
Jaylene Sisneros has been with a medical services company for 16 years, following two years of experience in retailing. She handles a variety of tasks with her employer, including serving as the first point of contact for clients and other customers. Her job has given her a taste for getting the job done right the first time by looking for what callers want and fulfilling their requests. She also is an eager learner: "I try to learn how things work and figure them out for myself rather than relying on other people. I try to have a 'can-do' attitude with everything." A newlywed, she enjoys shopping and travel.
Tina Barnes brings a fine eye for artistic detail and computer programming experience to physiciancrossroads.com, along with business acumen from previous positions as a bookkeeper and office manager. Her artistic talent led her to open a custom framing shop, which she operated for seven years. The holder of a degree in studio art, Barnes has also developed computer software, including modules within a program which teaches the Chinese language. She writes the monthly newsletter and does other web work on this site. Tina is married and has one daughter. Her hobbies include gardening, art and sculpture.
A veteran of 46 years in business, Jack Sherwood started his career in retail management, overseeing stores with $30 million a year in sales and some 300 employees. He twice received the highest award given to managers at his company. Involved in the healthcare field for more than 11 years, in his latest position Sherwood has led his company in sales for all but his first year. His experience ranges from helping sole practioners to staffing an emergency room for a Veterans Administration hospital. Jack calls the relationships he has developed with clients one of the most enjoyable aspects of his work. The owner of two Shih Tzus, Sherwood enjoys camping, fishing, hunting and snorkeling.
PhysicianCrossroads has a growing number of Medical, Legal, and Business Contributors
Legal Contributor
Frank Gamma has been practicing law since 1992 and has developed a practice exclusively representing physicians. Mr. Gamma is a founding partner of Kessenick, Phillips & Gamma. He brings a comprehensive mix of services to his client base which includes over 100 organized medical groups. Mr. Gamma has developed a system of integrated legal representation for his medical group and physician clients and uses a network of other lawyers to bring the necessary legal expertise to bear while operating as the “primary care” attorney for his medical groups and physicians. Frank has been awarded the distinguished status of being “Northern California Super Lawyers,” a publication that annually lists lawyers it considered to be the finest in California. Prior to beginning his law practice, Frank had over 20 years’ experience in the healthcare administration field. He started his career at Blue Shield of California working in the Medicare program, managing the Medicare Fair Hearing Department, and writing the Medicare Bulletin. He left Blue Shield and was briefly in hospital administration, after which he focused his career on medical group management. He managed three large multispecialty groups, including a 50-physician group. Mr. Gamma is a Fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives ("the College"). This is the highest credential that an individual in the medical practice executive field can hold. He is the only individual in the Country who is a practicing attorney, holds an MBA in Health Services Administration and is a Fellow in the College. This combination of credentials allows him to bring his extensive experience and knowledge to bear in assisting physicians in organizing strong medical groups through which they can survive and thrive in the current managed care environment. He has published many articles and spoken at many conferences and organizations of both physicians and medical group managers.
Medical Contributors
Dr. Robert Stevenson, M.D. is currently a traveling locum Radiologist. He has 25 years experience in full time practice and 6 years as a locum
Radiologist. He has recently been honored by a major locum tenens organization as their “Physician of the Year”. During his career there were several years he was nominated as "Teacher of the Year" at various medical schools as a trainer and lecturer for radiology techs, residents and interns.
Bob works for several locum organizations as an independent contractor as his scheduling allows. He has practiced throughout California, Iowa, Alaska, Virginia, and New York thoroughly enjoying all his assignments. He is passionate about being current academically even during his travel, attending top CME courses when time allows. Most recently, attending courses in the latest advancements in breast imaging, PACS Voice recognition, IR, and Pro Scan Technology.
He has recently settled outside of San Antonio. When on the road, he finds it quite easy to practice in new areas as his formula for becoming acquainted with a new community is to look for a church of his favored denomination. He always finds the members ready, willing, and able to help him get acquainted with their community. His wife Anna enjoys singing and is often asked to join the choir. Dr Stephenson has 4 children and 2 grandchildren. He has always had a love for the outdoors enjoying hiking and fishing throughout the world.
Contributors to PCR
Keeping abreast of current and constantly changing immigration law, how it applies to medical professionals legally working in the United States, and how these laws would impact the businesses employing them requires close monitoring. Today, more than ever, it is imperative that healthcare professionals, recruiters and employers consult with legal professionals such as Badmus Law Firm as their immigration counsel and makes for good legal "preventative medicine" !
As one of the leading physician recruiting and consulting organizations in North America, Enterprise Medical Services is committed to leading the market by offering an experienced staff and superior, personalized service. EMS offers healthcare organizations cost-effective and efficient recruiting solutions. Enterprise Medical Services also does International Recruiting.
Their skilled financial planning professionals can analyze where you are today and where you want to be tomorrow. They will design a roadmap to help you attain your stated goals, and implement the strategies that make the most sense for you.
Today physicians are practicing in a wide variety of healthcare settings and locations. New procedures and treatments are evolving quickly. The focus of HSI is to help you stay on the forefront of medical developments in order to adequately cover your risk and address your liability concerns in this fast paced medical world.
Welcome to Sea Courses Cruises - specialists in creating the ideal cruise conference. Physician owned and operated, we are recognized as leaders in health care conferences at sea. Our courses cover a wide range of specialties in medicine and dentistry. The programs are designed to provide education with plenty of practical take-home tips, to create opportunities for networking between faculty and participants, and to foster health, wellness, and rejuvenation.
VestaCare has developed a suite of patent-pending software tools that are compatible with ANY Medical Office Billing Software. Our system updates your billing to post electronic funds from Medicare, Blue Cross and other Payors automatically when funds are deposited. It eliminates all the tedious, manual posting most software requires today, while recovering on average $6,000 per month per doctor in unnecessary write-offs!
Dr. Susan S. Schommer works as a locum tenens general surgeon. Having been a Peace Corps volunteer in small villages in Africa, and having practiced in an area with many rural patients, it was natural for her to continue working with people in rather remote areas. She spent several years working at four different hospitals on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona and New Mexico. Other jobs have taken her to rural areas where many of the people tend to be poor, from rural northern California to rural Ohio and rural New Mexico. Currently she is working on the island of Kauai.
Dr. Bob Stephenson is currently a traveling locum Radiologist. He has 25 years experience in full time practice and 6 years as a locum Radiologist. He has recently been honored by a major locum tenens organization as their “Physician of the Year”. During his career there were several years he was nominated as "Teacher of the Year" at various medical schools as a trainer and lecturer for radiology techs, residents and interns. Bob works for several locum organizations as an independent contractor as his scheduling allows.
Dr. Arthur Diamond, a National Institute of Health (NIH) Fellow in Diagnostic Radiology, has practiced for over 35 years. In 1985, Dr. Diamond stopped doing hospital based interventional radiology and became a pioneer in outpatient Radiology services. He has also served on the Breast Subcommittee for Scientific Exhibits of the Radiology Society of North America (RSNA), and has published 18 scientific papers in peer reviewed journals.
Dr. Amir H. Soas conducted healthcare administration training programs in more developed countries such as the Gulf States. He states…”"I consulted with the Saudis with regards to the development of the frame work to create the first hospice and long term care facilities in the Kingdom, which marks a significant cultural shift in elderly health and long term care.
Dr. Julie Vails has spent the last seven years in private practice creating an absolutely incredible business which runs like a well oiled machine. She has also spent several of those years working for larger organizations in executive medical administration and found that she likes that even more.
Dr. Anna Estrada has been an anesthesiologist since 1986 and is currently doing mostly locum work in the San Francisco Bay area. She has volunteered on numerous occasions for medical mission trips focusing on cleft lip and palate repairs on children in Latin America. But the part of Anna's life that sets her apart is her music - she recently released the hit Brazillian/Latin Jazz Album, Soñando Vuelos.
Dr. Darol Bonander is an Optometrist, who has been very involved with volunteer work throughout his career. What began as a single mission trip has now blossomed into an highly streamline and effective program of bringing teaching and eye care to poor areas in Africa. He believes it is best to teach locals how to do things for themselves so that change lasts after the helpers leave.
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis is the founder of the Institute for International Medicine (INMED), a non-profit organization that trains physicians for leadership in international health and medical missions. They offer a distinctive course of study for medical students and resident physicians. Graduates will go on to work in the medical mission field.
When Dr. Robert Clemens began his practice, he was the only Anesthesiologist, and required to do his own billing. Having obtained a MBA and a PhD in marketing along with his medical degree, he set up a successful billing system. Others asked Dr. Clemens if he would do their billing and his fledgling billing system quickly grew into Medical Billing Associates, Inc (MBA). Since then, MBA has expanded their services to include billing for Pathology and Emergency Room Physician services.
Dr. Glenn Strauss developed a new procedure specifically developed to care for the type of cataract found in Africa. The small incision, manual procedure, utilizes a tunnel approach to remove the affected lens. The tunnel also acts as a self-sealing valve. Since no sutures are required, recovery time is shortened. He now serves full time with Mercy Ships - both strive to train and mentor both local doctors and missionary volunteers committed to working with the poor.
Dr. Mona Counts co-founded Primary Care Center of Mt. Morris and later, their mobile clinic to address the specific problems of the people within rural Pennsylvania. Having been involved in teaching and developing Nurse Practitioner programs for over 24 years, she decided to run the clinic using Nurse Practitioners exclusively - the first such clinic in the nation. She teaches others how to implement "Culturally Specific Health Care".
Dr. Geni Bennetts' career as a Pediatric Oncologist spanned a period of 22 years. During these years, she directed and participated in numerous programs designed to help those she had dedicated her career to, kids with cancer . As I interviewed her, she told me that it had been a rewarding career and added, "When I started, the survival rate was 30% and when I retired, it was up to 70%. Today, the survival rate is 80%." Dr. Bennetts credit this to advances in science.
Dr. Gervacio Diaz, specializes in internal medicine and has developed a successful practice in the the city of Modesto, CA. Realizing, the long hours and pressures of working in medicine, mixed with family responsibilities, were taking a toll on his health, he began cycling as exercise. Dr. Diaz now finds that it is much easier to encourage his patients to loose weight and become more active now that he has done it himself.
Dr. Linda Halderman recently travelled to American Samoa to help the people after a disastererous earthquake followed by three tsunamis. She shares her experiences and her renewed connection to her profession and colleagues, finding it to be one of the most rewarding experience of her professional career. Her article shares the continuing needs of this small island.
Dr. Samuel Todd Stephens served as a medical missionary in Kenya and Rwanda after completing a diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium in French. In 2006, he helped develop an International Family Medicine Fellowship for Via Christi to teach other interested in medical missionary work.
Geri-Ann Galanti, with a PhD in Medical Anthropology, has spent much of her career teaching nurses and medical students how to provide culturally competent care. She is best known for her book, “Caring for Patients From Different Cultures,” now in its 4th edition. It contains over 250 case studies of incidents influenced by cultural differences and various solutions available.
Dr. Joseph Smiddy is a pulmonologist who practices in Kingsport, Tennessee, near the border with Virginia. Known as a coal mine belt, southwest Virginia has a high incidence of mine workers with lung disease. The Appalachians have a multitude of health-related lung problems. Deciding better X-ray technology was necessary to diagnose lung disease, Dr. Smiddy purchased and customized an 18-wheel tractor-trailor that would enable him to take the treatment directly to the people in need.
