I can't take credit for The Guerilla Physician. The idea has been sustained by so many dedicated doctors and medical students. The buck, however, has to stop somewhere. As more and more concerned healers approached me with horror stories about the health care management industry, I felt that the time was right to start creating a central clearing house for all of the ideas my colleagues were coming up for protecting their patients' health.
At some point, there has to be a real, live person out there. Someone has to do the basic work of organizing and managing the organization. Someone's credit card has to pay for the web server space. Given my background in computer technology (I was a data communications and security consultant in my former life), I decided that the person might as well be me. So, the buck stops here. I'm doing the website design, editing the newsletter, and hosting the site as part of my personal web space (risley.net).
Why the cloak-and-dagger secrecy surrounding the other contributors to this project? Most of them are incredibly busy just trying to balance their patients' needs and family life against the burgeoning administrative burden that health care management thrusts upon them. None of us has the time to get together and discuss exactly how far to go, what to reveal, and how to structure an organization. By keeping others anonymous, I can move forward without the fear that my unilateral actions might expose them to criticism or retaliation.
To put it simply, if you see a great or useful idea at this site, it probably wasn't mine. On the other hand, if something offends or just doesn't make sense, it was probably my personal work. Feel free to flame me directly.
If others feel comfortable stepping forward to take credit for their contributions, I will encourage and facilitate their decision. I just won't make it for them.
By the way, I should point out that I have worked at a dozen hospitals in five counties in two different states, so nobody should ever construe the fact that I run this site as an expression of dissatisfaction with my current employer. In fact, I absolutely love my job. That's the reason it bothers me so much to see it destroyed.
Thanks for visiting!
Date created: February 7, 1999
Last modified: August 14, 1999
Copyright © 1999, The Guerilla Physician
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