by
Sean Ruck, Contributing Editor | October 01, 2013
From the October 2013 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
There are pros and cons for a monthly publication. Writers have more time to really dig into topics and there's usually time to allow a key contact to get back from a business trip or vacation to get a much-needed interview. However, sometimes the timing just doesn't work out the way one would hope. Take this issue for instance: DOTmed reporter Carol Ko put together the most up-to-date information available regarding the potential shut-down of the government owned helium supply to the private sector (p. 51), but there's a chance that the crisis will have passed by the time you read this. The Senate already approved an extension of the deadline and it's just waiting for House approval now. Essentially, you can look at the looming crisis as the helium version of the fiscal cliff, with less political positioning. Fortunately, the article also covers the latest advances in reducing helium usage and advice from experts about maintenance of machines. There's some interesting technology on the horizon and that's a good thing, since it's not the best course of action to continue to rely on common sense among Senate and House members to keep medical manufacturers and service providers flush with liquid helium supplies.
Keep in mind, DOTmed Business News readers have another source to get the news when it does break about helium or anything else in the health care industry for that matter. Our online editor, Loren Bonner, has been hard at work steadily improving our online news offerings. If you haven't checked out dotmed.com/news, do yourself a favor and give it a look. If it's been a while since you've visited, it may be time for a refresher, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Now, somewhere between what our monthly magazine and our online news provides, there's news on a modified schedule - the weekly update. DOTmed reporter, Nancy Ryerson, had the opportunity to learn more about that mix when she interviewed this month's "Future of health care" candidate, Chuck Lauer. The name may ring a bell - Chuck was the publisher of the weekly Modern Healthcare, an industry mainstay, for three decades. I've had the pleasure of speaking with him on a few occasions and can only hope to one day have even a fraction of the industry knowledge Chuck has. Knowing how deep his knowledge of the health care news industry's past runs, it was a natural fit to ask him where he thinks its future is headed.
Other stories of note in this issue are the coil report (p. 55) and of course, the piece the issue's themed around, the MRI industry sector report (p. 32).
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