See who won the Winter iPad Giveaway; and read some important upcoming information.

Mindfulness in Medicine. Primary care physicians’ distress levels are alarming, both professionally and personally, with up to 60% reporting symptoms of “burnout”—emotional exhaustion, depersonalization (treating patients as objects), and low sense of accomplishment.

There's Still Time to Receive Your Incentive Payment for Using an Electronic Medical Record! The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed what it describes as a "comprehensive tool" to help guide you through all phases of the Medicare electronic health record incentive payment program.

When Less Is Better, Safer, and Less Expensive. The congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (Supercommittee) has been charged with finding ways to decrease federal budget deficits by at least $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years, and there is broad recognition among policy makers that savings in Medicare should be part of the solution. On October 19, 2011, a panel was convened to present new ideas for Saving Money and Improving Patient Care in Medicine.

Hear Jackie Rogers, a meaningful use analyst, answer our questions on meaningful use, attestation, and auditing. She also gives us great insight to those upcoming items we all need to know.

Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan Helps Clinicians Reduce Uncompensated Care. A government program created in 2010 under the Affordable Care Act can help primary care clinicians reduce uncompensated care. The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan provides new options to many patients who have previously been unable to get health insurance.

Are You Prepared for a Natural Disaster? Imagine you work at a 320-bed, seven-story hospital. Now imagine that it takes a direct hit by a tornado on a late Sunday afternoon causing extensive building damage, blowing out the windows, and taking off the roof. I wish this was just a drill, but Sunday night it was a reality in Joplin, Missouri, just 70 miles west of us. St. John’s Regional Medical Center was fully evacuated after hospital personnel followed the facility’s emergency plan of moving patients into the corridors five minutes prior to the EF4 tornado hitting.

To Err Is Human—but Should You Apologize? Despite your best efforts, medical errors can occur. What should you do if this happens to you? Many clinical experts now agree that the best course of action is disclosure of the error as well as a ‘medical apology.’

From Cheese Steaks to Chinese Art: the City of Brotherly Love Has It All! When we think vacations, popular destinations such as the Bahamas, the Caribbean, or perhaps a foreign country typically come to mind. But those with limited time or budget might want to consider a spot slightly less exotic, albeit historic. It’s one of the oldest towns in America and offers a walk back through history as you stroll the cobblestone streets—Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love.

Buyer Beware if You Are Thinking of Becoming a Seller! It’s very attractive. Groupon and other collective-buying marketing companies are targeting medical services. But coupon seller beware—you could be setting yourself up for legal trouble according to the American Medical Association. Groupon and other companies are offering localized ‘deals-of-the-day’ on a wide variety of products and services. Recently, the list of services has been seeing items such as medical and health procedures increase: items such laser hair removal, skin rejuvenation treatments, Lasik surgery, and teeth whitening packages.

Beat Burnout BEFORE it Beats You! While burnout isn’t a recognized clinical psychological disorder, there are some similar features between burnout and diagnosable conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, or mood disorders. However, burnout is much more common than these other conditions; in fact, it’s estimated that 25% to 60% of practicing physicians experience burnout.

Social Media 101: Choose Your Friends Carefully. Social networking can provide you with an online presence, foster camaraderie within the profession, strengthen your professional networks, and provide an opportunity to widely disseminate public health messages and other health communication. However, this “brave new world” also presents new ethical dilemmas and challenges to the patient-provider relationship.

A Common Sense Guide to Avoiding Medical Malpractice. In an instant, a malpractice judgment can wipe out years, even a lifetime, of scrimping and saving. What's more, it can seriously harm your personal, family, and professional life. Here are some practical tips to avoid medical litigation and promote positive outcomes.

The Changing World of Continuing Medical Education. Unless you are new to the field of continuing medical education (CME) and healthcare, or have been hiding under a rock for quite some time, it is brazenly obvious that our worlds are quickly evolving and changing.

Primary Care Falls Low on Physician Wage Scale. Clinicians' wages appear to vary significantly across physician specialties and are lowest for those in primary care, according to a report in the October 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.