Last week, I was leading a project management training session for one of our clients.  One of the attendees told me a funny story that recently happened to him during the go-live phase of his project.  First, a little background. 

My client is a well know vendor in the healthcare industry.  When the company contacted me a few years ago to help their employees with the management of their implementation projects I was very excited.  Back in my corporate days as a CIO, I was very frustrated with healthcare vendors at the level of understanding (or lack of understanding) with the basic fundamentals of project management. 

Today, their implementations are going much smoother with a solid project management infrastructure.   It has been rewarding for me to make a small contribution to the success and growth of this vendor. 

Now, back to the story.  The vendor had just implemented their healthcare application which included new terminals and custom keyboards.  The vendor’s project leader responded to a call on a nursing unit during the go-live phase of the project.  The nurse was very agitated and the project leader asked what the problem was.  She responded, ” I have pressed the ‘Help’ key at least six times in the past two hours and nobody came!”

I wonder what she expects when she presses the ‘Home’ key!

Last week I sent an e-mail announcing our new on-line PMP Exam Prep course.

The e-mail was sent to our clients, newsletter recipients and other individuals whom have requested to be on our mailing list.  Unfortunately a technical problem, that I still have not uncovered, caused some recipients to receive 5 and upwards of 10 e-mails.

My sincere apology if you were one of those individuals.  I take ownership of this situation and will work to ensure that this does not occur again.

Thank you to those who contacted me to inform me of the problem. Without your feedback, I would not have realized what was occurring.

I hope that I will be able to earn back your trust and respect.  Thanks again for your support!

- Glen -

Three healthcare CIO’s, and also clients of ours, have recently made the news.

As I predicated back in my October 1, 2005 and July 21, 2006 posts, a healthcare organization has taken the big leap and implemented, not just a PMO for Information Technology, but a PMO for their healthcare system.

MultiCare in Tacoma, Washington, is in the process of the PMO implementation and CIO Florence Chang, was the force behind the bold step.  Florence received recognition of this achievement along with her CEO in the June 9, 2008 issue of Modern Healthcare (CEO IT Achievement Award).   Florence and I met in China a few years back during a panel presentation we conducted during a healthcare IT conference in Shanghai.  Currently, Knight Associates has been assisting MultiCare with their PMO implementation and project management training.

Jackie Lucas, CIO at Baptist Healthcare System (BHS) based in Louisville, Kentucky, was quoted in the June 2008 issue of Health Data Management.  In the article on CIO’s Triumphs and Trails, Jackie discusses the importance of establishing project management processes for all I.T. Projects.  Knight Associates has been privileged over the past years to help BHS develop their project management methodology, implement project server and conduct the project management training.

The May 2008 issue of Advance for Healthcare Information Executives announced the appointment of Mitzi Cardenas as CIO at Truman Medical Centers in Kansas City, Missouri.  We have had the opportunity to work with Mitzi and the PMO during her employment at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas.

Congratulations to Florence, Jackie and Mitzi!

Knight Associates, a Registered Education Provider (REP®) with the Project Management Institute (PMI), is pleased to introduce our new online Project Management PMP test prep course.This comprehensive PMBOK® based course is ideal for busy professionals looking for a convenient and affordable way to train and qualify for the PMP exam and is available at a fraction of the price of leading competitors.  Participants successfully completing this program earn 35 Professional Development Units (PDU’s) and are well prepared for PMP® certification.

More and more, organizations are seeking project managers who are trained to complete a project on time and within resource constraints.  Knight Associates’ online capability facilitates the training Project Mangers need to meet these goals in a self-study format conveniently delivered 100% over the internet.

The 11 module program focuses on the concepts, methodologies and tools of Project Management as they are applied in real-world situations. The fundamentals of Project Management, including the nine knowledge areas of the PMBOK® Knowledge, are explored in depth by combining test, graphics, interactive exercises, case studies, and practice exams.

Visit www.knight-associates.com for more information and to register.

Glen Knight, PMP

President