MEDICAL BILLING BLOG

• The loss of a key employee (either temporarily or permanently);
• A backlog of old AR that has become so large that no one is quite sure how to tackle the problem;
• Growth of the Practice, but the billing staff is the same size.
• Expanding / opening a new office location;
• Problems with current billing system or installing new EMR/system that causes extra work.

In these types of situations it is critical that the medical billing office / Manager and the medical Practice become willing to seek help - even if it's just temporary, short-term help.  Trying to claw out from under these situations without outside help can be overwhelming.   And the strongest billing offices / Managers know there is no shame (in fact there is great wisdom) in asking for a temporary "helping hand" during crunch times.

If you are considering seeking extra / temporary help, what type of help should you pursue?   You want help that meets the following important standards:

1. The extra help can be given quickly, but does not require a long-term commitment on your part. In other words, when you are out from under the immediate crisis, you can stop using the outside resources / medical billing company.
2. The extra help team members are true experts in the medical billing industry and they have access to the most current billing codes and requirements. In other words, don't hire "Aunt Matilda who does medical billing part-time out of her home office now and then for a little extra cash."
3. The "extra hands" help causes minimal interruption or risk to your current cash flow and processes. For example, it is very high risk to use "pinch hitters" to do your up-front data entry work. If they fail, then your cash flow for the Practice will stop. On the other hand, applying "extra hands" on older claims and AR minimizes risk and complications because this work requires less system access, does not jeopardize the new claims that are going out daily, and requires less familiarity with the nuances of the Practice's operations.
4. The help provides EXTRA value beyond the immediate crisis, and gives you the best bang for your buck. True medical billing Experts bring a fresh eye and state-of-the-art knowledge about the billing industry. They can give you honest feedback and keen insights about your Practice that enable you to improve collections, test out new technology to assist your staff, and provide a general level of relief that will allow the Practice to avoid future pitfalls and crises.

The best way to achieve these objectives is to find an outside company who will work the AR that is over 60 days old.  This will:

• Allow the Practice's current billing staff to keep getting current claims out the door fast and clean to ensure the Practice's revenue remains steady and strong;
• Pin-point the source of much lost cash flow and give relief to the Physician's greatest point of aggravation - old AR. No medical billing Manager ever gets in trouble with the physician because all of the AR is under 60 days!! But many a medical billing office / Manager had to face the wrath of a Physician because a large backlog of old AR has started to build up in the 120+ bucket.
• Give the Practice / Office Manager a lot of valuable feedback on the specific issues that led to the old / high AR in the first place. Are certain codes or payers causing issues? Is there a credentialing or system set-up issue? Are there denials that are not being properly pursued? Are there denials being left on the books that will never pay and are simply creating "false AR?" The feedback from the Old AR clean-up can be invaluable in helping the Practice and the medical billing Manager make changes to prevent the old AR from ever becoming a problem again after it is cleaned up.
• Demonstrate new reports and follow-up tools to make it easier for the billing office / Manager to do their job well. Most of the medical billing companies who provide Old AR clean-up services also utilize sophisticated reports and follow-up tools that are valuable to the Practice. Seeing firsthand how these tools work may provide insights into how the Practice could leverage them to prevent future crises.

In summary, knowing when to seek help and being strategic in the type of help you employ can turn a potential disaster in to a triumph that will delight physicians, provide immediate relief for the medical billing office / Manager and set the Practice up for on-going medical billing and collections success.

Follow this link to see an example of an AR clean-up and denial management service that can assist medical billing offices in crisis.

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Copyright 2010 by Carl Mays II. Carl is President and CEO of ClaimCare Medical Billing Service, one of the largest medical billing companies in the United States.

   Mark Twain said, "The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin."  That's the way many small business owners feel nowadays, with proposed increases in taxes, along with mandates and increases in health insurance.  Just the other day, one business owner reminded me of the Will Rogers quote, "The difference between death and taxes is death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets."

   In the midst of the tax and health care "reforms" and the economic situation, I received an article earlier this week containing a survey reporting 70% of employed Americans are afraid of losing their jobs.  So, it is important during times such as these that we not only draw upon humor from great wits like Mark Twain and Will Rogers, but also draw from such quotes as Thomas Edison's, "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.  The most certain way to succeed is always try just one more time."  Reminds me of the story of George Washington Carver...

   I vividly recall reading Carver's biography in one of those orange, hardcover books available in our elementary school library.  (I wrote a column several years ago about how much I enjoyed and benefitted from this great series of children's books.)  Carver grew up at the close of the Civil War in a one-room shanty on the property of Moses Carver, the man who owned Carver's mother.  He and his mother were abducted from Moses Carver and sold to new owners.  The boy was later found and returned to Moses Carver, but his mother was never seen again.

   Rising from slavery, George Washington Carver became one of the 20th century's greatest scientists, and his influence is still being felt today.  He devoted his life to understanding nature and the many uses for plants.  He is best known for developing crop-rotation methods for conserving nutrients in soil and discovering hundreds of new uses for crops such as the peanut and the sweet potato.  His work and the manner in which he lived his life led to his becoming one of the most respected people in U.S. history.

   However, in the beginning of his work, after he recommended farmers should plant peanuts and sweet potatoes instead of cotton, he suffered his greatest trials.  The farmers lost even more money than they were losing with cotton due to the lack of a large market for peanuts and sweet potatoes.  Carver cried out to God, "Mr. Creator, why did you even make the peanut?"  Many years later, he shared that God led him back to his lab and worked with him to discover some 300 marketable products from the peanut.  Likewise, he made over 100 discoveries from the sweet potato.  These new products created a big demand for peanuts and sweet potatoes, and they were major contributors to rejuvenating the Southern economy.

   Carver arose early each morning to walk alone and pray.  He asked God how he was to spend his day and what God wanted to teach him that day. As he progressed and developed the many products that benefitted mankind and won him renown, he also turned down many offers - such as a six-figure income opportunity from Henry Ford.  He felt he was doing what God wanted him to do and doing the thing that would most benefit the people of America and the world.  George Washington Carver was the epitome of someone who lived by the quote later uttered by Edison, "...always try just one more time." 

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About our guest Blogger:

© Carl Mays, father of ClaimCare CEO Carl Mays II, is an author and speaker at over 3,500 events.  Contact Carl at carlmays@carlmays.com or 865-436-7478.  His motivational speaking and book information can be found on http://www.carlmays.com/.  The Student Mentoring site MyMerlin.Net for students and others is based on his book and program, "A Strategy For Winning."

Everyone in the medical billing field is hopeful that Congress will act to defer (and ultimately eliminate) the proposed 21% fee reduction for Medicare.  Keep in mind, however, that March 2010 collections will likely suffer a delay even if the fee cut is deferred.  The coming months will be a challenging time for medical practices and medical billing companies.

In January 2010 Medicare had a 2 to 3 week delay in processing claims because they needed to update their system after Congress deferred the 21% Medicare fee reduction.  As of today, Medicare is still catching up in their claims processing (a fact that have not officially acknowledged).  ClaimCare found that as of February 23, 2010, Medicare was still at least a week behind in their typical claim processing time frame.  And this level of a delay happened when Medicare had plenty of advance warning concerning the deferral, so you can imagine what delays could result when they have less advance notice.  In addition to this delay, Medicare had a system problem that resulted in multiple weeks worth of secondary claims not crossing over properly.  This Medicare system problem has compounded the delay in collections.

There is every reason to expect another delay in Medicare payments in March 2010 if Congress issues a last-minute deferral of the 21% fee reduction.  Based upon past evidence and experience, if Congress does issue a deferment, we anticipate a 2 to 3 week delay in the Medicare claims processing and payments.  Therefore, when thinking about your cash flow for March 2010, you should plan for at least an additional 2 to 3 week delay for Medicare payments.

If Congress decides to delay the fee reduction for only 30 to 45 days (as they are considering), then this problem will be repeated and exacerbated in April if they pass yet another last-minute deferral.  Practices and medical billing companies need to plan on Medicare collections being less predicable and fairly erratic over the next few months.  As I stated earlier, this is a challenging time to be a medical practice or a medical billing company.

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Copyright 2010 by Carl Mays II. Carl is President and CEO of ClaimCare Medical Billing Service, one of the largest medical billing companies in the United States.

   Former University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow became a hot discussion topic when Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels selected him in the NFL draft. Many of the comments have been of a very sarcastic, critical nature, such as one sportswriter demanding, "Fire Josh McDaniels for drafting a team chaplain in the first round." Only time will reveal the outcome of the selection, but the entire situation led me to think about hearing the late Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry say, "We're looking for character, not characters."

Regardless of any other talents and qualities one may possess, character often means the difference between life and death - of an organization or a person. I recall a "character segment" from the classic Lawrence of Arabia film. T.E. Lawrence, a British Army lieutenant during World War I, is leading a group of men across the Nefud Desert, considered impassable even by the Bedouins. Traveling day and night during the final stretch to reach water, they find an oasis. As the men celebrate and splash in the water, Lawrence discovers a riderless camel. The man apparently had fallen off during the night.

   Lawrence says, "We must go back and find him." But no one agrees to join Lawrence. They plead with him not to go, saying it is God's will he did not make it, that his fate was written by God. "We must not interfere," they declare.

   Lawrence climbs on a camel and heads back into the desert alone. The men shake their heads and say, "Now we have lost him, too." Two days later, a shimmering image emerges from the heat wave stretched across the sand dunes. The men stare, wipe their eyes, and stare again. Finally, someone yells, "It's Lawrence! He has found him!" They run toward Lawrence. He hands the unconscious survivor to them, looks into their faces and hoarsely whispers, "Remember this: Nothing ‘is written' unless you write it."    

   Has today's whole economic, social and political turmoil slapped you down? Is it now trying to "write you off?"

   J.C. Penney is a name well-known to most of us. He launched his chain of "The Golden Rule" department stores in 1907. His first wife died in 1910. He incorporated as the J.C. Penney Company in 1913. His second wife died giving birth to a son in 1923. The stock market crashed in 1929, and he lost $40 million.

   By 1932, J.C. Penney had to sell out to satisfy creditors, leaving him virtually broke. His spirit was crushed from his losses and his health began to fail. He ended up in a sanitarium. One morning while there, he heard the distant singing of employees who gathered to start the day with a chapel service. The words were, "Be not dismayed, whatever betide, God will take care of you. Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you....."

   J.C. Penney followed the music to its source and slipped into a back row. He left a short time later a changed man, his health and spirit renewed, ready to start the long climb back at age fifty-six. By 1951, there was a J.C. Penney store in every state, and for the first time sales surpassed $1 billion a year.

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About our guest Blogger:

© Carl Mays, father of ClaimCare CEO Carl Mays II, is an author and speaker at over 3,500 events.  Contact Carl at carlmays@carlmays.com or 865-436-7478.  His motivational speaking and book information can be found on http://www.carlmays.com/.  The Student Mentoring site MyMerlin.Net for students and others is based on his book and program, "A Strategy For Winning."

   The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a 1966 epic western film starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach in the title roles. One of the most popular and well-known westerns made, the film is regarded by many critics as a classic. It was one of Time magazine's "100 Greatest Movies of the Last Century." I explain all of this because Jean and I quite frequently refer to experiences, situations or people as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

   The descriptive phrase came to mind earlier this week as I was reading a sports reporter's perception of a football game. The writer described one player as doing a "good" job in fulfilling his responsibilities. He then quoted a coach who said a player made a "bad" decision. The writer went on to quote another coach who said it was an "ugly" win.

   And then yesterday, as I reclined in a hospital bed awaiting the endoscopy procedure I get the pleasure of experiencing every five years (tongue-in-cheek), a nurse who was looking at information on a form asked me what I do as CEO/president of Carl Mays' Creative Living, Inc. When I told her I am a professional writer and speaker, she asked me what I write and speak about. I explained my specialization is in human relations, motivation, leadership, teamwork, communication and performance improvement. I then added I have spoken to quite a number of healthcare groups, including hospitals.

   The nurse responded, "I've been to some meetings like that." She paused and then continued, "Do you think that type of thing really works?" I replied, "Well, do you think what you do as a nurse really works?" She looked at me with sort of a deer-caught-in-the-headlight expression, and then nodded her head and said, "Yeah." I told her, "Your job works if you are a good, professional nurse who knows what you are doing and if the patients with whom you work are cooperative and come in with the right attitude. Am I right?" She nodded and said, "I guess so." I continued, "The meetings we're talking about work if you have a good, professional speaker who knows what he or she is doing and if the people who attend the meeting come with a cooperative spirit and the right attitude." The nurse said, "I guess you're right." I replied, "Well, I've made over 3,500 presentations - so either it works or I've been able to pull the wool over many people's eyes through the years." She nodded her head and said, "Good point."

   After a pause, the nurse commented, "But, you know, it won't work if the leaders don't buy into. You've got to have support from the leaders if it's going to work." I replied, "There is always a ladder of accountability - from the top to the bottom and from the bottom to the top. Every leader on every level and every team member on every level, who is accountable for tasks and responsibilities rather than making excuses or blaming others, is a part of the solution and not a part of the problem."

   The nurse nodded her head and said, "You're right." And then, I thought of the phrase that had been brought to mind earlier during the week and told her, "But in every organization of any kind, you always have The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." She laughed and nodded her head.

   My gastroenterologist was pleased with the results of my endoscopy - and, thus, so was I. Next week, I have the opportunity to experience my five-year colonoscopy. The saga of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly continues.

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About our guest Blogger:

© Carl Mays, father of ClaimCare CEO Carl Mays II, is an author and speaker at over 3,500 events.  Contact Carl at carlmays@carlmays.com or 865-436-7478.  His motivational speaking and book information can be found on http://www.carlmays.com/.  The Student Mentoring site MyMerlin.Net for students and others is based on his book and program, "A Strategy For Winning."

   Regular readers of this column know I have emphasized previously that according to the American Management Association, 90 percent of all problems in any organization is a direct result of poor communication.

One breakdown in communication that happens frequently is when we use a certain word in order to express ourselves and then the hearer takes the word in an entirely different way than we intended. With this in mind, and tongue-in-cheek, I share something from The Washington Post. 

   The newspaper annually publishes winning submissions to a contest in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for commonly used words. Some recent winners include: coffee (noun): the person upon whom one coughs; lymph (verb): to walk with a lisp; flabbergasted (adjective): appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained; abdicate (verb): to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach; esplanade (verb): to attempt an explanation while drunk; negligent (adjective): absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown; flatulence (noun): emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller; circumvent (noun): an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

   Another breakdown in communication occurs when we mispronounce a word or when we misspell a word in a memo, e-mail message or some other document. A tiny alteration may tremendously change the meaning of what we were attempting to express. Such misuse of the language can produce destroyed relationships, lost jobs, lost money and other dire consequences. So looking at another communication barrier with tongue-in-cheek, I mention that The Washington Post also publishes winning submissions to its annual Mensa Invitational in which participants are asked to choose any word from the dictionary, alter the word by adding, subtracting or changing one letter, and then supply the altered word with a new definition. 

   Some of these recent winners include: intaxication (noun): euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with; cashtration (noun): the act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time; reintarnation (noun): coming back to life as a hillbilly; decafalon (noun): the grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you; bozone (noun): the substance surrounding people that stops new, bright ideas from penetrating; giraffiti (noun): words or images spray-painted very, very high; caterpallor (noun): the color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you are eating; Beelzebug (noun): Satan, in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

   In my "Are We Communicating Yet?" book I pose the rhetorical question, "Why is there such a failure to communicate?" And then in response I emphasize that one reason is because people fail to keep in mind that good communication does not occur merely because an intended message has been presented. More important than what is said or written is how others perceive and respond to what they receive. The greatest obstacle to good communication is the assumption communication has taken place when it hasn't. The Washington Post contests present a humorous, clever way to exemplify how easily messages can be distorted.  

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About our guest Blogger:

© Carl Mays, father of ClaimCare CEO Carl Mays II, is an author and speaker at over 3,500 events.  Contact Carl at carlmays@carlmays.com or 865-436-7478.  His motivational speaking and book information can be found on http://www.carlmays.com/.  The Student Mentoring site MyMerlin.Net for students and others is based on his book and program, "A Strategy For Winning."

   On the occasions when I tell Jean something such as, "I'm going to the post office, drop by the pharmacy, then on to the bank, and I may swing by the hardware store on the way back," she often replies with something like, " Well, maybe I'll see you again today."  She knows when I "go out" there is no telling how many people I will run into and strike up a conversation with - and just how long I may be gone - unless I have a definite time by which I must return.

   But I don't plan these encounters.  I just know that when I do run into people and they want to talk, or they look like they need someone to talk with them, to give them some acknowledgement, or maybe a "pick-me-up," I feel that if conversing with them can make a difference in their days then I want to do it, with no second thought.  And, I usually enjoy it.

   Og Mandino (1923-1996), author of "The Greatest Salesman in the World" and other best sellers, was an early mentor who wrote one of the first testimonials for my "A Strategy For Winning" book.  We shared the speaking platform a few times, and something I recall Og saying is, "Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if he or she is going to be dead by midnight.  Extend to everyone all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward.  Your life will never be the same again."

   Og's words came to mind and this column was inspired by the recent death of Dave Baker, co-owner with brother-in-law Larry Cole of Five Oaks Tire and Service in Sevierville.  I was behind on getting the tires on one of my vehicles rotated and balanced.  Due to a heavy schedule I had been putting it off.  When I finally phoned early Tuesday morning, July 14, and Larry answered, I said, "Hi, Larry, this is Carl. How's it going?"  There was a pause, and then Larry replied, "Pretty good," in a manner that was rather un-Larry-like.  I said, "Well, I'd like to see if it might be possible for me to bring my truck over for rotation, balance, and maybe check the alignment this morning."

   There was another pause before Larry replied, "Well, Carl... here's the situation..."  I thought he was going to tell me about a big work load or something like that.  But Larry continued with, "Dave died Saturday..."  The pause was mine this time.  Larry went on to say, "We're closing today at noon, the funeral is tonight, and we won't be open tomorrow."  Of course, all thoughts of tires and rotation left my mind completely and I told Larry so.  We talked about Dave's sudden, truly unexpected death.  (Later, I discovered it was determined to be caused by a dislodged blood clot that probably formed about 38 years ago when Dave broke his leg in an automobile accident.)

   Larry and I discussed the situation for a while.  Larry then said, "Dave was talking about you just last week, saying it has been a while since you were over here..."   Jean and I attended the funeral that evening, both still in shock, as were many people.  And I kept thinking about how I put off getting my truck serviced and had not seen Dave in a while, and how I will miss talking and laughing with him, and exchanging "war tales" that he and I enjoyed telling each other so much.  Og Mandino was right.  You never know.  

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About our guest Blogger:

© Carl Mays, father of ClaimCare CEO Carl Mays II, is an author and speaker at over 3,500 events.  Contact Carl at carlmays@carlmays.com or 865-436-7478.  His motivational speaking and book information can be found on http://www.carlmays.com/.  The Student Mentoring site MyMerlin.Net for students and others is based on his book and program, "A Strategy For Winning."

Without any intention to sound like a broken record... there is yet more data indicating how critical it is for medical practices to have a solid patient collection process in place. A new survey indicates that health savings accounts are growing in popularity.  Both the number of accounts and the amount of money in those accounts are growing at a significant rate. A recent study from Celent, a consulting company that works with banks, showed that the number of HSAs increased 46.1 percent between January 2008 and January 2009, and the money in HAS accounts grew by 62.6 percent. HSA accounts have an average account balance of $1,561. This number is likely significantly understated because most banks do not consistently purge inactive, zero-balance accounts.

What does this mean for medical practices? It means that they need have a solid set of tools, processes and policies in place for collecting the portion of their income that is the patient's responsibility. Some of the key elements of a world-class patient collections process are:

1. A clearly communicated patient collection policy that is consistently communicated to patients before they see the doctor;
2. An automated insurance verification tool that allows the front-desk to easily verify coverage and confirms the key parameters of the coverage (deductible, co-insurance percentage, and the amount of the deductible met for the current year);
3. An easily used tool that allows the front-desk to inform the patient before he leaves the office how much he will likely owe after the claim is adjudicated. This allows patient to pay their portion of the healthcare bill before they ever leave the office;
4. Quick claim submission and follow-up so that patients that have not paid their bill before leaving the office can be sent a patient statement as quickly as possible after the date of service;
5. Well designed patient statements that eliminate many of the issues that cause patients to treat bills from physicians differently than they treat credit card or utility bills;
6. Payment processing tools that automate and monitor payment plans; and
7. A system for ranking patient balances for follow-up effort based upon expected collections - not simply on the magnitude of the patient balance.

If you medical practices has not invested in developing a world-class patient collection process then you are likely losing at least 10% of your practice's potential revenue.

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Copyright 2009 by Carl Mays II. Carl is President and CEO of ClaimCare Medical Billing Service, one of the largest medical billing companies in the United States.

   When this true story appeared in a Florida newspaper and was sent to me a few weeks ago, I filed it away and said, "This is definitely something I must share with my readers."  

   On his patio, a man was working on his motorcycle with the engine running. When the motorcycle slipped into gear, it dragged the man through the glass patio door and into the dining room. He lay bleeding on the floor as his wife called paramedics. They inspected him, determined he needed some treatment and transported him to the hospital for stitches. The wife then went into the dining room, pushed the motorcycle back outside and used some paper towels to blot up the gasoline that spilled onto the floor. She threw the towels into the toilet and went to the hospital to check on her husband.

   His stitches done, the man was released to come home. Upon arrival home, he looked at his shattered patio door and damaged motorcycle, became despondent, went into the bathroom, sat down, and smoked a cigarette. He then threw the cigarette into the toilet where the gasoline-soaked towels were. The toilet exploded, blowing the man's trousers away and burning his backside. His wife again ran to the telephone to call for an ambulance.

   The same paramedics came to the house again. As they were carrying the man on a stretcher down the stairs to the ambulance, one of them asked the wife how her husband had burned himself. She told the inquisitor, and the paramedics started laughing so hard that one of them tipped the stretcher and dumped the man out. He tumbled down the remaining stair steps and broke his arm.

   I pulled the Florida man's story from my files when I thought I was going through a rather challenging time this week. Then I confirmed to myself that maybe my week hasn't been so rough after all. What about you? Sure, some of us may have had experiences this week that possibly top what the Florida man encountered, but I would dare say that most of us probably haven't surpassed him so far.

   As you may sympathize or even empathize with the motorcycle victim, let me remind you of a popular song from years ago recorded by Jerry Vale. Titled "Even The Bad Times Are Good," the essence of the song is that the singer was so much in love with his sweetheart that when he was with her she turned even the bad times into good. Syrupy, huh? I'm sure it would be very difficult for the Florida man and his wife to sing that song - but, at least they can build on some mistakes and continue on - just as we all can do most of the time when we suffer from negative experiences.

   Lessons from the motorcycle episode include: be extremely careful when working on an engine that's running, find a safe and secure work location, seek counsel when you feel despondent or depressed, realize that smoking can be very dangerous, and always flush.

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About our guest Blogger:

© Carl Mays, father of ClaimCare CEO Carl Mays II, is an author and speaker at over 3,500 events.  Contact Carl at carlmays@carlmays.com or 865-436-7478.  His motivational speaking and book information can be found on http://www.carlmays.com/.  The Student Mentoring site MyMerlin.Net for students and others is based on his book and program, "A Strategy For Winning."

   Are you average? Could it be you are above average? Or, is it possible you are in a category labeled as below average? Now, before you think too seriously about responding to these questions, you need to ask in return, "Am I average, above average or below average in WHAT? Ahhh... therein lies the important question.

   This column was triggered when I read an article by Jacquelyn Mitchard titled "The Search for the Perfect Apple." I've written a couple of columns about apples and for a long time have been intrigued by the many varieties now available. Mitchard said, "As this apple-picking season begins, the bustle to breed the best bushel is as brisk as the race to create the perfect hybrid car." I don't know exactly how many different kinds of apples are out there, but Cornell University's Experimental Research Station has bred and named 62 varieties.    

   But, let's get back to the "average" question. Something that jumped out from Mitchard's article is, "The average American eats 17.8 pounds of apples each year." Now, first of all, how in the world do you go about determining an "average American," especially during this day and time? Secondly, if we could agree upon what an average American is, this figure of 17.8 pounds reveals to me that many average Americans never touch an apple. I say this because for many years I have eaten at least one apple a day. The "average" apple from my apple bowl weighs 5.4 ounces. According to my math (in which I am sure I am not above average), this means I eat approximately 123 pounds of apples annually. This doesn't count the dishes we sometimes have, such as fried apples, fruit salad and the apple pies Jean is coerced into making every now and then.

   So, if you ask me if I am "above average," I can truthfully answer, "I am way above average. I eat 123 pounds of apples annually!" In turn, you may say that is not the type of average to which you are referring. Then when I ask you to explain your definition of average you may have some difficulty in doing so. That's one of the reasons I dislike hearing phrases that declare someone as an average, above average or below average teenager, student, athlete, musician, employee, patient, customer, boss... You get the idea. I dislike declaring an individual's "averagability" in very broad categories.

   And that is the whole point of this column - people are individuals. When I presented "A Strategy For Winning" at the East Tennessee Human Resource Agency (ETHRA) leadership conference for at-risk students in July, I emphasized, "Everyone in this room has strengths and weaknesses. The challenge is to discover, develop and wisely use what we have. While cultivating and building on our strengths, we can also use them to help us improve in our areas of weakness. And that is what today's seminar is all about."  

   One of the students (a very good apple, if I may say so) stood at the podium, looked the attendees in the eyes, and challenged everyone to not mess around, to get with the program, to overcome obstacles (she didn't know her father, and her mother is a prosecuted drug addict). She closed her challenge, as I close this column, sharing a short poem from my "Winning Thoughts" book titled Be You:

   "Drama, music, sports? Maybe business, math or art? What are your talents, likes - dislikes? How can you do your part? Teaching, writing, medicine? Helping others who have lost the way? Finding a niche and doing your thing... This makes a happy day!"              

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About our guest Blogger:

© Carl Mays, father of ClaimCare CEO Carl Mays II, is an author and speaker at over 3,500 events.  Contact Carl at carlmays@carlmays.com or 865-436-7478.  His motivational speaking and book information can be found on http://www.carlmays.com/.  The Student Mentoring site MyMerlin.Net for students and others is based on his book and program, "A Strategy For Winning."