6. Do you work at home, office, etc?
i work both in a hospital (50%) and in an office (50%). And when i'm on call, i work at home, too, taking phone calls and reviewing info by computer.

7. What are some of the problems you face everyday when your at work?
Dealing with critically ill patients is always hard, and in cardiology there are lots of them. Having patients die of sudden heart attacks or die while undergoing interventional procedures is heartbreaking. Getting uncooperative patients to take better care of themselves is hard. And getting insurance companies to pay for necessary patient care is a constant struggle. getting insurance approval to do procedures is the same way. Next to mortality issues, insurance companies are the worst part of the job.

8. What are the strengths and weaknesses of having your own business?
When you have your own business, you call the shots. So you can do things the way you thinkthey should be done. You can work when you want to work and how you want to work.Those are the strengths. But on the downside, when it's your own business, the buck stops at you. If something goes wrong, it's your fault or that of someone you're responsible for. Dealing with accounting and insurance and taxes is also a hassle.

9. Do you have any goals for your business, if you do, please name a few.
Goal #1: To begin getting patient feedback on suggestions for improvements. This was my wife's idea. Good hospitals already do that. We'll probably use some sort of survey/feedback card or Web site. Then we'll make changes accordingly to improve care.
#2: To begin learning about holistic heart health (besides exercise, vitamin supplementation and guided relaxation, which I already advocate) and possibly incorporating new aspects of alternative care is another goal i'm also leaning toward. This is also being pushed by my wife the idealist.
#3: To successfully physically move our office practice to another larger office sometime next spring and to begin working out of a brand new cardiology hospital that's opening early next year,

10. What makes you want to work hard?
Seeing patients get better and experience improvements is a wonderful reward. Adding years to their lives is a great thing to be able to accomplish. I also work hard because I love what I do--and because it allows me to keep a son in college and a wife in medical school. Once we get them through with their various educational plans, I may retire and let them support me.