Renee CK Writing Sample

FORSYTH INTERESTS
- by Renee Clore-Kovccs
TC
nesIt's the beginning of May and the students at North for5Y1h High haw al,t *'6e
excited about. 4more weeks ofschool, seniors,..._,. pt8III, aalMilr6 ¥ +B
week! Mitch Madness? Abso/ut,lyl Mitl, Nola( •stll& t #u r1115~ is
adding another 1,000sil ups lo /isSIi*s ,-, 6n i I"llllfa,tall Jllllf's
something to get exdledo6o,,tt
ost anyone setting out to do 4,000 sit ups would be
doing it to get "six pock" obs. Not Mitch, his reason
is more personal. When he wos in eighth grade, he
lost his friend Dokoto Pritchett to cancer. That year
Mitch wonted to help raise money for Relay for life,
on event sponsored by the American Cancer Society to help cele-
brate cancer survivors and raise money for cancer research and
programs. Because Mitch hos cerebral palsy, participating in the
traditional way, walking, would be difficult. Instead, he decided to
do sit ups for 10 cents a sit up. That was 3 years ago when he
started with 1,000 sit ups. He hos kept his commitment and dedi-
cation going into what is now his fourth year of doing sit ups for
Relay for Life.
~~;,tchlck-fll-a.com
6 Up in Cumming MAY 2006
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The week of Moy 8th, North Forsyth H.S. will be
caught up In Mitch Madness. The ROTC and NFHS
bond will be collecting money to help Mitch reach his
goal of $10,000. The school will be passing buckets
to collect spore chonge in each doss and giving owoy
Mitch Madness tee shirts for o $15 donation. It's dif-
ficult not to be swept up ln the celebrity that Mitch hos
created for himself, but he points out "it's not about
me, It's about raising money".
Each yeor Mitch dedicates his work to someone in his
life who hos been touched by cancer. This year's
4,000 mark will be reached In honor of a church
friend, Rick, who lost his bottle with cancer this year.
He is also doing it to celebrate Glendo Childs, a staff
member at NFHS who is surviving breast cancer.
Mitch hos on active future planned. He's already a
decorated Special Olympian where his events ore the
softball throw, soccer kick, and 100 meter dash. He
will be bock In training for his goal of 5,000 sit ups to
end his senior year. After high school, he plans to go
on to break the world record for sit ups, no small feat
considering the current record Is 11 1,0001 If anyone
con do it, Mitch con with his motto- "Get 'er done!"
To helpMitch reach hisgoalyou cancon/adhis teacher, Helen Lane, via
emailalhlane@forsyth.k12.ga.us. Teeshirts willbe available foraS15
donation. Mitch willbe doinghis Relay for life sil upsMay 11/h at 8:30
in the gymnasium at North Forsyth HighSchoolin prepara/lon for
Forsyth'sRelay for life festivities May 12& 13atthe Fairgrounds. For
More informal/on onRelayfor life, visit theAmericanCancer Society's
website,www.cancer.org.
8 Up in Cumming MAY 2006
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Women, we owe it to ourselves and foremothers to get
out and vote
Posted: August 23, 2010 12:38am
By RENEE CLAREKOVACS
STORIES ABOUT WOMEN’S RIGHT TO VOTE AND EQUALITY WILL RUN DAILY THROUGH AUG. 26,
WHICH IS WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY.
SKIRT!
I got an email from a friend that talked about the extreme sacrifices our foremothers made and horrendous
treatment they suffered, all for the right for us to be able to vote.
I know, it seems like such a silly thing. You get two hours off of work to do it. It’s twisted and confusing. There
are smear tactics and broken campaign promises. But, if you’re sitting around griping about how things are in
America and you didn’t vote, I don’t want to hear it. Our last two elections have been won and lost by such
narrow margins that if all those who make up excuses as to why they can’t vote had actually voted, things may
be very different today.
It also seems that with the electoral college in place, your vote doesn’t even count — but that’s not true, either.
Every electoral vote in a state is placed for the person who wins the majority of votes in that state.
But women, we have an even more important reason to vote. It took a lot for us to be able to have the privilege
to make a choice for ourselves. To be able to stand up and be counted.
A short history. Anyone know who Lydia Taft was? She was the first legal woman voter in America. Know what
year that was? 1920? 1915? 1895? Nope. She voted at least three times between 1756 and 1768. The reason she
was able to vote? Because she was Mrs. Josiah Taft. Upon Joe’s passing, she was given the right to vote as his
proxy. Still, I don’t find it fair that you have to marry and lose a propertyowning husband in order to vote.
Neither did the suffragettes.
One of the suffragettes, Lucy Burns, was forcefed by five people holding her down and when she refused to
open her mouth, her jailors shoved a feeding tube through her nostril. She was most likely tortured as well.
Speaking of torture, do you know what happened Nov. 15, 1917? Our strong women dared to picket Woodrow
Wilson’s White House, hold marches and stage protests. Women were arrested beginning in June and once
women were released from prison, they returned to march. On Nov. 15, 1917, 33 protestors were rearrested and
taken to the Occoquan Workhouse, a prison known for serving rancid food, colorless slop infested with worms.
Women were only given water from an open bucket. They were denied medical care. And treatment was harsh
under Occoquan’s superintendent, W.H. Whittaker.
Feminist Sonia Pressman Fuentes documents this history in her article on Alice Paul. She includes this retelling
of the story of Occoquan Workhouse’s Night of Terror, Nov. 15, 1917:
THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016
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“Under orders from W. H. Whittaker, superintendent of the Occoquan Workhouse, as many as 40 guards with
clubs went on a rampage, brutalizing 33 jailed suffragists. They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell
bars above her head, and left her there for the night. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her
head against an iron bed, and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate Alice Cosu, who believed Mrs. Lewis to be
dead, suffered a heart attack. According to affidavits, other women were grabbed, dragged, beaten, choked,
slammed, pinched, twisted, and kicked.”
These women suffered so much in order to bring attention to the issue and earn us the privilege to vote. And
for us to say we’re too busy volunteering, keeping a home, working, or any of the other things that we can use
as an excuse to keep from voting is simply unacceptable. If you haven’t registered to vote, Google online voter
registration and find a place.
Our foremothers did the hardest part — do not let their fight be in vain. Stand up and be heard. Do not silence
yourself. Do not ignore your duty to your country. And do not let these wonderful women down.
For those who want to learn more about the Suffragettes, HBO has a wonderful movie, “Iron Jawed Angels,”
that tells the story. The women were dubbed Iron Jawed Angels because, like Lucy Barnes, they would not open
their mouths to eat the slop they were being fed. Tough broads!
Have I seen it yet? No, and probably won’t because I would be tossing my own cookies seeing them try to force
feed the women. But, if you can stomach it, I encourage you to watch.
VOTE!
RENEE CLAREKOVACS BLOGS FOR SKIRT
LUBBOCK.COM AS RENEECK.
TAGS: LIFE RENEE CLAREKOVACS

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Dear Camping: I QUIT
By ReneeCK, Sunday, June 13, 2010, 3 comments
Print Email to a friend
I feel like I reneged on my husband when it comes to camping. When we were
engaged, I was between my 2 year stint as a summer camp counselor. I did it all. I
slept in a platform tent, I hiked around the lake to help girls set up camping tents, I
had Deep Woods Off in my blood, and I ate turkey out of a trashcan.
So why is it I can’t muster the same enthusiasm for camping 16 years later especially
when it’s for the sake of my family?
I can tell you why I don’t tent camp anymore. A few years back 3 friends & I went
camping for Labor Day weekend. We drove up Thursday and I stayed with my dog in
a tent to hold our spots. I ran to town “just up the street” to find Wal Mart in a town
20 miles away and it had started to downpour on the way there. I purposely stayed in
the store to wait out the rain. If you know my loathing of Wal Mart, you know how
much I was taking one for the team. The rain let up, but only to imminent flood
instead of complete “who the hell left the shower on in Heaven?” It took me 2 hours
to get back to camp. Here’s a tip- just because you can see the campground beach on
the other side of the lake and the road you are on has the same name as the one your
campground is on does not mean you can take the same road around to your campsite.
By the time I got back to camp, there was 4 inches of rain in my tent. Fearing bears, I
packed all the food in the front of my car, and slept in the back. That is until I woke
up at 3:30 am breathing the same stale air I’d been breathing for the last 5 hours and
having to pee. I turned the car on to get some fresh air in, opened the back passenger
door to get out and go to the bathroom. Only when I got back to the car did I
remember that the back passenger door had a tricky lock that even though it looked
“up” would be locked. So, yes, with my car running, the rain pouring, my dog running
around wet, and all my possessions locked inside the car, I had to find a way to unlock
the door Macgyver style. I did do it. It took about 15 minutes and a loan on my
patience. Promptly upon re-entering the car, I threw all the food in the back of the car
and drove home only stopping at Waffle House for breakfast since I planned on
sleeping through it the emerging morning.
When I woke up, my husband and I looked at the weather map. The only place in the
entire states of Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee was where I was
under a green/red/purple spot. Knowing that our friends were pulling their trailers up
that day and would be there that night to chill around the campfire, he promised me that
it would not rain again. He did such a great job of convincing me that I not only
cheered up, but also offered to take my bff’s 3 kids up with us.
We set up 2 more tents on our site, drank beer, shot the shit around the campfire,
went to bed, and hubby decided to go to Wal Mart to get a tarp to put over the tent-
even though it was not going to rain. Sure enough, with my baby on the floor next to
me, 4 kids in 2 other tents, and my husband gone, the rain came. It started out soft
but before long a toe dangled off the edge of the slowly leaking air mattress, a
concession made to get me to go camping when I was 5 months pregnant, confirmed
water on the bottom of the tent. I waited as long as I could before waking my son up
to come up the 5 inches off the floor to the air mattress. While he slept, water dripped
on the back of my calf like Chinese water torture. As I lay there, I wondered when my
husband would return. After my trip to town, I didn’t expect it soon. While the
dripping water moved its way to the leg band of my underwear, I started thinking
about the 4 other kids. Should I wake them? Where would I take them? My friends
didn’t have extra sleeping space in their trailers and I didn’t want to get them all up at
whatever hour it was now to try to work it out. Maybe the bathroom? But I don’t care
for campground bathrooms. Community bathrooms are bad enough, but when you’re
camping, all sweaty and gritty, the thought of a community bathroom is disgusting,
even if they are well maintained which this one was not. The water continued its
upward soaking and when it got to my bra strap, the lights of my van illuminated the
tent like a choir of angels singing Alleluias. I woke up all the kids who were slightly
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damp despite 2 of them having been head to the tent canvas, and drove us all back
home.
I vowed never, ever to go tent camping again. Ever.
Another check of the radar the next morning showed the same green spot that had
been over me the previous night. The only spot in 4 states to have had rain.
Even if I wanted to go camping, clearly God was telling me I was not meant for it.
It took a long time before I tried again. My husband bought a pop up trailer to help
ease my anxiety about camping. We scheduled a trip in late May with friends who had
moved to South Carolina. It should have been perfect camping weather. Instead there
was a freak, record breaking heat wave that came through where the weather topped
100 degrees. We sat in the lake and in the air-conditioned car. Our husbands went to
buy fans but they did little to relieve us, they only moved the hot air back and forth in
an attempt to appease me.
Still, my family loves camping. The kids love the new friends they meet, riding around
campgrounds full of come-as-you-are people who will offer them a charred
morsel. My husband loves exploring the areas. Which place has the best swimming
beach? How many fish did the people at the next campsite pull from the lake? Some
of his best conversations have come after the kids are asleep and the s’mores are put
away with the flicker of fire illuminating sunburned faces. So, I make efforts to put on
a happy face and my husband makes efforts to find places I’ll like, or at least
tolerate. We had an incredible time on Tybee Island for Spring Break. The
campground was small but it had internet access, a pool, was close to the beach, and
we didn’t eat all of our meals at the campsite- we wandered to hole-in-the-wall places
that dot Tybee, none of which are commercial or chains which pleases me highly.
Unfortunately this past weekend was a bit of everything that I don’t like about
camping partnered with a music festival. Everything came to a head.
Months ago my husband heard about a women’s musical festival up in the Smoky
Mountains. Knowing I enjoy live performances, he quickly snapped up tickets which
included our camping at the campground where the festival was held. He reminded me
about it last week. I figured “it’s the mountains. It’ll be okay weather wise. The festival
will be loud, but what the hell? Worst case scenario is that I’ll go to bed to the sounds
of a gritty girl performer singing.”
But it wasn’t that.
Before we left, I looked up the campground. No swimming. Fab. Ah, well, we have a
pool, the kids can swim when they get home. Two days before we left, I started to get
sinus crud. I tried to rest, but wasn’t able to get enough to thwart the headache. I
checked the weather for the weekend the day we left- high 80’s, same as down state,
out of the mountains. Lovely. Still, girl music, my family. I could do this.
Hubby proudly told me that he chose the less-winding path to the site and as we
corkscrewed through the mountains, I wonder how much worse the more-winding
path could have been. When we got to our site, the oppressive heat met us at the
door. My husband promised I could get a nap when he pulled the trailer into position
but even in the shade of the canvas and the relative comfort of the mattress, the air
did not move- at all- but sat on me creating pools of sweat that ran down my chest,
made my head throb, and my body ache for sleep. To make matters worse, the festival
was 100 feet from our site and the sound checks began. If the guitars would have
played some tune, familiar or not, I would have been okay, but they strummed mad
repeating chords that were driven into a frenzy as if that would make them do
something more.
The final nail in the coffin was the bathroom situation. I can count on one hand the
number of times I’ve used a port-a-potty. The thought of “relieving” myself into a
cesspool nauseates me, literally. The only thing that prevents me from actually heaving
is the knowledge that I would then have to have my head in the seat part of the port-a-
potty. I would describe what about that assaults my senses but I can’t because even
removed from that situation, my tonsils are holding down my breakfast.
There were 2 port-a-potties near our site, nicely located for festival goers, i.e. more
people to contribute to the cesspool. Because it was so hot and I was so grumpy, I
chose to relieve myself in the brush behind our trailer. At least the Earth would
absorb. However, refreshed in the morning and needing to do something I prefer not
to do in the woods, I walked to the shower house for an adequate toilet. I looked in
both shower rooms and neither had a flush toilet. The only thing that kept me from
having a complete meltdown on the spot was my 10 year old son’s presence and my
desire to leave the camping experience untainted for him. If he doesn’t mind taking a
crap on someone else’s crap, God bless him.
I, on the other hand, brooded inwardly. When I got back to the trailer where my
husband was happily sizzling sausage on the camp stove, I expressed my disgust with
the bathroom situation and doneness with camping. The need to go to the bathroom
was pressing enough that I knew I wouldn’t make it to town. I had to go in “there”. I
grabbed my iPod, unwilling to listen to myself contributing to the disgusting heart of
the problem. Thankfully I have a rap playlist which helped me get angry enough to do
the job that needed to be done all the while cursing the people who forced me into this
situation.
My husband all but begged me to stick it out until after dinner to leave. I pulled out
my knitting and tried to enjoy the silence that camping is supposed to offer. However,
the flies that it also offers were on my upper arms so much that I couldn’t stand it. I
went to listen to the music and sit in the shade (Pearson Perry is my new find and
friend. She is a singing version of me and I love her.) while the heat began to bubble

Hubby wants to camp for a
Hubby wants to camp for a couple of nights before we get into our
rented cabin in Colorado next month. I had told him I was done with
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and my chest began to redden. I walked back to the trailer and was hit by a headache
that made me tell my husband it was time to pack it up.
16 years and 2 children later, I concede that I have reneged on my husband in the
“roughing it” department. However, we have built a beautiful patio on which we enjoy
the pleasures of the outdoors. We also eat food that is not burned on the outside and
raw on the inside with our temperature controlled stove, oven, and grill. We burn tiki
torches that keep the bugs away and plant and feed to attract animals which will eat
the bugs. At the end of the night I can take a shower in my own, private shower that I
do not share with anyone but my husband and children; certainly not people who have
been sweltering in their own sweat and camping grime all day. And the water is always
ready to be the perfect temperature. I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn in
order to get just enough hot water to keep my skin from turning blue. I will admit that
I sleep very well at camp- when I’m sleeping. The fresh air blowing through is
wonderful and most nights we camp is cool enough to be pleasant. My need to go to
the bathroom at least once a night gets in the way of really being able to enjoy my
camping sleep and at least at home I can wander to my own flush toilet.
When it comes to being outdoorsy, I am a graduate of the Dorothy School of
Thought- “if I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own
back yard. Because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with!” I’ve built my heart’s
desire into my backyard. I don’t know why I need to go elsewhere to find it among the
port-a-potties, grime, burned/raw food, and bugs. Unless it’s Tybee. Somehow they
have less bugs, grime, and ick- though, wonderful hubby, I wouldn’t push it.
Enjoy!
P.S.
My son came in and found the word document I drafted this blog in. He wrote...
Dear Camping: I QUIT!
Do not quit camping.
Love
ReneeCK
Skirtsetter
3 Comments
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Suwanee, GA—Fans at next week’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be able to use
self-serve beer vending machines for the first time at a major sporting event. The self-serve
machines provided by DraftServ, however, have allowed customers in North Atlanta to skip the
concession line and be their own bartender since 2007.
DraftServ CEO Jose Hevia began using the radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems at his
Suwanee restaurant, Cheeky, allowing customers to dispense their own beer. The success of the
technology grew to his 2 additional Cheeky restaurants, to more than 50 systems on 4 continents,
and on to the open seas on Carnival Cruise Lines. The reliable technology allows guests to serve
themselves using the machines which can be fixed in a single location or self-contained in a
mobile system allowing for a variety of innovative venue options.
The biggest concern about the technology is the ability for underage drinkers to access the
alcohol dispensed by the machines—a concern remedied by DraftServ’s ability to streamline
the beer-dispensing process. Company spokesperson Jalynn Mills says “all self-serve units
have personnel at each location monitoring consumption and ensuring that all consumers are
at 21 or older. We also limit the amount of beer that any one person can pour at a time, and
within a certain time limit which can be set to client's preferences. In a stadium environment an
average employee who serves beer has 3 things that they need to do: taking/handling money, ID
the customer, and pour the beer. With our system, a stadium can perform all 3 jobs at a much
higher level of efficiency because each person only has one responsibility”. Each step of the
process allows the employee to focus on his or her task: check the patron’s identification, collect
money in exchange for a pre-loaded card, or assist patrons in pouring their beer while giving
tips for best pouring practices. The company is proud of the opportunity for customers to be
their own bartender while respecting the business side of the adult beverage industry noting it’s
#notahobby but it’s definitely a good time.
The success of DraftServ continues on past next week’s All-Star game with more than 100 units
ordered and awaiting delivery. DraftServ is working with Anheuser Busch for the All-Star Game
but has a history with local and craft-breweries alongside traditional beer makers. DraftServ’s
experience paired with the continued success of DraftServe machines allows DraftServe
employees more opportunities to bring the do-it-yourself bartending experience to consumers.
For more information about DraftServ, visit www.draftserv.com, email info@draftserv.com, or
contact the company at (844) DRAFTSERV.
DraftServ, DraftServ Technologies, beer dispensing, self-serve beer, sporting events, mobile beer
dispensing, on-site beer tap, portable beer-tap, beer vending, beer vending machine, Cheeky,
Carnival Cruise Line, beer, RFID, self-serve technology

SPHAnalytics@SPHAnalytics16s
ThanKsforthedoseof#NHITweeKcreativity@COW_Healthcare!Justwhatwe
neededtojumpstarta#Monday!#HChaiku
1'rans{ormiYJ_Jheafthcare
1UatchuschaYJ_Jethew~J3ouwork..
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*•••

IR,e.ach Sf)Onsored - Organic
Impressions Uniqu:es
4k
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Ok
Jun 4 Jun 11 Jun 18 Jun 25
!Engagement
Date Rat19re: IPreviollis month
......
Sf)Onsored - Organic
Clicks likes Comments Shares Followers Acquired Engagement%
1D
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0
Jun 4 Jun 11 Jun 18 Jun 25

+/-
Maximum
Adjustments
Adjusted
Medicare Part
B payment to
clinician
Merit-Based Incentive Payment System
(MIPS)
+4%+5%
+7%+9%
2019 2020 2021 2022 onward
Based on a MIPS
Composite Performance Score , clinicians will receive +/- or neutral adjustments upto
the percentages below.
How much can MIPS
adjust payments?
The potential maximum
adjustment % will
increase each year from
2019 to 2022
-4% -5%-7%-9%
1

PROPOSED RULE: MIPS Reimbursement
Impact

3
Summary:
 Assessment under all available resource use measures, as applicable
to the clinician
 CMS calculates based on claims so there are no reporting
requirements for clinicians
 Key Changes from Current Program (Value Modifier):
• Adding 40+ episode specific measures to address specialty
concerns
• Year 1 Weight: 10%
PROPOSED RULE
MIPS: Resource Use Performance Category

© 2016 SPH Analytics. All rights reserved.
Category Summary:
• Will compare resources used to treat
similar care episodes and clinical
condition groups across practices
• Assessment under all available
Resource Use measures, as applicable
to the clinician
• CMS calculates based on claims
• no reporting requirements for
clinicians
• Can be risk-adjusted to reflect external
factors
MIPS: Resource Use Performance
Category

Key Changes from Current Program (Value-based
Modifier):
• Adding 40+ episode specific measures to address
specialty concerns
• Year 1 Weight: 10%
MIPS: Resource Use Performance Category

MIPS: First Step to a Fresh Start
 MIPS is a new program
 MIPS provides clinicians the flexibility to choose the activities and
measures that are most meaningful to their practice to demonstrate
performance.
Quality Resource use
Clinical practice
improvement
activities
6
Advancing care
information
• Streamlines 3 currently independent programs to work as one and to
ease clinician burden: PQRS, Value-based modifier (VM), MU
• Adds a fourth component to promote ongoing improvement and
innovation to clinical activities.
2

Merit-Based Incentive Payment System, MIPS, is a new program to
incentivize performance for eligible clinicians not participating in an
advanced APM.
MIPS provides flexibility to choose activities and measures that are most
meaningful to demonstrating your practice performance
MIPS: What is it?
QUALITY
RESOURCE
USE
CLINICAL PRACTICE
IMPROVEMENT ACTIVITIES
ADVANCING CARE
INFORMATION
Includes 4 categories:

SPH Analytics
2SPHAnalytics
Wondening1
how the #QPP w1
ill affect you? This
,graphic from our #MACRA webinar can hellp
,give you a d1irection.
How win the Quality Payment Program affect me?
Am I11an
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SPHanalytics
•••

866-460-5681 info@sphanalytics.com (mailto:inf%6f@%73%70han%61lyt%69cs.com)
 (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Symphony-Performance-Health/681188181998103) 
(https://twitter.com/SPHAnalytics)  (https://www.linkedin.com/company/sph-analytics) 
(https://plus.google.com/101408545487043770236/posts)
CLIENT LOGIN (HTTP://WWW.SYMPHONYPH.COM/CLIENT-LOGIN/)
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(http://sphanalytics.com)
ABOUT SPHA PATIENT / MEMBER EXPERIENCE POPULATION HEALTH
NEWS & EVENTS CONTACT US (HTTP://SPHANALYTICS.COM/CONTACT-US/)
Healthcare Gets the Star Treatment from Yelp
The next sign that patients are now healthcare consumers came from Yelp last week.
The notice to healthcare providers came on the official Yelp blog
(http://officialblog.yelp.com/2015/08/yelps-consumer-protection-initiative-propublica-
partnership-brings-medical-info-to-yelp.html):
Today we’re excited to announce we’ve joined forces with ProPublica to incorporate
health care statistics and consumer opinion survey data onto the Yelp business pages of
more than 25,000 medical treatment facilities.
August 10, 2015
Posted on

Keeping Healthcare Users Informed
According to the blog, the move is to keep Yelp users informed about healthcare issues.
“[W]e have much more planned. We’re aiming to add more restaurant health scores for
cities and counties across the US on Yelp. We’re working with cities to provide a feed of
Yelp restaurant reviews to aid planning decisions for inspections and faster discovery of
outbreaks.”
As a first step, Yelp has published information “compiled by ProPublica from their own
research and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for 4,600 hospitals,
15,000 nursing homes, and 6,300 dialysis clinics in the US and will be updated quarterly.”
This is a positive move for healthcare. Previously hospitals, nursing homes, and dialysis
clinics were simply able to be reviewed on Yelp without any additional guidelines. The
information provided by ProPublica includes publicly reported, standardized information
such as average wait time, readmission rates, and quality of communication.
(http://1egyou39kex54cpfo4i7ngde.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-
content/uploads/2015/08/Yelpsnap.png)
Valuable Insight for Healthcare Providers
Yelp may not be a place you have considered for measuring your patient experience. With
this announcement, there is no better time to see what your patient population is saying
about the care your providers give. Like CAHPS scores, Yelp reviews may be difficult to
read, however they provide an excellent opportunity to measure your patient sentiment in
®

real-time. Take advantage of the opportunity for rapid information regarding performance
initiatives. Yelp has updated their review policies to allow patients to provide the names
of key staff which makes rewarding quality performance easier.
Using Yelp Insight to Demonstrate Your Commitment to Care
In addition to learning about the way patients, their families, and friends see your facility,
Yelp reviews offer a way for you to demonstrate your commitment to the community you
serve. Responding to online reviews is a best practice for reputation management.
Replies give you the opportunity to express your appreciation for their business and
address any concerns expressed in the review. Use the A, B, C formula for responding to
reviews, Acknowledge, Be responsive, Call to action. For example:
Review from Stacy C. 3 stars
I came to the ER because I was throwing up after dinner. Anne was the sweet nurse who
found the right medicine to stop the nausea. I had to be admitted and once I went
upstairs, the joy ended. I could not see my doctor immediately, instead I had to see Dr.
Miller who barely listened to my history. Once my regular doctor came to visit, everything
went well (Gall Bladder surgery). The nurses on my floor were caring, but seemed
distracted.
Response
Stacy, thank you for taking the time to leave your valuable feedback. I understand that
you have choices when choosing your care and I appreciate that you chose North City
Hospital. I apologize that you were not able to be seen by your regular doctor
immediately upon admission. It is a challenge to contact a primary care physician after
hours. I am glad that once you were diagnosed, you were happy with your care.
Communication is important to me and my team so I will be sure to pass your comments
about the nursing staff along. If you have specific concerns, please contact me so we
can discuss them. Remember to contact your primary care physician with any questions
during your recovery. Your health is important to us. Thank you, Dave A. Dministrator
Acknowledge the fact that the reviewer is a healthcare consumer with choices in the
marketplace and express your appreciation for the patient’s business. Be responsive to
the reviewer’s feedback, positive or negative, by addressing it in your response. Finally
leave them with a call to action, in this case to contact their provider with specific

15 2
concerns. Remember that your response will be read by 3 audiences: the reviewer, future
patients, and potential employees, all who are looking to work with a provider who
expresses concern for them.
Yelp is educating patients, giving them qualified, standardized information that will
supplement the free-reign they’ve had previously. This gives healthcare providers an
opportunity to assess patient sentiment that is quantified by reputable, vetted
information. Additionally, healthcare leaders now have a way to respond directly to
patient and community concerns in a way that expresses commitment to care before
they come through your door.
Contact SPH Analytics (http://sphanalytics.com/contact-us/) to learn additional ways to
measure the patient experience and take action to measurably improve the quality of
care.
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You need
1· ' I. Jj . • SPH Analvtics
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with analytics.

Greg Mayer @gsmayer · Jul 5 9
Our #SPHAce friend flew to Canada last weeK (& had an arm accident) before
finding a new hOme in a GTA geocache, eh.

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