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The weather is finally breaking in the northeast. Over the weekend, I was out and about and ran into some veterans collecting donations as Memorial Day is approaching. I always make a donation, for it is their sacrifices that allow me to live a life of freedom today! I did not have any cash and told them I would be back. When I came out of the store they were gone. I felt terrible that I missed the opportunity to donate and thank them for their service. I walked out into the parking lot and found them loading their car. I gratefully handed them my donation and said, “thank you for your service, it is your service that allows me to live a free life today.” They said wait! Let us give you a poppy. Being a heroin addict in recovery I said “that’s ok, don’t worry about it.” They insisted and I did not want to dishonor their tradition. It is a pretty flower after all, even if it’s meaning is very different to me.

Most people would agree they don’t enjoy change. Sudden unexpected transitions are much less tolerable. Covid-19 is causing big and small changes to everyone’s daily lives. On top of the obvious stressors like worrying about your health and economic instability, people are being forced to adjust their daily routines.

With the substance use disorder industry in a state of flux, outsourcing your revenue cycle department is something that should be discussed, explored and considered – especially if you have under 200 beds and are relying on a staff of less than five people to get the job done.

When a hurricane approaches, preparation is key for IT equipment. During a hurricane there is risk of water and electrical damage. Preparing backups before a hurricane is expected to hit should be your priority. It is common practice to have at least three backup systems. At Integrity we keep two backups onsite, another is stored at another local location with our IT company, and we also have a final backup stored with a cloud-based solution if all else fails.

Today’s technological innovations have empowered small businesses to do things that would have been utterly unimaginable even 15 years ago. To remain competitive in a constantly shifting landscape, we’ve become more dependent on software and hardware to house even the most basic structures of the companies we run.

The list of celebrity deaths from drug use and overdose is long, as this memorial wall illustrates. From Elvis Presley to Prince, Marilyn Monroe to Michael Jackson, there is a price to fame. Whether it be the pressure of too much attention, the lack of privacy, loneliness at the top, or feeling undeserving of it all, being a celebrity has its pitfalls and downsides, oftentimes leading to self-medication in the form of addictive substances as a means to cope.