Comments on: Monday Morning Update 4/27/09

By: Grizzled Veteran Says:

Grizzled Veteran Says: — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 01:15:30 +0000

Internal politics tends to grow as more staff is hired than needed and have more time on their hands. And those who rise through internal politics tend to compound the problem by putting into practice their belief that more people equates to more power, versus getting more done equals more power. Directors become ranchers protecting and growing their herd while plotting to kick the chair out from under those that are actually getting things done. A real cesspool that is easily fixed by holding the flush in the on position until it disappears down the toilet; and a quick spray of air freshener to complete the task.

Are you up to the challenge, Dr. Vogel?

By: noname

noname — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:42:10 +0000

Dr. Vogel: My reference to “politically connected” is related to internal politics. You know the kind that corrodes morale from the inside out.

By: Great_Commentary

Great_Commentary — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:08:12 +0000

Wow, a 20 comment blog entry (that’s a good read). I’m glad Lynn Vogel responded and I think he addressed well a few points (though I think there’s little dispute that MDA has never managed expenses well because, I assume, they always had a robust bottom line — I visited there once and was told by a senior executive that they threw people at problems). A global recession and a stock market crash will hit hard all wealthy organizations, just ask Harvard.

Mr. HisTalk, what I’d love to see are some interviews with CIOs where you let us readers pose some questions to be asked and answered. This way the questions could be asked and answered instead of the one-way comments.

By: Jealous of MD Anderson

Jealous of MD Anderson — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:06:32 +0000

Lynn, ignore all the critics. They’re jealous of your gigantic IT budget. Most people don’t understand that having too much money can cause as many problems as having too little, e.g. keeping track of all those people, keeping a straight face when someone takes a guess of the size of your IT budget and you point out they are off by only one “0”, finding an auditorium that will seat more than 700 for the monthly staff meeting. ☺

By: An Observer

An Observer — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:48:18 +0000

Lynn Vogel, CIO at M. D. Anderson Says:

M. D. Anderson’s IT budget has run around 3.3% of operating expenses for the past four years–certrainly on the high end for health care, but hardly “bloated”, by any measure. And this budget has to cover all IT related expenses, including IT supporting administration, clinical care and scientific research–the latter area is one that acute care facilities never support;

An IT budget of 3.3% (high-end, your words) of very high operating expenses, i.e. Anderson is not known for running a “lean” operation, is the very definition of “bloated.”

And doesn’t MD Anderson’s operating budget include scientific research?