Barkings! | The Small Dog Apple Blog

Are you a healthcare professional and an Apple fan? Did you know there’s an Apple solution to manage your healthcare business? You can enjoy the same Apple quality, reliability, and ease of use in your practice as you do at home.

Small Dog Electronics is now partnering with MacPractice, Inc., the oldest and largest developer of healthcare practice management and clinical records systems based exclusively on the Apple platform. MacPractice products are designed to leverage the powerful features of Apple’s latest versions of OS X and iOS.

All MacPractice products provide robust yet easy-to-use patient Accounting, Reporting, and Scheduling functions.

Additionally:

• MacPractice DDS for dental practices features graphical Tooth Charting, Treatment Planning, Digital Radiography & Intra-oral Camera integration, and integrated Electronic Dental Records for General Dentists or any dental specialty.
• MacPractice MD for Medical practices features Orders, Electronic Prescriptions, Lab Integration, and integrated Electronic Medical Records that can accommodate any medical specialty.
• MacPractice DC for Chiropractic (and related – Acupuncture, Nutrition, Massage, etc.) practices features integrated Imaging, Attachments, and integrated Electronic Health Records that can accommodate all modalities.
• MacPractice 20/20 for Optometry practices features Contact & Eyeglass Prescription management, Inventory management, and integrated Electronic Medical Records for Optometrists and Ophthalmologists.
  These systems are all complemented by powerful native iPad Apps:
• Clipboard App enables confidential patient entry of medical history and signature of HIPAA disclosure forms.
• iEHR App enables clinicians to quickly enter thorough exam information.
• Check-in App replaces the front desk sign-in sheet.

MacPractice products are modular (you only purchase the functions you need, when you need them), scalable from 1 to 50+ users, and come with on-site set-up and user training. The products have extensive built-in Help and there are over 100 knowledgable US-based support specialists available to assist you. MacPractice is a privately held software developer. Healthcare software is all they do. In business for nearly 10 years and with nearly 4000 healthcare practices using their products, you can rest assured that they will be here next year.

Also, MacPractice MD, DC, DDS and 20/20 are all “ONC-ATCB Certified Complete EHRs” which means if you are an Eligible Provider (via Medicare or Medicaid) you may be able to receive up to a $63,000 cash incentive from the federal government for using a MacPractice system in your practice! Even if you don’t qualify for the incentive, you should appreciate that this certification is only given to the most comprehensive and secure electronic clinical records systems.

The local MacPractice reps, Brad and Robin Watkins, each have over 20 years experience providing Apple solutions to healthcare practices. Come by the Small Dog Electronics exhibit at the Vermont Business Expo next week to meet them and learn more about MacPractice. Can’t make it to the expo? Go to www.macpractice.com or email or call us today.

Managing a healthcare practice is difficult. Make it easier with MacPractice, the COMPLETE Mac solution for a doctor’s office.

To give a little background before launching into this article: I am a junior technician compared to some here at Small Dog Electronics. I have spent more time diagnosing and fixing PCs than Apple Products, so the conversion was a complete one-eighty degree turn for me. I have never attempted to install Windows alongside OS X before, but because of needs here at the ‘office’ and data backup/transfer options, having every tool available is a benefit. That is why I attempted to install Windows alongside my OS X installation. The problem is my personal machine only supports Windows 7, whereas I was trying to install Windows 8 which is the copy I owned.

I discussed the installation with the other techs here in South Burlington, and the common recommended jump off point was to resize the main partition using Disk Utility, and create a new partition in a FAT32 or free space format then boot from the Windows install medium. All seemed to work well until I attempted to install the Boot Camp support files into the Windows installation so that I could set up my Mac hardware to work properly. The support files installed successfully, the Windows OS requested to restart the machine, and I pressed the “OK” button. The machine restarted and began to boot into the Windows partition. Then the screen flashed white briefly, went black and stayed that way.

Uh oh…

I rebooted the machine a couple more times only to see the same thing. I tried to use the built in Windows recovery options but none worked. I then booted to my Mac OS partition, erased and recreated the partition for my Windows installation and began the process again. This time I tried to install all the drivers manually, but they didn’t make my touchpad work properly because there wasn’t the Boot Camp interface for me to set up my preferences. I went online, downloaded a different set of Boot Camp support files and installed them. I rebooted the machine and got the flash with the black screen again.

Frustration began to set in at this point. I restarted the whole process again. By this time I had noticed that the EFI section of option booting began to increase the amount of Windows installation options and I couldn’t keep track of which one was the correct one after I installed the third or fourth time. I had retried to create the installation media, and I can only use flash drives for installing Windows because my optical drive is nonfunctional and I don’t feel like spending money on something I’m potentially going to replace soon. The EFI had too many Windows installations and after the fourth or fifth time (each time trying different methods in creating the media, performing a different install, using multiple images and install discs, essentially trying everything I could in order get the install to work the way its supposed too) I decided to wipe and restore the machine. Using Time Machine and an external hard drive, I backed up my computer, wiped everything clean and started the process over again.

I must make note that some of the problems and irritations I was having with my machine seem to have been taken care of with the wipe and restore (things like not waking up when it’s supposed to or freezing on login). That did cheer me up a bit once I realized that I was no longer experiencing those little trifles. I do know there is something wrong with my machine because it was dropped during its lifetime and I expect that it’s only a matter of time before the problems start up again. I tried to install Windows one more time and got the same result, the infamous “Black Boot”. I then decided to hold off on my installation, wiped it one more time, reinstalled OS X, remigrated my data back onto my machine and called it quits. I spent four days trying to get this to work and am not all that happy to have lost the battle. More research needs to be done because I have not given up on the war. I believe that it is my machine that is causing the problem (I fear that it needs a new logic board because of the drop) but I am grateful it’s at least holding on for dear life until the time it finally gives its last and my hand is forced to purchase the latest and greatest.

The Worldwide Developers Conference is coming up in San Francisco on June 10-14. Too bad, so sad if you didn’t remember to buy your tickets, because it’s already sold out (whaaat?)! Apple announced the ticket sale time a day in advance instead of selling them the moment they announced details (which made some people in other countries a bit mad) for the annual conference. Last year, tickets sold out in under two hours. So how quickly did they sell out this year? In record time: under two minutes. Bonkers!

Each ticket costs $1,599, which is not cheap. But that also means that Apple just made a quick 8 million with 5,000 attendees (not including costs to produce the event, of course). You were also only allowed one ticket per person and five per organization. What’s the bang for your buck? Apple proclaims, “an invitation to inspiration.” There are over 100 sessions with insight into the latest technologies in iOS and OS X.

Apple will also be making conference video available during the conference itself for the first time, which is not normally available until after the show concludes. This is nice for developers who weren’t quick enough to grab tickets in that two-minute window.

We’re hoping to see some product announcements during the conference — although it has been rumored that new products won’t be announced until fall. Maybe new software? Perhaps iOS 7? Only Apple knows what Apple has planned, but we’ll be sure to tune in to see what happens!. Watch this space — we’ll be live tweeting the event and posting details here on our blog.

We have a guest post from the developers at Green Mountain Software!

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Certainly you’ve heard the expression: “There’s an app for that!” but if there isn’t currently an app for that, Green Mountain Software can write one for you.

Now located in the Innovation Center in Burlington, Vermont, Green Mountain Software (GMSW) was founded in 1993 by Lou Krieg and his wife, Ann Pettyjohn after attending the ’93 MacWorld trade show where the Apple “Newton” was first introduced. Lou and Ann realized that mobile technology was going to be a huge part of the future, so Green Mountain Software was formed to fill that need. They were right. Mobile technology is changing the world and how business is done. The number of mobile users is predicted to surpass the number of desktop users by 2014.¹

It is apparent that simple email access is no longer enough. Mobile technology allows companies to have an unprecedented level of connectivity between employees, vendors, and customers.² In 2012, Gartner Research predicted that sales of mobile tablet devices would top $120 million – double that of 2011. In addition, the number of active smartphones is currently over 1 billion worldwide.³

During the past eighteen years, companies such as EcoLab, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Coffee Lab International, Pro-Cut International, United Technologies, Bio Tek Instruments, Leica, the Indy Racing League, and many others have trusted GMSW with their app development. In fact, even other software development companies such as Palm have relied on the expertise of Green Mountain Software to develop their mobile device apps.

Today’s technology includes iPhones, iPads, Androids, Blackberry, Windows Mobile and others. These devices have thousands of times more advanced computing power that the computers NASA used to get to the moon! In the hands of good software engineers, there isn’t much these devices can’t do, and combining these capabilities to achieve the results you need is what GMSW does best.

Do you have an idea for an app for your company? Are you wondering how can mobile technology can increase your productivity and profitability? Mobile technology can measure, compute, exchange data with machines, utilize GPS location services, interact with servers, be Web-based or native within the device, communicate through the Internet or cell systems, take photos, be used for medical diagnoses, and so much more.

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If you’re interested in more information, or just want to discuss your idea, Green Mountain software is on the Web at www.GreenMountainSoftware.com. We can be reached at 802-865-2728, or email john@greenmountainsoftware.com.

¹ Morgan Stanley Research
² http://www.strategicgrowthconcepts.com/growth/increase-productivity—profitability.html
³ http://mashable.com/2013/01/04/mobile-2013/

Start Soapbox

I am an Eagle Scout, and the Boy Scouts were an important and meaningful part of my life. I was a Boy Scout camp counselor and active in the BSA until I left to go to college as a teen. The principles of “Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent” are mostly great ethical teachings, although I have always struggled with the obedient one. I have watched the debate within the Boy Scouts regarding acceptance of gay scouts and scout leaders and have been embarrassed by the entire organization’s stand on this issue.

I still have my nearly 50-year old Eagle Scout medal someplace in my home and have considered sending it back as a protest. However, it wasn’t until this week, when I received a solicitation to make a contribution to the BSA, that I fully realized just how idiotic their stand on gay members really was and that as an Eagle Scout, I had an obligation to speak out. I declined the opportunity to make a contribution and made it clear that until the BSA drops its misguided ban on gay scouts and scout leaders, I would completely disassociate myself from the organization.

I have always been proud of achieving the highest rank in scouting, but the BSA has made it an embarrassing stigma instead of an honor. They will once again consider this ban on May 24th, and I urge the delegates to the Scouting National Council to immediately drop their ban on gay Scouts and leaders and enter the 21st century to welcome all who would aspire to the great principles of scouting.

End Soapbox