I’ve written thousands of pages of content. Below you’ll find links to a few dozen. Check back soon: the content on this page will change regularly.
Healthcare
HomeCare Magazine (Home Health Care)
Provider Profile: Hart Medical
Blog posts for VGM Group, Inc.
VGM Group, Inc. is a multi-division company in the home health, home medical equipment, long-term care, food service industry, and insurance markets
Education Initiative Spurs VGM Member to a Positive Bottom Line
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Active Shooter in the Workplace: Run, Hide, Fight Tips
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Family-owned Business Grew as Service for Veterans
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Thinking Pink: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
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During Flu Season, Model Good Health Habits to Protect Employees, Customers
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Back to School – Perfect Time to Review Employee Education and Training
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Red Flag! CMS Mandates Nursing Home Social Media Policy: A Good Idea for Health Care?
Tips to Maximize Your Heartland Learning Experience
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Employee Discrimination Claims: Protect Your Business with Insurance Coverage, Education
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HIPAA Lesson 2: Insurance, Training Can Protect Against Violations Due to Employee Error, Cyberattacks
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HIPAA Lesson 1: Top Five Compliance Issues
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Five Good Reasons to Diversify into Home Modifications — and Why CEAC Matters
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Annual C.E.A.C. Recertification Essential to Retain Membership, Receive Referrals
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It’s not too late to get a flu shot, but should you – and can you require employees to be vaccinated?
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Heartland Conference 2016: Organizers seek member input on speakers and course topics before Jan. 16
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Stress on the Job: Causes and What You Can Do About It
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Infographic: Recognizing early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
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Reimbursement Master Program: Self-paced, hands-on billing curriculum for HME
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Maximize continuing education opportunities before, during and after
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Blog posts for VGM Education
VGM Education, a division of VGM Group, Inc., is a health care continuing education provider for home medical equipment, long-term care, and physical therapy
Education Initiative Spurs VGM Member to a Positive Bottom Line
Posted on May 18, 2017
The original, seven-employee, Michigan-based Hart Medical Equipment, co-owned by Michael Damstra and Kenneth Fasse, had some wins in competitive bidding. Each of Hart’s current hospital partners – Genesys Health System, McLaren Health System, Henry Ford Health System, and McLaren Port Huron – had HMEs, but none were winners in the competitive bidding process.
Employee Discrimination Claims: Protect Your Business with Education, Insurance Coverage
Posted on: April 13, 2016
“It’s very easy to be proactive with education for your staff by customizing your educational offering with VGM Education,” said Paul DiMarco, president, VGM Education. “Compliance issues take on many faces. VGM Education provides a wide array of courses to cover these many types of issues and topics.”
By: Dorothy de Souza Guedes, VGM Education
You can be sued for employment discrimination by current employees, employee guests, people who applied but weren’t hired and past employees – no matter how their employment with you ended.
Five Good Reasons to Diversify into Home Modifications — and Why CEAC Matters
Posted on: February 17, 2016
Diversifying into home modifications is one of the recommendations in VGM’s 2016 HME Business Playbook. Why? Accessibility equipment is a projected $5 billion to $7 billion market. There’s even more money to be made through aging-in place remodeling and technology – a $30 billion market.
It’s not too late to get a flu shot, but should you – and can you require employees to be vaccinated?
Posted on: January 6, 2016
An estimated 111 million workdays are lost each year due to the flu. Flu.gov. Flu season usually peaks in February: are you prepared for what this may mean for your business?
That translates into billions of dollars in sick days and lost productivity…
Audits: Tips to Avoid ICD-10 Related Issues
Posted on: December 9, 2015
By Dorothy de Souza Guedes, VGM Education
After months – really, years – of preparation and dread, it appears the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 is going smoothly. Ronda Buhrmester, reimbursement specialist, VGM & Associates, said she hasn’t heard of any issues with ICD-10 since the October 1 implementation date. But that’s what she expected.
Recognizing early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
Posted on: November 25, 2015
By Dorothy de Souza Guedes, VGM Education
During the holidays, you may interact with new customers and patients who are visiting or live seasonally in your area, and also friends and family you don’t see year round. These interactions can provide opportunity to assess changes in cognitive and physical abilities related to Alzheimer’s disease that may go unnoticed in more regular interactions. Changes can happen gradually until significant decline is realized and the disease has significantly progressed.
Day 2 for ICD-10 — and the World Hasn’t Ended
Posted on: October 2, 2015
By Dorothy de Souza Guedes, VGM Education
Health care providers and people involved in medical billing and coding are well aware that ICD-10 went into effect on October 1. But those who aren’t coders or billers may not understand what ICD-10 is — or why people working in health care are stressed out this week.
Reimbursement Master Program: HME self-paced, hands-on billing curriculum
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CE Solutions (long-term and skilled care)
CE Solutions, a division of VGM Education, is a health care continuing education provider for long-term care
Risks of Antipsychotic Medication Usage in
Clinical Solutions, June 2016 (ghost writing for nursing staff)
Pain Assessment and Management in Long-Term Care
Clinical Solutions, March 2017 (ghost writing for nursing staff)
Healthcare Continuing Education Courses
Active Shooter What You Can Do.course.SAFE027.2017.FINAL
Author: Dorothy de Souza Guedes
Description
Any place of work is susceptible to violence in the workplace. An active shooter is a person actively engaged in killing or attempting to keep people in a confined space or other populated areas. This course guides all employees so they can prepare to respond to an active shooter wherever they are.
OSA Diagnosis and Treatment course. RESP001a
RESP001a
Authors: Philips Respironics, Vince Jenness, and Dorothy de Souza Guedes
Description
This is the first in a two-part series of modules which make up a course on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a serious breathing disorder characterized by periodic cessation or markedly diminished breathing during sleep. Part 1 explains how OSA is identified and diagnosed. Part 2 will discuss treatment options, comorbid conditions, and consequences if OSA is untreated.
OSA Diagnosis and Treatment – Part 2 course.RESP001b
RESP001b
Authors: Philips Respironics, Vince Jenness, and Dorothy de Souza Guedes
Description
This is the second in a two-part series of modules which make up a course on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a serious breathing disorder characterized by periodic cessation or markedly diminished breathing during sleep. Part 1 explained how OSA is identified and diagnosed. Part 2 will discuss treatment options, comorbid conditions, and consequences if OSA is untreated.
Stress Management course.HR010 2015 FINAL
HR010
Authors: Sara Laures, Jason Sadler, Dorothy de Souza Guedes
Description
This course will instruct you on how to recognize stress and give you
effective tips to cope with and eliminate stress.
Real Estate
Blog posts for Keller Williams Realty, Inc.
Articles for Outfront Magazine, Keller Williams Realty, Inc.
Headturners, OutFront Magazine
Business/Economic Development
Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber
Study Finds Every Dollar Invested Generates $64 in Output, Waterloo, Iowa, May 7, 2018
IEDA DIRECTOR DURHAM SAYS CEDAR VALLEY IS “DOING A LOT OF THE RIGHT THINGS”
WATERLOO, IOWA (March 23, 2018)
Cedar Valley Business Monthly, Courier Communications
Free for the Taking: Michael Finley offers Free Education on Money Matters
(Four-page cover story) June 2018
Joining Forces: Alliance & Chamber Supports Cedar Valley Economic Growth Through Collaboration
February 2018
Leader in Me Prepares 21st Century Leaders
October 2017
Spark in the Workforce: Companies Compete for Manufacturing Employees
September 2017
Shared Work Spaces Provide Convenience, Community
August 2017
Journalism Clips
News
Small towns scramble in big ways
Dorothy de Souza Guedes/ QUAD-CITY TIMES
ALBANY, Ill. Surrounded by boats for sale, Bitler Marine owner Karen Quick worked the phone Wednesday at Albany’s unofficial flood headquarters.
She called her floodfighting counterparts directly across the river at Camanche, Iowa, for the latest predictions. Told that the Mississippi River was rising higher than expected to 23-24 feet by Monday or Tuesday Quick immediately began revising plans for flood control.
Dorothy de Souza Guedes/CLINTON BUREAU
CLINTON, Iowa Afraid that a man he barely knew was going to rob and shoot him after an argument, Albert “Ace” Elliott said Wednesday he drove his car toward the man and his two companions as they stood on a Clinton sidewalk, hoping to scare them off.
Murder conviction brings life sentence
Dorothy de Souza Guedes/CLINTON BUREAU
CLINTON, Iowa At 21, James Curtis will spend the rest of his life in prison for his part in the killing of an exotic dance club manager nearly three years ago.
Tony Curtis gets 10-year sentence while brother faces life in prison
Dorothy de Souza Guedes/CLINTON BUREAU/March 29, 2001
CLINTON, Iowa Tony Curtis was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday for his role in the death of a Clinton strip club manager, while his younger brother faces a life prison sentence today for a first-degree murder conviction.
Dorothy de Souza Guedes/CLINTON BUREAU
MORRISON, Illinois Catalina Mendoza apologized Monday during her sentencing for “not having the strength” to save the infant daughter she had named Natalie.
To everyone else, the infant was known as Baby April Whiteside since being found dead on April 10, 1999, along the banks of the Hennepin Feeder Canal in rural Rock Falls.
Parole board considers case of Clinton murderer today
Dorothy de Souza Guedes/CLINTON BUREAU
CLINTON, Iowa Convicted murderer Dennis Fredericksen will appear at a hearing before the Iowa Board of Parole today, but it’s doubtful that he’ll speak on his behalf.
For more than 10 years, Fredericksen has been quadriplegic, unable to speak and confined to the infirmary at Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison. He will appear at the hearing via the Iowa Communications Network site at the prison.
Steelworkers take their industry’s case to Washington
Dorothy de Souza Guedes/CLINTON BUREAU
STERLING, Illinois A busload of out-of-work steelworkers from Northwestern Steel and Wire Co. are on their way to Washington today to join steelworkers from all over the country seeking support for the nation’s steel industry.
Steelworkers union members hope for answers today
Dorothy de Souza Guedes/CLINTON BUREAU
STERLING, Illinois Members of United Steelworkers of America Local 63 out of work from Northwestern Steel and Wire Co. hope to get answers today at the first union meeting since the company announced its shutdown May 18.
Union meeting provides few answers
Dorothy de Souza Guedes/CLINTON BUREAU
STERLING, Illinois The biggest hall in the area wasn’t large enough to hold the more than 2,000 union members, retirees and spouses searching for answers about the closing of the Northwestern Steel and Wire Co.
It was standing room only in the Sauk Valley Community College gymnasium, which seats about 1,650, and college staff set up extra speakers and chairs in the hallways for people not able to find a seat inside.
Features
Daughter’s CPR training saves mom’s life
By Dorothy de Souza Guedes Special to the Herald, Jan 23, 2015
LOW MOOR – When Holly Seidell learned CPR last year in a required high school health class she never imagined that training would save her mother’s life.
On the evening of Oct. 26, Holly, then 15, tossed a toy to her dog, Princess, in the backyard of her Low Moor home. When she walked through the back door and into the living room. she saw her mother, Marla Seidell, slumped over on the couch.
“It didn’t look like she was breathing,” Holly said. “I could see the whites of her eyes. Her lips were purple and her face was starting to turn purple.”
LONG GROVE WOMAN BREAKS BARRIER |
Lugging 45 pounds of equipment, navigating through a maze or dragging a 125-pound dummy: It’s all part of . . . Becoming a firefighter.
Dorothy de Souza Guedes/CLINTON BUREAU/May 30, 2001
MORRISON, Ill. The day before his birthday, someone told Gene DeMay of Morrison that something special would happen the next day.
It did he hit a hole in one.
Dorothy de Souza Guedes 