Google Closes Google Health
June 26, 2011 – 3:31 amGoogle announced that it is officially shutting down Google Health, and persons in healthcare are all abuzz. About the closing, Google stated on their official blog:
In the coming months, we’re going to retire two products that didn’t catch on the way we would have hoped, but did serve as influential models: Google Health and Google PowerMeter. Both were based on the idea that with more and better information, people can make smarter choices…When we launched Google Health, our goal was to create a service that would give people access to their personal health and wellness information. We wanted to translate our successful consumer-centered approach from other domains to healthcare and have a real impact on the day-to-day health experiences of millions of our users.
Now, with a few years of experience, we’ve observed that Google Health is not having the broad impact that we hoped it would.
Commenting on the closing of Google Health, Dr. Anthony Centore wrote: “Google Health would have been a huge asset if Google would have made the system into an EHR (Electronic Health Record) accessible by healthcare providers. Working in the healthcare industry on the medical credentialing side of things, we hear from providers every day who are looking for an affordable and reliable EHR.”
The Medical Credentialing website http://medicalcredentialing.org just published a page introducing the fees for their full service medical credentialing service. 
Thriveworks Medical Billing for Behavioral Health Providers
Big news for masters-level counselors / marriage and family therapists as it applies to accepting Medicare clients in private practice! With the introduction of the Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2011, which was submitted to Congress, LMHCs (LPCs, LCPCs) and LMFTs may soon be able to be credentialed with Medicare, and reimbursed at the same rate as LICSWs. This is a promising step, and changes could be in effect by the end of 2011. 
Bob Brewster is a solution-focused counselor with an existential approach to care. 
Thrive featured in a Boston.com piece “Tips for Finding the Right Therapist” — Dr. Anthony Centore provides about 10 tips on finding the the right therapist / counselor in Boston. 
There is no ‘trick’ to get your partner to join you in couples counseling. While the following tips may help you to encourage your partner, they are not ways to manipulate your partner. In fact, you will find that many of the strategies below can only be effective if you are not trying to manipulate your partner, and only if you, yourself, are dedicated to improving the relationship, and willing to improve yourself as an important part of the process!
Eliana Bojkova, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Eliana works with individuals, couples, and families who experience difficulties in daily living and present with symptoms of anxiety, depression, or struggle with relational problems, grief, trauma , or self esteem issues. Dr. Bojkova also works with children.
