1. I say I am 5’10′, but that’s probably not true any more.
2. I blogged for a long time at Musings of a Distractible Mind
3. A lot of people read that blog and it was a lot of fun to write, but then I kind of got muddle-headed and started getting brain cramps
4. Then I took some time out to clear my head and reset my priorities
5. I’m not sure I cleared my head, but my priorities are a bit better than they were
6. Clear heads are probably over-rated
7. I now blog in two locations: I write a new blog called More Musings (of a Distractible Kind) which is pretty much volume 2 of the old blog, and I write a poetry blog called Llamaricks.
8. I once had a penguin named “Bucky”
9. I am one of those strange doctors who actually likes using a computer to do records.  I have been successful enough to win some award thingies and get elected to some other stuff, but I really just care about making things work better.
10. I am frustrated by our system and how it hurts my patients.
11. I own a couple of mock-turtlenecks, but not because I admire Steve Jobs or want to be like him.
12. Steve Jobs never owned a penguin named “Bucky”
13. I am married and have four kids.
14. My age is in the same zip code as that number which is half way to 100.
15. I have a beard and it is turning gray.  I will probably shave it off if people mistake me for Santa.
16. Santa never had a penguin named “Bucky”
17. When I write, I don’t do it with a lot of planning.  I just sit down and write what comes out of me.  That’s why it is so random.
18. I sometimes correct the typos, but most of the time I see them a few months after I wrote a post.
19. I was on “This American Life” for a five minute segment.  I got to talk to Ira Glass for an hour, though.
20. Ira Glass doesn’t have a penguin named “Bucky.”
21. I am trapped in a house that would make a good special for HGTV: Money Vacuums: Houses that Suck
22. I did a podcast for Quick and Dirty Tips for a while.
23. I never gave dirty tips, and being quick has always been difficult for me.
24. I was kidding about the penguins.   I know, I know; penguins are nothing to kid about.  My mom told me that all the time.

For those of you who have nothing better to do, here’s a little more information about who I am and what I am doing.

I am a doctor

• I am a primary care physician, practicing full-time in Augusta, Georgia.  I started practice here in 1994, and have recently left the practice I helped found to do something else.  More on that later.
• I am board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics.  I got this training at Indiana University Hospitals in Indianapolis, IN.
• I went to medical School at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA.

I am an expert on Electronic Medical Records (EMR)

• I led our practice in implementation of EMR in 1996.
• In 2003, our practice won the Davies Award for Primary Care from HIMSS (The Health Information Management Systems Society), which recognized us for our outstanding use of computerized records in a primary care setting.
• I was very active in our EMR vendor’s user group, serving on its board from 1997-2001, and serving as president from 1999-2000.
• I served in many different ways on multiple committees (private and government) advocating for better use of EMR and wider adoption.
• I have given presentations advocating for EMR use at many different venues around the country.
• In 2011 I was a speaker at the CDC public health grand rounds on the subject of EMR, which was broadcast around the world and viewed by more than 20,000.
• My writing about implementation and use of EMR has appeared in print journals and online.

I am a writer

• In 2006 I started writing the blog, Musings of a Distractible Mind.  I did this on a whim, having no idea how my writing would be received.  If you want to see my really old writing, visit here.  You be the judge if I’ve gotten better or worse.
• My writing, it turned out, was quite well received, being cited and republished my many high-profile websites.
• In 2009, I was recruited by MacMillan publishing to host the House Call Doctor podcast, which was a weekly podcast giving explanations to things medical.
• In 2010 I decided that I had too much on my plate, and gave up the podcast as well as taking a break from blogging.
• In 2012 I started blogging again on my new blog, More Musings (of a Distractible Kind).  I also attempted to have a poetry blog, Llamaricks, which hasn’t really gotten much content.  I do hope to write some more of this…unique…poetry in the future, though.
• For more information about where my writing has appeared, go here.

I am making a gigantic change

In September of this year (2012) I stopped working at my old practice so I could build a new solo practice, Dr. Rob Lamberts, LLC.  This practice will use the Direct Care model, which means:

• I will not accept insurance.
• My patients will pay between $30 and $60 per month (depending on age) for whatever care they need.
• There will be no copays for visits, and as few additional fees as I can get away with.
• I will keep the patient number low (1/3 of my previous practice’s size) so I can give better care for my patients.
• People will have direct access to me via phone, text, online visits, and by whatever other means we can come up with.  The goal is to give improved access so people don’t have to come in to my office, and (especially) don’t have to use the rest of the health care system.
• I will build a library of online resources for my patients so they can get their questions answered as easily as possible at the time these questions arise.

I am doing this big change on a big stage, writing about it in my blog and having those writings republished at various places around the web.