June 20, 2015 (by Jimmy) – Of course, the reason we are not travelling right now is because you can’t travel unless you have a source of income to support that travel.  As a consultant, my current project is the source for those future travels.  The technical name for my current project is “MEDITECH Magic to 6.1 Ready Migration.”  I won’t get into the details, but this project started when we arrived at Green Acres back in April; the Go-Live (when they start using the new system) is June 1, 2016, and the consultants will be on site until most of the go-live issues are corrected in probably late July or early August 2016.  This means that we will be here, and I will be on this project, for at least a year longer.  Angela has already mentioned our Key West Trip for this year, and we will have other opportunities to travel (with and without the RV), but this blog is about us and our life “living” in an RV whether we are travelling or not.

Now since part of my life living here has to do with work, I want to introduce you to the other consultants who are on the project with me.

Sherry Mitchell – Project Manager.  She’s the one who’s in charge of the overall project, making sure all milestones and deadlines are met no matter who is the lead on the specific section.  She deals with the Director of IT to ensure that he is aware of where the project is at any time in the process of the migration.  I would have gotten a picture of her, but they would’ve been blurry since I pretty much pass her in the hall at 80 miles an hour.  Sherry and I worked on a project in Texas a couple of years ago when I was the project manager.  Consulting can be a small world.

Coleen Gates – Clinical Lead, Patient Care System, Emergency Department, Home Health, Hospice

Colleen Asleep standing up. Ok, maybe I didn’t take the best picture

Colleen is from Nashville and is practicing to run a marathon later this year.

Amy Skaggs – Physician Access, Imaging and Therapeutic Services

Amy reading some reports. Again not my best picture taking.

Amy is from Las Vegas and is getting married in October.

Susan Haviland – Order Entry, e-Prescribing

Okay, this is the best I can do with this picture.

Susan is from Missouri (Near Joplin).  Susan has a knack to win at any casino she walks into.  She and I banter with each other, but in seriousness, she is a joy to work with.

Robert McLaughlin – Lab, Blood Bank, Pathology

If I were as tall as Robert, I wouldn’t have a weight problem

Robert is from Oklahoma, we don’t see him as much.  He works out of the Lab and not in the consultants office.

Tommy Holbrook – Pharmacy

Nice Tie Tommy

Tommy is from the Tampa, FL area.  Tommy always has that easy smile for everyone.

David Fain – Financial Lead, Case Management, Revenue Cycle

I was David’s Mentor when we worked together for a different company.

David is from Kentucky. He used to be a Marine and was also a police officer before coming into healthcare.

Lisa English – Health Information, Scanning and Archiving, Registration

Lisa was a client of mine before she became a consultant

Lisa lives in Kansas, and she drives every week to the client site instead of flying (eight hours one way).

Jimmy Johnson (me) – General Ledger, Material Management, HR and Payroll, Surgery.  I’m the only one who lives full time in an RV, but some of the others have been interested.  It’s always fun to talk to them about the life style.  You always hear, once the kids are grown or I wish I was that adventurous.  I just tell them don’t wait; just do it.  Oh, well, we’ll see.

This is the team that is working on the project.  I am the oldest (by a few months) and have the most experience as a consultant (over 13 years now).  As I have gotten to know these folks, I really think that we have the potential to be the best team that I have worked with.  Only time will tell, two months down and 14 to go. Until later… Later…