Emerging Career: Disease Manager

People with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, congestive heart fail­ure, arthritis, and asthma are increasingly seeking the services of medical professionals known as disease managers to help them nav­igate the challenging and often confusing world of health care. Disease managers are a type of health coach who educate patients about medical services and treatments (keeping them on track for required appointments, etc.), serve as advocates for patients, and work with patients to help them make the best treatment decisions (such as surgery vs. physical therapy) regard­ing their illness.

Health care professionals with several years of clinical experience and a desire for autonomy often pursue careers as disease managers after growing bored with their current jobs. Nurses make up the largest number of disease managers, but dietitians, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and social workers also specialize in the field. Health insurance companies and companies that provide dis­ease management counseling to customers are the largest employers of disease managers, but these professionals also work in hospitals and other health care settings.Successful disease managers need clinical experience, strong communication and interviewing skills, good motivational abil­ities, and excellent judgment.

Approximately 3,500 disease managers currently work in the United States. This number is expected to grow to 10,000 in the next decade.

(Chicago Tribune)

New Career Site Takes it Up a Notch by Paying for Interviews

Pounding the payment in search of the perfect job may soon be a thing of the past. It may sound too good to be true, but a new Internet start-up, NotchUp.com, offers top candidates payment for interviewing with potential employers.

Here's how it works: Job seekers are prescreened by a network of hiring managers and human resource professionals in an online application; if they have the proper credentials-education, skills, and work experience-they are granted membership. Once accept­ed, candidates use a website tool to calculate an interview price. (Industry + job x pay + experience = interview price) Employers search the website for candidates that match their needs, and set up an interview. If interested, the candidate accepts and is paid once the interview is completed-whether or not a job offer is made or accepted.

According to the founders of NotchUp.com, this method makes sense and actually saves time and money for both the companies and the interviewees. Interview fees average around $200 and up--far below the 30 percent of the hire's annual salary charged by recruiters and other job board websites. To make a profit, NotchUp.com charges companies a 15 to 20 percent transaction fee. Besides the financial savings, companies and interviewees are able to avoid a lengthy and costly interviewing process two ways: by interviewing only the best qualified candi­dates, and by candidates accepting interview invitations for positions and employers for which they are most interested. For more information, visit www.NotchUp.com.

(MSNBC.com, NotchUp.com)

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• WIB Board of Directors Meeting: Tuesday January 27th 8:00am WIB Office
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