Leah Houston, MD had her physician identity used for billing after her employment concluded.  This led to the epiphany that caused her to start HPEC.IO, an organization that is trying to give physician's back control of their identities using blockchain technology.  This could be useful for doctors that want to switch jobs or states without having to have every bit of information independently verified.  We first discuss what blockchain is and then get into how she plans to implement it to not just help us keep our identities under our control, but to create bureaucracy-free virtual physician communities.

She is a board-certified Emergency Physician, founded Houston Health in 2013, and has a personalized private practice in Manhattan. While practicing medicine across the US for nearly 10 years she recognized a common problem: uncompensated administrative burdens related to physician employment and credentialing are a leading cause of administrative waste and physician burn out.

She began HPEC in 2018 when she realized that Blockchain could solve the obstructive regulatory problems with its distributed ledger technology. HPEC is building a platform that will give every physician a self-sovereign digital identity attached to their credentials in order to create the Decentralized Autonomous Organization of physicians and surgeons.  This will streamline the current antiquated and laborious process of hospital credentialing, save on administrative costs, improve access to care, and give physicians sovereign ownership of their data, professional brand and employment rights. HPEC will also create an opportunity for physicians to communicate more efficiently about policy and practice and in turn improve patient care. 

She can be found on her Social Media Handles (linkedin, twitter, Facebook, Instagram)

@LeahHoustonMD         

@HPECDAO        

This medical podcast is your physician mentor to fill the gaps in your medical education. We cover physician soft skills, charting, interpersonal skills, doctor finance, doctor mental health, medical decisions, physician parenting, physician executive skills, navigating your doctor career, and medical professional development. This is critical CME for physicians, but without the credits (yet). A proud founding member of the Doctor Podcast Network!

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This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, financial, or legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional for personalized guidance.