Three Wise Dames

Marketing in the Life Science Industry

An Appreciation of DVD Extras January 31, 2012

Filed under: Business,Corporate Preparation,Debbie,Innovation — Debbie Donovan @ 11:39 am

from: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44491069/ns/today-entertainment/t/surprises-youll-find-star-wars-blu-ray-set/#.TsKp4cMr27s

Most in my circle know of my passion for the work of George Lucas, especially the Star Wars Universe filled with fascinating characters, exotically imagined locations and classic good vs. evil plot lines. I adore watching the DVD extras especially those that pick apart how the movie come together:

  • who spoke with who to initiate the project—frequently it’s a small miracle the film was ever put into production
  • how casting and directing decisions were made—great films always feature a palpable chemistry between the players on screen and off
  • how the roles of certain specialty professionals (music, editing, special effects, makeup, costume, sets, props) combine to create the overall look and feel—some elements become characters in their own right to elevate the final experience.

It’s helpful to pick apart and study successful marketing programs both inside healthcare and in the consumer arenas. There are many lessons to be learned and applied.

What behind the scenes programs have enlightened you and what lessons do you remember? Share the wisdom.

P.S Oprah’s Next Chapter interview with George Lucas was wonderful, worth catching on OWN. And yes, I am looking forward to the 3-D versions of my favorite saga on the big screen once again.

(C) 2012 eGold Solutions; all rights reserved.

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A fascination with behind-the-scenes programs December 19, 2011

Filed under: Debbie,Market Planning,Marketing staffing,Programs — Debbie Donovan @ 10:22 am
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From: http://ww2.cox.com/myconnection/sandiego/watch/entertainment/own.cox

I was not a regular Oprah show watcher; however, from time to time, if there was a particular topic or guest of interest, I would go out of my way to record her regular show.

In May 2011, I made a point of recording the final weeks of the main show and captured her 25th Season Behind the Scenes program on OWN. When I’m engaged in mundane tasks (e.g. folding laundry), I really appreciate the opportunity to watch the Harpo crew in action. Oprah says her team is the best in the business and I couldn’t agree more.

Getting a “behind the scenes look” at project execution with their level of focus and intense attention to detail makes one appreciate excellence in professional work. Every show, event, campaign that any marketer develops should be approached with the notion that no stone should be left unturned and nothing should be left to chance. Since we don’t really have any control over how events unfold, it’s good to know that you’ve planned the core details and made just-in-case contingencies. Then when it’s time to let go and let “it” happen, you can do so and enjoy the ride. I’ve been experiencing Oprah’s Life Class on Facebook and because I have watched her behind the scenes program, I have a complete appreciation for how the well oiled the team is and how they’ve moved into creating as wonderful experience on-line as they did on the TV show.

Frequently, the Harpo team bites off more than they can chew and it is in those moments that you realize that you can’t execute every great idea–it’s better to do a few things and knock them out of the park. As Lisa says, if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.

In medical marketing, the devilish details can be similar to an Oprah show—managing talent a.k.a. handling patients and health care professionals. It can also be vastly different—content negotiated down to the word, HIPAA privacy, ethics codes, etc. None of it should be overlooked and they are the parts of any program that contribute to successful outcomes.

What behind the scenes programs have enlightened you and what lessons do you remember? Share the wisdom.

(C) 2011 eGold Solutions; all rights reserved.

 

Putting a stake in the poop December 1, 2011

Filed under: Debbie,marketing,Programs,Social media,strategy — Debbie Donovan @ 12:59 am
Tags: , , , , ,
Just because you should, do you

From: http://www.gastrointestinalatlas.com/English/Colon_and_Rectum/Normal_Colon/normal_colon_.html

Today I began my next adventure as the Director of Marketing at Avantis Medical Systems (Sunnyvale, CA). I will be applying my marketing knowledge and experience to help the Third Eye® Retroscope® become a household name (great branding, right?). Here’s a brief description from the current website (being ever mindful of labeling):

“During a colonoscopy exam, the Third Eye provides a retrograde—or reverse—view that appears on a screen side-by-side with the traditional forward-looking view. Colonoscopy is currently the most accurate test for detection of both polyps and colorectal cancer. It also provides the best means for removing them. However, research shows that some polyps and cancers can be missed during routine colonoscopy, especially if they occur in locations that are hidden from the forward view of the colonoscope. The colon has many folds in its inner lining and contains many sharp turns, or flexures. The areas behind those folds and flexures are difficult to see with the colonoscope. The Third Eye Retroscope provides a way to visualize the hidden areas behind folds and flexures by providing a retrograde view.”

Here’s why I am so excited about this opportunity:

  • As a young marketing communications agency executive, I worked on the Hemoccult® Brand Fecal Occult Blood Test used to screen the colon for hidden blood caused by cancer and other diseases. Back then it was owned by SmithKline Diagnostics, now it’s owned by Danaher—here’s a blog post by Ron Schoengold. I received two awards for a patient education poster entitled Colorectal Cancer: Facts you should know about its detection and prevention (I know, very sexy stuff). More importantly that work connected me permanently to the lifelong work of my father, Ron. For those of you that know my family, it’s beyond exciting for all of us that I am “back in the poop.”
  • The time has come to put into put a “stake in the poop” and apply all that I have learned about digital marketing, and especially social media. I can’t wait to discover the haystacks of needles, use social capital and motivate healthcare providers to find the power in combined brands. I believe it is possible to drive brand value for medical devices and diagnostics using modern marketing techniques

I vow to continue blogging to highlight learnings and great resources I stumble upon. Feel free to ask me questions about what’s happening as you begin to stumble upon the Third Eye Retroscope and its contributions to colonoscopy and cancer detection.

Views expressed on this blog are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.

In this season of giving thanks for all the blessings in my life, I want to express my gratitude for the support I have received in the past two years.

  • To Lisa for getting 3WD started and being a great mentor and friend.
  • To Betsy for her most recent colonoscopy post (looks like I get to use the image after all).
  • To my social media gurus for keeping me ahead of the curve.
  • To my incredible network of friends and family maintained on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Ole!

©2011 eGold Solutions. All rights reserved.

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Physician, Google Thyself* Part I November 11, 2011

Filed under: Debbie,Physician Google Thyself,Physician Preparation,Reputation Management — Debbie Donovan @ 9:30 am
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[Republished 11/11/11 to expand on an excellent post from Doximity Advisory Doard memberBryan Vartabedian, MD, is a pediatric gastroenterologist at Texas Children’s Hospitaland blogs at 33 charts]

This is the first in a set of posts designed to educate physicians on how their names are being displayed. The education should lead to an evaluation of their current situation and motivation for them to execute basic activities to manage their reputation on-line. Physician Google Thyself Webinar Video on Blip.TV

EDUCATE:

Excellent reputations spread via word of mouth (WOM) has been and is still the most valuable “referral” marketing tool for any physician’s practice. WOM reputations are spread from health care professionals and the family and friends of patients [1].

The transmission vehicle for WOM referral marketing has changed substantially with the widespread availability of the Internet. Rating and reviewing services for restaurants, dry cleaners, hair stylists and other service-based businesses have popped-up all over the Internet (e.g. Yelp). The ability to review service-based business has been added to map and phone directory listings and these reviews are displayed in search engine results (e.g. Google Maps displays reviews from InsiderPages and Yahoo Local).

In addition to general rating services, there are dozens of health care professional directories. These directories purchase lists from medical associations, state licensing boards, and other data aggregators. Clinical specialty organizations (e.g. American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons) also publish physician locator services as a benefit of society membership (here’s a directory of directories from MedlinePlus). Healthcare systems, hospitals and insurance companies also maintain on-line directories of service providers in their networks.

The latest entries the internet community are the social media platforms—FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, et Al. These new platforms provide patients with a “global soapbox” on which to tell their story and spread it electronically.

The challenge for health care providers is the lack of control of the content on these services and platforms. Of special concern is the protection of personal health information (PHI) defined by health care privacy laws (HIPAA) [2].

With the current marketing craze around social media, what is a trained health care professional to do? Being aware and managing your on-line reputation is mission critical to maintaining and growing your practice.

Next Up:  Evaluate your situation

Physician Google Thyself Webinar Video on Blip.TV

(C) 2010 eGold Solutions

*************

*Thanks Elizabeth Cooney for the great post title (July 08); great minds think alike.

[1] http://www.hschange.com/CONTENT/1028/1028.pdf

[2] http://mamedicallaw.com/blog/2009/10/19/social-networking-101-for-physicians/

 

Marketing Tool Kits: Exemplary Compliance October 10, 2011

Filed under: Customer,Debbie,marketing,Physicians,Programs,Tool Kits — Debbie Donovan @ 2:00 pm
Tags: , ,

Updated post

Found: http://blog.homegain.com/best-practices/lifelong-learning/

In Lisa’s post about legacy marketing, she extols the virtues of doing things well and I couldn’t agree more especially when considering the legal realities associated with industry codes–AdvaMed, PhRMA, CMSS, et. Al. If those acronyms are alphabet soup to you then please take the time to read up and come back, I’ll wait.

Bottom line (and one of my truth’s):

Health care providers must own their reputations and practice marketing.

What that means to companies is that they can supply to all QUALIFIED CUSTOMERS with a DIY Marketing Tool Kit.

The company determines exactly how a customer qualifies as long as those rules are applied consistently across the customer base. Here are some qualifications:

  • Complete product training program
  • Perform a minimum number of cases to demonstrate competency
  • Perform procedures in a specific site of service
  • Have admission privileges to at least one hospital facility
  • Have an active medical/DEA license
  • Agree to make specific dollar contributions to a turnkey marketing program with a third party vendor.

If your management team wants you to just dole out money for customer’s marketing activities without a formal program, push back. Regulators can see the brightly lit money trail a mile away. Here’s an example:

[Newly added 10/10/11]

Here’s a Press Release from Office of the Inspector General about a military cardiologist getting sentencing because of benefits received from a variety of activities including dinners with sales reps.

NPR Story:

Here’s a story from the AP on Massachusetts reporting of payments to physicians. “The report was the result of a 2008 state law that banned some types of gifts outright and required companies to report other types of payments.”

Note how the state has categorized the payments to physicians:

“That’s according to a new report from the state Department of Public Health, which said the payments included speaking and consulting fees, meals, and education and marketing programs.”

Doing it right is more than a compliance issue–it’s a mindset. People value what they pay for and they are more engaged in success when they have skin in the game. Everybody wins when customer marketing programs are both compelling and compliant.

(C) 2011 all rights reserved eGold Solutions.

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MedTech Vision 2011 Conference October 2, 2011

Filed under: Debbie,Lisa,MedTech Women,strategy,Women consumers — Debbie Donovan @ 2:54 am
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THEME: Advancing Care through Access, Cost and Innovation: Opportunities in the New Era of Med Tech

Lisa and Debbie spent two glorious days at this inaugural event. It was incredible to be in a room filled with powerful, successful women all from the MedTech industry. It was a nice change of pace to have the focus just on devices and diagnostics (no pharma or biotech, with all due respect). Speakers from all corners of the industry were featured in keynotes and in well organized panel discussions—each could have gone on for hours. The setting, refreshments and accommodations were spectacular, especially for out-of-area attendees.

Hats off to the catalysts and organizing committee; since you were able to pull off a stunningly successful event, you have a group ready to set a new course for evolving the industry that has captured our hearts and minds.

Quotable Moments–highlights from our notes:

Thursday AM

Thursday PM

Friday AM

Related links

Medtech Vision 2011

MedTech Women

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2011 (C) eGold Solutions and pH Consulting; all rights reserved.

 

MedTech Vision 2011 Conference Thursday AM October 2, 2011

Filed under: Debbie,Lisa,MedTech Women,Patient,Women consumers — Debbie Donovan @ 2:49 am

Related Links:MedTech WomenMedTech Vision 2011 Conference

Name, Affiliation

Session Title

Notes, Quotable Moment
Bray Patrick-Lake, president and CEO of the PFO Research Foundation Patients are More Than a P-value: The Path Forward From the Patient PerspectiveKickoff Keynote Lost in translation
Be the patient; be uncomfortable.
Nancy Lynch, MD – Orthopedic surgeon, Independent Orthopedic Technologies Consultant Physician Panel – Defining and Addressing the NeedModerator How does the product positively change the patient flow and meet the clinical goal?

Francine Kaufman, MD – Pediatric endocrinologist, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles; Former President, American Diabetes Association; Chief Medical Officer and VP, Global Medical, Clinical and Health Affairs, Medtronic Diabetes

 

 Panelists Lots of unmet needs in chronic diseases – primarily time to support and reinforce care protocols:  Need to be creative and consider other avenues to assist patients to assist themselves, i.e.  Physician extenders – as in nurse educators at drugstores to meet and work with patients, web-based live interactive coaching to reinforce patient specific protocols and fundamentals for disease management – because the patient doesn’t absorb everything in the 15 minute visit with the doctor.

Donna Pacicca, MD – Orthopedic surgeon, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas, MO

 Panelist Pediatrics – the very definition of unmet needs.  Nearly everything used in pediatric care is derived from remaking adult designed product – understandably it is not profitable to make for every size pediatric patient, however manufacturers should make for range, specifically for pediatrics. Also, observe how physicians work – what processes, patient flow, how they use the product before designing something new

Shyamali Singhal, MD, PhD, Surgical Oncologist and Medical Director, Cancer Center at
El Camino Hospital

 Panelist Clinical studies are designed to show benefit from mortality, vs. Quality of Life – there is a real opportunity in the QOL realm.

Manufacturers need to ensure that their developments DO NOT add steps, process additions, time, inconvenience or demand additional resources be added for the sake of using a new product – think reduction of time, resources, learning curves of the providers simultaneously while benefiting the patient

 
Bonnie Weiner, MD – Professor of Medicine, University of MA Medical School; Director Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship Program, St Vincent Hospital; Board Chair, Chief Medical Officer Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence; Former President, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions Panelist Unmet needs can best be defined by [manufacturer’s] assembling all the available data (instruments, processes, tx protocols) to find the needle in the haystack – that makes it better for the patient and easier for the physician.  Follow a physician through a day of patient treatment BEFORE making the perfect widget.   Great opportunities in development that align with defining care protocols that take into account risk stratification leaving room for further intervention if indicated
Tamara Elias, MD – Principal, Essex Woodlands Investment in Medtech Panel – Where Do We Go from Here?Moderator Cycle or fundamental shift?
Amy Wendell – Senior VP Strategy and Business Development, Covidien Susan E. Morano – World Wide VP of New Business Development, Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices & Diagnostics Group Beckie Robertson – Managing Director ,Versant Ventures Mercy Forde – Senior Relationship Manager, Venture Capital & Private Equity Services,
Silicon Valley Bank Ashley Ledbetter Dombkowski, Ph.D. – Chief Business Officer, 23andMe		 Panelists All echoed:Product ideas that landed in a white space and fill significant, unmet clinical needs.
Deal structures involve new collaborative models

2011 (C) eGold Solutions and pH Consulting; all rights reserved.

 

MedTech Vision 2011 Conference Thursday PM October 2, 2011

Filed under: Debbie,Lisa,MedTech Women,Patient,Women consumers — Debbie Donovan @ 2:39 am

Name, Affiliation

Thursday PM Sessions

Notes, Quotable Moment
Sandra J Miller – Director, Kauffman Labs for Enterprise Creation Lunch & CEO Roundtable – The New Face of Leadership

Moderator

 What’s your word?
K. Angela Macfarlane – President and CEO, ForSight Labs Panelist Hold problems
EMPATHY
Beverly Huss – President and CEO, Vibrynt Panelist Still haven’t found what I’m looking for
RESILIENT
Lisa Earnhardt – President and CEO, Intersect ENT Panelist Get alignment (not necessarily consensus)
COLLABORATION
Ferolyn Powell – DVP & GM, Abbott Vascular Structural Heart (formerly CEO of Evalve, Inc) Panelist Hire your sister
Hire taller (then self)
PASSION
Alexandra Lansky, MD – Director of Yale Cardiovascular Research Group New Clinical Opportunities Panel – Health of Women, Not Just Women’s HealthModerator Health issues unique to women and hire incidence in women
Lisa M. Tate – CEO, WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart DiseaseLynn Westphal, MD – Director of Women’s Health at Stanford University

Ellen Goldberg – Marketing Strategy Consultant; former Vice President, Marketing, Crescendo Bioscience

 Cardiovascular Panelists If under diagnosed then it’s under treated—funnel is not right size.
Deborah Kilpatrick – Senior Vice President, Commercial, CardioDxMarie Barry – Industry Consultant, Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals

Vibeke Strand, MD, FACP, FACR – Adjunct Clinical Professor in the Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University School of Medicine

 Rheumatoid Arthritis Panelists No cures
Higher incidence of cardiovascular problemsPracticed patient
Anne Abreu – Director of Reimbursement, Sonitus Medical Reimbursement Case Study Panel – Getting Good Innovation Paid For
Without Breaking the Bank Moderator		 Anything is possible; nothing is easy
Betsy Thompson, MD, DrPH – Chief Medical Officer, CMS Region IX Panelist Consider the magnitude of the risk and benefit against reasonable and necessary
Robin G. Cisneros – National Director, Medical Technology Assessment and Products, The Permanente Federation Panelist Look at everything (data wise)Dr. Eddy—QOL are things patients feel and care about
Liesl Cooper – VP Healthcare Economics, Policy and Reimbursement, Covidien Panelist Ecosystem is changing
There’s an art to health economics
Lisa Suennen – Managing Member, Psilos Group Managers Healthcare Costs and Innovation Panel – Friends or Foes? Moderator Key innovations?
Molly Joel Coye, MD, MPH – Chief Innovation Officer, UCLA Health System, University of California, Los Angeles Panelist Show customers how to make the decision
Remote home monitoring + telemedicine
Michelle Heying – President and COO, DynaVox Technologies Panelist Cost sensitivity in the patient pathway
Tablet technology
Deneen Vojta, MD – Senior VP of the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform and Modernization Panelist Solve a real problem
Facebook as adult anti-depressant
Ginger Graham, former president and CEO, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, and former group chairman, Office of the President, Guidant Corporation Continuing to Innovate in Today’s Economic and Regulatory EnvironmentIndustry Keynote GeneticsRetail-ization of healthcare delivery

Globalization of middle class

Healthcare companies redefined models

Personal Technologies

  • Stand without moving
  • Make statements without upward voice inflection

Related Links:

MedTech Women

MedTech Vision 2011 Conference

2011 (C) eGold Solutions and pH Consulting; all rights reserved.

 

MedTech Vision 2011 Conference Friday AM October 2, 2011

Filed under: Debbie,Lisa,MedTech Women,Regulatory,Women consumers — Debbie Donovan @ 2:33 am

Name, Affiliation

Friday AM Sessions

Notes, Quotable Moment
Ellen Zane, president and CEO Tufts Medical Center, Boston MA Bringing it All Together: Clinical Practice, Industry, Research & Education Providers brand increases cost
Insurers need to be value-driven Employers’ fair share
Consumers need to become cost conscious and take responsibility Government pay fairly
Lisa Greenwald-Swire, JD – Principal, Fish & Richardson Emerging Markets Panel – New Frontier of Growth Moderator Expanding middle class Health care system consuming implants, disposables and diagnostic imaging
Nancy Travis – Vice President Global Strategy Advamed, former Deputy Director of US State Dept Office of Economic Policy in the Bureau of Easter Asia and Pacific Affairs Panelist In the next 5 years, China will export more med tech to the UYS/EU—current quality is low, counterfeit
Wendy X. Shao – Managing Director & Chairman of Board of R&D Systems China Co. Ltd. Panelist Healthcare identified as a key industry in the 12th 5-yr plan
Natasha Leskovesk, RN, JD – Partner, Cooley LLP, former researcher, NIH Regulatory Panel – Panels, Pivotals and Pain Moderator Data needed to satisfy agency is also needed to sell product to customers
Debra J. Rasmussen – Senior Director Regulatory Affairs, Companion Diagnostic CoE, Johnson & Johnson Panelist JNJ keeps submitting on schedule, focused on customer needs and wants
Jonette Foy, Ph.D. – Acting Deputy Director for Science & Regulatory Policy, Office of Device Evaluation, CDRH Panelist Communicate with agency early and often, flurry of draft guidance—please comment, improving transparency and predictability
Elaine Tseng, JD – Partner King & Spalding LLP, former FDA Counsel Panelist Draft guidance is making more clear the practice that has developed and is in use
Cindy Domecus, RAC (US & EU) – Principal, Domecus Consulting Services LLC Panelist “I no longer have the answer, just pray”
510(k): there’s a lower tolerance for the gap between base products and equivalents
trend toward de novo process
Tamara Fraizer, JD, PhD – Principal, Fish & Richardson Entrepreneurship Panel – Starting and Building Successful Companies in the New World Order Moderator Patent reform bill signed into law by Obama
Are leaders born or made?
Stacy Enxing Seng – President, ev3/Covidien Peripheral Vascular Panelist Born + rise to occasion Find the unmet and unfunded needs
Denise Zarins – Co-Founder, Ardian/Medtronic Panelist Born + education + luck (track record)
Karen Talmadge, PhD – Co-Founder of Kyphon and former start-up CEO Panelist Born (passion)
Prove the opportunity to yourself—be skeptical No short cuts, do each step
Erica Rogers – COO, Medicines360 and co-founder of Visiogen Panelist Born + big company experience See one; do one
Not all great ideas get enough funding to get to market

Related Links:

MedTech Women

MedTech Vision 2011 Conference

2011 (C) eGold Solutions and pH Consulting; all rights reserved.

 

3WD Interview–NurseBab a.k.a. Barbara Dehn, RN, MS, NP August 25, 2011

Filed under: 3WD Interviews,Debbie,Lisa,Women consumers — Debbie Donovan @ 4:41 pm
Tags:

NurseBarb a.k.a. Barbara Dehn, RN, MS, NP

My connections to Barbara Dehn are many. First the original wise dame, Lisa, connected with her while doing research and sent me her bio. Next, I contacted Barb for a market research project and she provided valuable insights. Then one night she was a guest at a fondue party held at my house. She was gracious enough to agree to an official 3WD interview.

  • How did you arrive in your current role?

It was a combination of luck and hard work.  Like many entrepreneurs, I started Blue Orchid Press after having an “Aha” moment while looking at a fold out map of Washington, DC and then visualizing a women’s health guide that was packed with information in an easy to read format that folded up like a map. As a nurse practitioner, I had been producing health information packets for years, so I hired a fantastic designer, rolled up my sleeves and started a publishing company.

Meanwhile I was also speaking on women’s health topics to audiences around the country and found myself in the proverbial “right place at the right time.”  A producer from NBC saw me give a talk and asked me to start appearing on live national TV as a health expert. Appearing on television is exciting and a fantastic way to reach a larger audience with important health information.

  • What do you love most about the work you do?

I love everything about my work.  I’m fortunate to have a variety of experiences. I love working with people one-on-one and hearing their stories.  I’m fascinated by their resilience, strength and ability to love and nurture.  I’ve been honored to be part of people’s lives through some of the most deeply personal and private moments from trying to have a baby and  giving birth to the transitions people and their families face at the end of life. Being fully present and listening to people and providing care and guidance  is what I’m passionate about and want to continue as long as I can.

  • Where is the most exotic place in the world that you’ve eaten?

I spent part of my childhood on Kodiak Island, Alaska, so I guess it would be one of the many summer days, eating salami sandwiches with my brothers while fishing for red salmon on the banks of the Buskin River. We were keeping one eye out for bears and  bald eagles, who’d eye us warily while they did their own fishing.  We lost a lot of lures and still caught a lot of fish.

I’m looking forward to doing more work with NurseBarb and having dinner with her again soon.

Related information:

NurseBarb’s website

NurseBarb on Twitter

NurseBarb on YouTube

(C) 2011 eGold Solutions; all rights reserved.