About this site and the owner
As the author and owner of the site I wanted to share experiences, market trends, and lessons learned in a totally neutral space. The intention of this site is to share consultant tips and tricks but also includes interesting stories, hotel/airline/restaurant reviews, and much more. Created in 2011, the site has been and continues to be a place to share experiences, and I welcome guests to share in comments or contribute stories. I hope you like the topics and find this useful and fun.
Additionally, I continue to provide free coaching to consultants and business owners (or should I say new business builders). These services range from GTM development, networking, and professional coaching sessions.
if you are interested in coaching and consultant opportunities, I would be happy to talk to you anytime. You can email me directly at dherr22@gmail.com.
My Professional Story as told to Emerson College
When I graduated from Emerson College with a degree in Speech, I didn’t yet realize how foundational communication would become to my entire career. What I did know was that I wanted to work in a field where clarity, empathy, and human connection mattered. That first opportunity came at Children’s Hospital Boston, where I supported the Department of General Surgery and later transitioned into an Application Support Specialist role. It was there, inside a world‑class academic medical center, that I first saw how technology and clinical operations intersect to shape patient care.
Those early years were formative. Healthcare IT was still emerging, and hospitals were just beginning to understand the potential of electronic systems. I found myself drawn to providing training the technical solutions, helping teams adopt new tools, and supporting the shift from paper to digital. That blend of front of class room, training end end-user technology became the foundation of my career.
Over the next 20 years, I built a leadership path across nearly every dimension of Healthcare IT consulting. I led EHR implementation teams, optimization programs, managed services organizations, and large multi‑vendor practices. I supported hospitals through early stage planning, system build, testing, activation, and post‑live refinement. I advised CIOs and executives on governance, staffing models, infrastructure, and long‑term digital strategy.
My roles at multiple consulting and professional services firms gave me a front row seat to the industry’s evolution. I managed hundreds of consultants, gave large demonstrations, held interviews for radio and television, and created a unique blend of public speaking, sales, and IT. Other platforms that allowed me to present on stage included EHR vendor Epic, but also other industry organizations, including KLAS and CHIME. I also supported divestiture planning and strategic growth initiatives that deepened my understanding of the business side of healthcare technology.
Throughout this journey, one constant has been the rapid growth of Healthcare IT itself. I felt I needed to share with others and in 2011, I launched my blog, Consultant Tips (https://consultant-tips.blog/), as a way to share lessons learned, industry insights, and practical guidance for consultants navigating this fast‑moving field. What started as a small side project has grown into an almost 15 year archive of reflections on leadership, EHR strategy, career development, and the evolving landscape of healthcare technology. The blog has become a place where I can give back to the consulting community, mentor others through writing, and document the changes I’ve witnessed across more than two decades in the industry.
Looking back, I can see how my Speech degree played a larger role than I ever expected. Healthcare IT is fundamentally about communication — aligning stakeholders, guiding organizations through change, building trust with clinicians, and helping teams understand not just what is happening, but why. The ability to listen, articulate, and connect has been just as important as any technical skill.
My career has taken me from supporting clinics at Children’s Hospital Boston to advising executives at major health systems, from managing small project teams to overseeing hundreds of consultants, and from early EHR adoption to the cutting edge of AI‑enabled care. Along the way, I’ve seen firsthand how technology can reduce burden, improve outcomes, and empower clinicians.
Healthcare IT continues to grow, and so do the people who work within it. I’m grateful that my path began with a Speech degree and a chance to support a world‑class hospital. That foundation of communication, curiosity, and a commitment to helping others has guided me through every chapter of a career built at the intersection of technology and patient care. And through television, radio, and my blog, I’ve been able to share that journey with others, contributing to the next generation of consultants who will shape the future of this industry.
Thanks for visiting! – Douglas Herr Jr.
This site is an independently owned blog site.
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Click on my image below for my Professional Profile
consultant-tips.blog 
Yes, after 5 years I’ve decided maxIT has transformed into something I no longer can contribute. I am now with a new firm that is very much like maxIT was 5 years ago.
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