Hi. I am Russell Faust, PhD, MD, co-author of of this site...

For a super-brief bio, see www.about.me/russellfaust or my interview with Scrubs & Suits (Jan '12).

Your first thought in reading the following will be, “he’s a huge geek!” Well, I admit it, I am a huge tech geek (and a geek in general). For the curious, here is a deeper description of how I apply my tech interests to improve the practice of  medicine. 

Clinical

I am a Pediatric Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) surgeon – called a “boogordoctor” by my patients (and the giggle and giggle). I am board-certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology, and also by the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine. My clinical approach is to combine the best of conventional and alternative medicine for optimal health of my patients. Surgically, I practice minimally-invasive surgery: endoscopic approaches to reduce incisions and scars, and robotic surgery when that is possible. I published the first text on robotic surgery.

Academic

Co-founder and Advisor for the Health Academic Exchange International a forum at Oakland University, School of Business Administration.  Adjunct Faculty at Oakland University, Michigan.

Technical

While earning my PhD in Molecular & Cellular Biology I was exposed to the wonders of early PC and Apple/Mac technology in the lab. We wrote basic programs in order to automate data collection from the many lab machines, and dabbled in artificial intelligence for diagnostic programs. This was just expanding on my AI programming experience as an undergraduate (very cutting edge in the 70's). 

Technology in Healthcare

My interest in applying technology to optimize patient care has continued to evolve over the years of my medical training and clinical practice. For more than 15 years, I have taught courses at our annual Academy meetings: courses on computer programming, website development, digital imaging in the clinic and operating room, and many other topics.

This background resulted in being invited to lecture and lead workshops and seminars on topics of:

• healthcare reform 
• branding and marketing of medical practices and hospitals 
• the impact of “social media” on healthcare
• how physicians can benefit their patients, and their practices, through social media

The New Media

As my own medical blog developed, along with my expertise in these areas, colleagues approached me to assist them with their own websites, with their branding and marketing efforts, to assist them in developing a presence in the digital world, and better-connect with their patient communities.

As this activity grew into a professional interest, I was fortunate to meet Dean Berg.

Adding Expertise

Dean brought additional expertise to what we are able to offer clients: he has vast marketing and branding experience; he is a technophile, having worked in all aspects of software development, including engineering, marketing, and sales; he has extensive experience in product management, product marketing, business development, and compliance. Finally, he is one of the world’s true gurus in “localization” – how to make a product relevant in various cultures. 

Anicca Media

Dean and I both recognized that merging our skill-sets would offer great benefit to our clients. Out of this merger grew Anicca Media, as a consulting agency to help professional practices (medical, dental, chiropractic) and hospitals to “go digital” – to leverage their digital presence with confidence.