eNews from MdHIMA
 
Issue 23 - October 2010
Inside this Issue:

President’s Message
Call for Nominations
A Day in the Life...
MDHIMA Annual Conference
Update from the Personal Health Record Committee
HOD Report: Higher Education and Workforce Team
AHIMA CSA Team Recognition for Coding Roundtable Activities
CodeWrite
2010 MdHIMA Distinguished Student Awards
Welcome New MdHIMA Members!
Dates to Remember
Submit Items for the e-Newsletter
Is Your AHIMA Profile Current?

President’s Message

Since the last newsletter, the MdHIMA Board and I have been extremely busy on your behalf to represent our organization.  I would like to thank the members of the Board and the Committees for diligently working to maintain and improve MdHIMA’s operations.

The AHIMA Convention and House of Delegate (HOD) Meeting were held the week of September 25th at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando, Florida.  Five of MdHIMA’s Delegates attended the House of Delegate meeting and discussions on the Action Forums, Albert Key, Dolores Stephens, Monna Nabers, Sallie Tyner, and Dina Smoker.

There are currently six HOD Teams - House Operations team (Albert Key), HIM Higher Education and Workforce (Sallie Tyner), Environmental Scan (Dina Smoker), Professional Development and Recognition (Dolores Stephens), Best Practices/Standards (Monna Nabers), and Volunteer and Leadership Development (Volunteer). MdHIMA will be assigning a volunteer to the Volunteer and Leadership Development team at the next MdHIMA board meeting.

During the House of Delegate meeting the amendment to change the name from the American Health Information Management Association to the American Health Informatics Information Management Association was voted on and defeated. The second amendment, the Apportionment Senate Option, was also defeated by a vote of 117 to 103 amending that option to a 3rds model.  A subsequent vote on the 3rds model was then defeated by a vote of 118 to 97.  MdHIMA Delegates unanimously voted against all of the amendments.

The Action Forums included the House Action Items, Workforce and PPE, the HIM Role in EHR &HIE, the HIM Role in RECS: ARRA Bold, Leadership Development/Academy, ICD-10 Implementation/Training, and Health Informatics.

AHIMA Convention – The AHIMA Convention’s theme this year was “Prosper Through Change, Global Transformation, and Historic Opportunities”. The convention provided many opportunities to interact with prominent speakers, professional development and educational courses, and networking events with peers, colleagues and vendors. AHIMA’s President Rita Bowen stated, “Last year I said we were an association of professionals ready to lead. All year long I have felt it. Now I know it is true, we are leading.” AHIMA currently has membership in excess of 60,000 professionals.

AHIMA Nominating Committee – I would like to congratulate Virginia Bell, who was selected as an Alternate Member for the AHIMA Nominating Committee.

Policy and Procedure Meeting – MdHIMA held its Policy and Procedure Meeting on September 21st after the Board meeting.  A Policy and Procedure Committee was selected, and will have the responsibility of drafting all of the new MdHIMA policies by January 2011.   The new policies will reflect the current processes and procedures of MdHIMA.

MdHIMA QBM Meeting – On September 10th, approximately 51 members attended the Quarterly Business Meeting. I would like to thank Lisa McAndrews, Kelly Hugo, Sallie Tyner, and Jacqueline Stanfield for making the QBM a success.

The topic areas at the QBM included:  ICD 10 Affect on Encoders (Tom Golden), Overview of Meaningful Use (Robert Horst), Patient Safety (Nancy Grimm, Mark Pugh, Renee Webster, Anne Jones), and Data Quality: I-10 PCS Preparation (Karen Lindemann).
    
Legal Team Committee – The MdHIMA Board established a Committee to research the feasibility of utilizing an Attorney as our Resident Agent. We would like to extend our best wishes to Donna Ryan, who has graciously served as our Resident Agent for many years.

Strategic Planning – In the next 90 days, I will be holding an MdHIMA Strategic Planning meeting in order to develop MdHIMA’s 3 to 5 year vision, mission, and goals.  If you would like to participate in this meeting, please feel free to contact me by email.

I encourage you to get involved in MdHIMA. If you have any questions or have any recommendations, please feel free to contact me at (akeyjr@comcast.net) or by telephone (301-821-6373).  I thank you for your support and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Albert M. Key, Jr., MS, RHIA
President, MdHIMA

Call for Nominations

The Nominating Committee is accepting nominations for the following positions for 2011 – 2012 year:

President Elect
Secretary
Treasurer
Director
Delegate (2)

If you would like to nominate someone for one of the above positions, please go to “What’s New” section of the MDHIMA website and click on the link for Call for Nominations.

A Day in the Life...

In an effort to give the membership a better understanding of the responsibilities for each of these roles, the Nominating Committee will highlight one of these offices each month in the October through February newsletters in a section called, "The day in the life of _______".   We have asked each of the current officers to give a brief statement of their position.  This month we are highlighting the Delegate’s position.

The Day in the Life of a DELEGATE

1.  What does your day, week or month look like as it relates to the execution of your duties as the Delegate?  As a delegate, we play an important role in guiding the HIM profession.  This includes advocating for HIM, its members and the association.  We have the opportunity to gain knowledge about issues and hot topics related to the profession.  We then in turn must communicate and negotiate these issues back to our Maryland CSA.  All delegates are assigned to one of the six HOD teams which include the following:  Best Practices/Standards, Environmental Scan, HIM Higher Education, House Operations, Professional Development and Recognition, and Volunteer and Leadership.  As members of these HOD teams, we participate in the virtual, year-round House of Delegates as activities occur and business is conducted.  We attend the HOD meetings at the team talks and the national convention each Fall.  We vote on any HOD action item in person or electronically throughout the year.  There are some scheduled delegated educational sessions, conference calls, surveys or evaluations that we must participate in throughout our term.  We actively seek feedback from our local CSA members on issues, proposals and action items that we need to have discussed.   

2.  What skills are required to do your job effectively and what skills do you wish you had coming into the position?  These would have been good coming into the position:  Knowledge and understanding of Robert’s Rules, an understanding of how the House functions and the role of the House of Delegates.
These are other skills that are needed:

  • Communication skills
  • Knowledge of the profession
  • Knowledge of AHIMA’s Mission and Strategic Plan
  • Team interaction
  • An understanding of the challenges facing those in the HIM field.  A delegate should have some years of work experience in HIM before taking this position.  Only by working in the field do you actually hear about, see and experience the issues.  Your experience gives you perspective on the information being presented and enables you to contribute to finding solutions.  A needed trait (rather than skill) is responsibility - it is your responsibility to make time for the conference calls, the meetings, and putting together and communicating the information from AHIMA and the CSAs to the members of your state.
3. Are there any requirements or aspects of the position that others don't see but are necessary to execute the duties of your job (time or financial commitments)?

      Time commitment:  
  • Attend two Team Talk meetings and Hill Day each year – two  day commitment, one in DC and one in Chicago.
  • AHIMA Annual meeting House of Delegates – minimum two day commitment
  • Telephone conference calls – 2 or three for House of Delegate committees.
  • A virtual vote may be called and the delegate must stay current with reading material and vote by the deadline.
  • Be sure your employer is willing to let you off to attend sessions.
      Financial commitment:  MdHIMA reimburses delegates for airline, hotel and
      meals and other travel expenses per policy.

4. What words of wisdom do you have for those who are aspiring to hold this office?  First, work on some of the committees, get to know your fellow Maryland HIMers, then chair a committee and run for an office like secretary, treasurer, and director.  This will give you a good view of what’s going on in your own state, build credibility with other MdHIMA members for your willingness to work for your organization and to represent the members.  After you’ve done this you have this experience as well as HIM work experience - you’re in a good position to be a problem solver and a representative of your state.

5. What do you enjoy most about your role/position?  Participating and contributing in team meetings with other delegates and representing MdHIMA at a national level.  This opens the door for all types of networking opportunities with our peers in other states.  It is great to hear what type of work others are doing in the HIM field, how they got there, what it’s like to work in that position and in the state where they reside.  The information and knowledge they bring to the table is often useful for our own organization and our own positions within HIM.  It is a good experience to find we can find and work towards solutions despite our diverse backgrounds and jobs.

MDHIMA Annual Conference May 19 – 20, 2011 at the Baltimore Convention Center – HOLD THE DATES

The 2011 MDHIMA Annual Conference is chaired by Mona Calhoun, Kathy Mulford and Brian Bennighoff.  Our committee is well underway to planning an exciting and informative conference.  The conference will be May 19 & 20, 2011 at the Baltimore Convention Center.  Rooms have been reserved at the Sheraton.  The group rate is $179 and available through April 18, 2011.

The hotel has set up a personalized web site for MDHIMA Annual Conference attendees to book, modify or cancel a reservation beginning September 8, 2010.  So reserve your room today!  

Below you will find the appropriate link(s) to access the site:
Maryland Health Information Management Association (OR copy and paste the following link into a web browser)
http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/res?id=1009084072&key=3028

Additional updates on the conference will follow so please be on the lookout. 

If you have a specific topic you would like presented or speaker you would like to hear, please submit or have the presenter submit information to www.mdhima.org/SpeakerBureau.html  or you can contact Kathy Mulford at kmulfor1@jhmi.edu and she will pass the information on to the committee.

Update from the Personal Health Record Committee

AHIMA has placed the PHI project on “hiatus.”  New information will be forthcoming in January and an update will be provided at that time.

If any of the MdHIMA membership participates in a program to explain the Personal Health Record at a health fair or your own department or facility, please send Janice Greenberg the name and date of the event.  I would like to keep an account of the presentations to document the MdHIMA members continuing to promote the Personal Health Record.

Janice L. Greenberg
Chair, PHI Committee
jlgreenberg@comcast.net

HOD Report: Higher Education and Workforce Team
 
The Higher Education and Workforce Team met on Sunday, September 26, 2010 for 1 hour.  The Committee Chairs reviewed the Professional Practicum Experience (PPE) Guide with new and returning members.  All members were asked to review the guide
and be prepared to discuss at our next Team conference call.
 
Discussion took place regarding our competitive workforce environment.  Educators are retiring and there is a growing need for recruitment of credentialed professionals who want to work in a teaching environment.  Dr. Alan Dowling spoke to the group and gave his and the Board's full support for education.  Team members agreed that they need to "describe and promote who they are and what they serve."
 
The future focus of this HOD Team is to continue to support clinical practice sites, to update the PPE Guide and to partner with CAHIIM.

Action Forum #6    ICD-10 Implementation/Training
Two Sessions were held for open discussion on how the CSAs are going to train their members for ICD10,  what is expected from the CSAs by their members, and what are some practical approaches to training.
 
Training Members
Some CSAs are recruiting trainers, hiring a central coordinator (large states), partnering with other CSAs for cost-sharing, and creating a task force to work on strategic goals. Many facilities are sending their coding manager to the AHIMA Train the Trainer Academy.
 
Members Expectations
Members expect CSAs to train their members for ICD10, and AHIMA has been asked to provide a mechanism/repository for CSAs to share strategy and progress.
 
Practical Approaches to Training
  • Use of AHIMA approved trainers and resources
  • Use of coding roundtable education sessions
  • Outreach to state associations, medical societies, and employers
  • Use of multiple media (webinars, face-to-face training)
  • Organize training for ICD10 by state at the local/regional level
AHIMA CSA Team Recognition for Coding Roundtable Activities
 
MdHIMA tied South Carolina for second place RACE Award which recognizes achievement in providing excellent coding roundtable activities. The active committee members are: Elaine Schneider, Theresa Krepps, Tara Tobaygo-Wittig, Janet McArthur, Patti Markunas, Cheri Nagle, Denise Otto,  Mary Lou Bond, Oscar Ibarra, Lynda Holley, Sheila Pickett-Reid, Andrea Carroll-Alleyne, Roxanne Liverpool, Brenda Watson-Randsdell, Theresa Kerr, Heather Olexa-Lawrence, Staicia Dryden, Debra Martin, Gayle Lewis, Peggy Kern, Judy Hayes, Jenny Schwerdtfeger, Karen Lindemann, Norma Stockton, and Sallie Tyner.
 
Awards were presented during the luncheon at the Clinical Coding Community Meeting on Saturday, September 25th at the AHIMA Convention in Orlando.  In attendance to accept the award were Sallie Tyner, Norma Stockton, Cherie Nagle, Jennifer Schwerdtfeger and Albert Keys.
 
Maryland received a certificate and a $125.00 check made payable to MdHIMA.  

Congratulations on a job well done!

CodeWrite

A new edition of CodeWrite, AHIMA’s monthly newsletter created exclusively for coding professionals is now available on line.  Please use the following link to access the website:  https://newsletters.ahima.org/newsletters/code_write/2010/October/October10_CW.html

2010 MdHIMA Distinguished Student Awards

At the September 2010 MdHIMA quarterly business meeting the HIT/ HIM year 2010 graduates listed below were presented with plaques in recognition of their outstanding performance in academics as well as the professionalism demonstrated during their enrollment in a health information program.  We wish these students all the best in their health information careers!

Carol Comerford, graduate of  Montgomery College
Jerusalem Teklehymano, graduate of Coppin State University
Marlene Payne, graduate of Prince George’s Community College
Jennifer Cepuch, graduate of  Kaplan University
Theresa Jones, graduate of The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC)

Welcome New MdHIMA Members!

MdHIMA welcomes the new and transfer members into our state association!  We look forward to seeing you at the upcoming events and welcome your active participation.  Please feel free to contact any of the Board members if you are interested in joining a committee or if you have questions or need information.  Again, welcome!
Alison Beman
Z. Denise Body
Beverley Bowens
Tonya Clark
Malvina M. Cloonan, MBA
Corelita Codrington
Monikesha Commey, CMA
Carol Coppenbarger
Fatoumata Traore Coulibaly, RHIT
Kim Eastlake
Katie Goddard, CPC
Gregory Grant, RN, MS, PMP
Glenda Gurnsey
Deborah Hild, LPN
Jason Hughes
Esther Johnson-Kerner
Camille Jones
Kelly Leong
Cynthia Lipsitz
Nelson Lowman, MS, CPC
Jennifer Mechem		 Natalie Moore
Kymberly Motolinia
Susan Moylan
Himani Narula
Aneela Riaz, MBBS
Rebecca Robinette
Stacey L. Ryan
Amy E. Schmersal-Paradise
Kimberly J. Shoemaker
Robin Stover, RN, CPC, CPC-H
Marjorie Wilkins, CPC, CPC-H
Cynthia A. Woodlyn
Dates to Remember 

November 6, 2010 - CCS Prep Course - GBMC
This will be our last CCS Prep class. Data Quality's focus for education sessions for 2011-2012 will be on I-10.

December 3, 2010 - MdHIMA Quarterly Business Meeting – Location TBD

March 4, 2010 - MdHIMA Quarterly Business Meeting – Location TBD

May 19-20, 2010 - MdHIMA Annual Meeting - Baltimore Convention Center

Submit Items for the e-Newsletter

Please remember that this e-Newsletter belongs to you and is an excellent source of communication!  If you would like to submit information to be included in the next publication or if you would like to let the membership know what is going on with you or your facility and employees, please don’t hesitate to send a submission to Kathy Mulford, Chair of the e-Newsletter at the following email:  kmulfor1@jhmi.edu.

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