July 2009
|
News
from the Editor
Greetings!!
Happy 4th of July!
As the summer months approach (hopefully with less rain)
and vacations start, we tend to take breaks from the rigorous
schedules which are kept when schools are in session to enjoy
friends, family and cookouts.
I would like to thank Susan Marre for a great year as she
is now our Past President, and welcome Jackie Raymond as our
new President. I am confident Jackie will do a wonderful
job.
Have a great summer and see you all at the fall meeting on
September 24, 2009 at the Doubletree Hotel in Westboro.
Nancy
Entwistle, Editor
Nancy_Entwistle@laboure.edu
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President's
Message
Jackie Raymond, RHIA
I am very excited to begin my year as President of MaHIMA
in a climate so rich in “Health Information in the News”.
President Obama's Stimulus Bill kicks off the promotion of
the EHR, the HITECH Act, the e-Health Collaborative and the
Massachusetts e-Health Institute and HIT Council. The recent
HIMSS Annual Conference in Chicago hosted a town hall meeting
facilitated by John Glaser, Partners Healthcare CIO, for feedback
regarding the barriers to e-Health and how best to implement
an EHR. Public hearings were held in Massachusetts through
the Mass HIT Council, facilitated by Dr. Judy Bigby, gathering
information from local experts on the implementation of health
information technology.
The Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC) Program is on the horizon
and set to begin towards the end of 2009. Producing copies
of medical records every 45 days per provider number, tracking
requests received/sent, and processing applicable appeals
will soon be all consuming for health information professionals
in Massachusetts.
ICD-10-CM planning begins now. Assessing all current
touch points for ICD–9-CM within your organization is just
the beginning of ICD-10-CM preparation. System planning, vendor
analysis, and staff training all require a multidisciplinary
team and project planning. Compliance by 2013 seems attainable,
given the length of time, until you begin reviewing all of
the tasks required to make sure ICD-10-CM codes will pass
through each system.
The Mass Identity Theft Prevention Act and Red Flag Rule
highlight the fast growing medical identity theft problem
across the country with the theft of social security numbers
and financial numbers. Healthcare providers are challenged
to review their internal front end processes for identifying
patients and safeguarding their protected health information.
Health information professionals are in the middle of all
of the above, and are leaders in these initiatives. The planned
MaHIMA educational sessions for the upcoming year will provide
our members with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive
in this exciting environment.
I am planning a quarterly Massachusetts HIM Director/Manager
HIM Forum where we can discuss “hot topics” and share successful
projects/practices. Please join me in becoming part of the
MaHIMA HIM Director/Manager HIM Forum. We will discuss issues
via conference call and in-person meetings by region. Please
send me an email with your contact information if you would
like to join the Forum.
Networking regularly through the MaHIMA Community of Practice
(CoP) and sharing best practices via the HIM Director/Manager
Forum will enhance our overall success managing health information.
I will put my best foot forward to lead MaHIMA in 2009/2010
and will rely on the experts (all of you) to make sure the
HIM issues listed above get the attention and guidance they
deserve to pave the way for Health Information Management
of the future.
Jackie Raymond, RHIA
President
jraymond@partners.org
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MaHIMA
Board Takes on a New Look
As July 1 rolls around, the MaHIMA board has
made some position changes. The new board for July 2009 to
June 2010 is as follows:
President
Jackie Raymond, RHIA
President-Elect
Elyse DiSciullo,
RHIA
Past President
Sue Marre, RHIA
Director, Communications
Susan
Pepple
Director, Education
George Wilson, RHIA
Director, Legislative Affairs/Advocacy
Karen Griffin
Administrative Director
Karen O'Donnell, RHIA
Archivist
Donna Casey, RHIA
Awards Committee Chair
Joan Usher, RHIA
Coding Committee Chair
Shari Manning, RHIT,
CCS
e-Channel Editor
Nancy Entwistle,
RHIT, CCS
Finance Committee Chair
Linda Hyde, RHIA
Legislative Affairs Committee Chair
Elaine Fanwick, RHIA
Nominating Committee Chair
Julie Irons, MBA, RHIA
Parliamentarian
Linda Peterson,
RHIA
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eChannel
is a Members' Newsletter
The eChannel is a Members' Newsletter. If you wish to have
an item of interest or wish to share, the deadlines for the
eChannel publications are as follows:
January newsletter - deadline December 15th
April newsletter - deadline March 15th
July newsletter - deadline June 15th
October newsletter - deadline September 15th
Please email any information to Nancy A. Entwistle, editor,
eChannel at Nancy_Entwistle@laboure.edu.
Thank you.
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Going Green
(continually continued!)
George Wilson, RHIA
MaHIMA Going Green – No More BINDERS!
MaHIMA has just passed an important milestone in our efforts
to “go green”. As the newly elected Director of Education,
I attended the Transitional Board Meeting last week. Historically,
this was a meeting where the directors and committee chairs
brought big bulky 3 ring binders and piles of paper to be
passed off to the incoming officers. This year was very different.
NO BINDERS. A simple hand off of a USB/flash drive, containing
all information required! It was a great feeling to be part
of that process.
As summer approaches, remember to think green. Support your
local Farmer's Markets and buy organic! If you are shopping
at the grocery store, take a moment to check out those annoying
stickers on the fruit and produce. You will soon come to appreciate
them. The stickers are part of an international price look
up (PLU) system. If the sticker number begins with a "9",
you can be assured it is an organic product. If the first
number is a "4", it is a product grown with traditional
pesticides, fertilizers, etc. If the first number is an "8",
it is genetically modified produce. Learn to be an informed
shopper! It is good for you and good for the environment!
Finally, for those of you who didn't see this, the following
is an article in the Earth Day edition of ADVANCE highlighting
MaHIMA and others for their efforts to GO GREEN.
Have a safe and relaxing summer,
George
ADVANCE June 22, 2009
EHRs may be erasing the paper trail in your HIM department,
but what about those fluttering forms and handouts you leave
behind after association meetings? In honor of Earth Day,
tack a "Consider the environment" message onto your
e-mail signature and contact your association about reducing
its carbon footprint. Here, ADVANCE checks out associations
that are going green--and saving funds while they're at it.
A Nudge from the National Level
National associations has taken the lead in eco-initiatives,
serving as a model for regional associations to follow. The
Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI)
is embracing the tree-hugging trend. In addition to changing
operations practices and mentoring members about eco-consciousness
at home and in the office, the association has selected the
Arbor Day Foundation for its annual philanthropy. AHDI members
are encouraged to roll up their sleeves and plant a tree in
honor of a family member, friend or simply for the environment,
according to Lea Sims, CMT, AHDI-F, director of communications
and publications for AHDI. The Arbor Day Foundation is also
featured on AHDI's Facebook page, and members are invited
to donate $10-15 in support of the foundation.
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
has also reformed many of its practices to cut down on waste.
A few years ago, the association instituted electronic voting,
so members vote online instead of mailing paper ballots. The
new approach is not only efficient, but also reduces paper
consumption. At the 2008 Convention and Exhibit, held last
October in Seattle --a city that helped pioneer the green
movement--AHIMA members downloaded presentations onto complimentary
flash drives instead of printing handouts and toted reusable
water bottles in lieu of disposable ones. Attendees were frequently
reminded to use recycling bins, which were placed throughout
the convention center.
Going Green, Region by Region
Taking national efforts to the local level, Massachusetts
HIMA began implementing green initiatives 2 years ago and
found little changes can make a big difference. "We're
always thinking about it; I'm not sure what more we could
do at this point," said Georgette Wilson, RHIA.
A shift to more Web-based content has provided the major
thrust in MaHIMA's environmental campaign. In addition to
online voting, the association Web site offers electronic
registration for all meetings and events, and handouts are
posted online instead of distributed at meetings. MaHIMA's
quarterly newsletter made the switch from paper to electronic
and includes a "Going Green" section where Wilson
offers eco-friendly tips for the home and office. Her most
recent post discussed the waste plastic bottles add to landfills.
"It's amazing the little things you can do that make
a difference," Wilson said.
In addition to adding online content, MaHIMA evaluated its
office procedures and found ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Karen O'Donnell, central office administrator, recycles paper
and cardboard products as well as printer cartridges. The
office has also begun transferring material from unwieldy
paper binders onto lightweight and portable USB drives. The
board frequently conducts conference calls, e-mailing any
relevant documents in advance of the meeting; teleconferences
streamline meetings and save gas.
Even the smallest paper can't escape MaHIMA's scrutiny; the
association is looking at online bill pay and electronic deposit
for paid employees, eliminating any need to write a paper
check.
Down South, the Texas Tumor Registrars Association (TxTRA)
is also finding ways to reduce waste. Since announcing plans
to go green at last year's spring conference, the association
has shifted to more efficient and eco-friendly operations.
"This was the year we decided we really needed to put
[green initiatives] into effect," said Bobbie Graham,
CTR.
Like MaHIMA, TxTRA sends out an e-newsletter and posts meeting
presentations and materials on its Web site. The association
also encourages members to pay dues online; membership cards
are sent via e-mail, so members can choose whether or not
to print a card and always have it on file if the card goes
missing. Members can even purchase TxTRA merchandise using
a Web-based payment system
"We've turned everything we can think of at this time
to online," Graham said.
Next up, the board is looking to conduct Webinar meetings,
which would be less taxing on time and trees than in-person
gatherings.
The Other Green
MaHIMA and TxTRA were eager to spruce up the environment,
but a healthier planet isn't the only green they had in mind
when making changes. Initiatives also have financial kickbacks.
Before going green, Wilson said it wasn't uncommon to see
O'Donnell struggling with a large box of paper handouts before
MaHIMA meetings. And with 1,100 members, mailings stacked
up to high costs.
"We were spending a lot of money on paper materials
for our membership," Wilson said.
Since eliminating paper handouts and newsletters, the association
has saved $3,000 per year in postage and permit fees and $18,000
per year in printing costs, according to O'Donnell. Like true
recyclers, MaHIMA funneled those savings toward software and
Web site improvements, according to O'Donnell.
Graham agreed that finances played a primary role in the
decision to go green, explaining that much of TxTRA's budget
went to paper, printer ink and postage fees.
"I don't want to put postmen out of a job, but there's
a lot of money in postal costs," she said. "I would
say probably $400-700 savings in postage alone."
Wilson and Graham said their association members have embraced
the switch to Web-only content, but there are the occasional
snags. When members change their e-mail addresses, they often
neglect to tell the association, so e-newsletters and announcements
flow into an abandoned inbox. That means the association may
be missing some of its membership when e-mailing information,
Wilson said.
Associations should also pay attention to security issues,
Graham said. Databases and spreadsheets can be more secure
than a pile of paper files, but having member information
like e-mail addresses and home phone numbers in a central
location can also run a privacy risk.
Despite any minor hiccups, going green carries a much higher
payoff. "I just think it's an important thing,"
Wilson said. "It's something we all should do and it's
an important balance we need to maintain."
Cheryl McEvoy is an editorial assistant with ADVANCE
If you have Going Green tips to share, please send them my
way ...gwilson@partners.org.
I will include them in the next eChannel.
George Wilson, RHIA
Director, Education
gwilson@partners.org
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Photos
from the Dot Wagg Memorial Seminar & Coding Seminar -
April 15, 2009
Please click on the link below to view a gallery of photos
taken by the newly appointed MaHIMA staff photographer, Clare
Carvel, MEd, RHIA,CCS, at the Dot Wagg Memorial Seminar &
Coding Seminar at the Dedham Holiday Inn, April 15th.
Enjoy!
http://picasaweb.google.com/ccarvel3/DotWaggPhotos?authkey=Gv1sRgCKn5-qnmzODvkgE&feat=email#
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Legislative
Update: Chapter 305 of the
Acts of 2008 -Record Retention Update
The final regulations
related to the new Massachusetts record retention are still
being worked on. The following is a series of events since
the signing of SB No. 2863, An Act To Promote Cost Containment,
Transparency And Efficiency In The Delivery Of Quality Health
Care:
• SB No. 2863 was signed by the Governor on 08/10/08
enacting, Chapter 305 of the Acts of 2008
• DPH sponsored Public Hearings held on 03/23/09
( Boston ) and 03/30/09 (Springfield) for comments
• Open period for comments to be submitted to DPH
by 04/06/09
• MaHIMA submitted comments to DPH
• DPH reviewed feedback from Public Hearings and
Comments
• To-date, pending final DPH regulations
Due to the latest Public Health Council (PHC) recommendation,
PHC has requested that DPH re-review the manner in which the
destruction date will be determined, which may result in revised
language. As a result, the entire set of regulations were
deferred until the Public Health Council meeting on 06/24/09.
As of this publication, the final regulation related to the
retention of patient records has not been formally issued.
Continue to refrain from any permanent destruction of original
documentation, unless the original documentation is available
in another form of accessibility within the legal health record
(i.e.: scanned documents, microfiche, etc.).
For more information, please contact:
Karen Griffin
Director, Legislation and Advocacy
kgriffin2@partners.org
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Non-traditional
HIM Career Paths
Profile:
Julie Irons, MBA, RHIA
by Clare Carvel, M.Ed., RHIA, CCS
In today's difficult economy, many of us are lucky to have
gained experience in the HIM field and/or earned credentials
such as RHIA, RHIT, CCS or CCS-P. Experience in the field
and credentials offer us a fair amount of security
in a very insecure job market. In spite of recent
reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics stating that the
national unemployment rate is almost 4 percent higher than
last year at this time, there are always jobs posted for candidates
with HIM training. In fact, the AHIMA Health Information Careers
website advertises 40 work settings and 125 job titles as
possibilities for HIM professionals. Among these are all the
traditional titles such as Health Data Analyst, Coder, Department
Manager, Supervisor, Privacy Officer, and many others.
Though jobs with the aforementioned titles are definitely
great careers, this article profiles one of our peers who
stepped off the traditional career path to find work that
she finds both challenging and extremely rewarding. Some of
the “nontraditional” careers for HIM professionals include
fields such as health informatics, IS, IT, project management,
database management, quality management and physician education.
Though some of these jobs may require additional education,
depending on your interests and talents, it may be worthwhile
for students and experienced practitioners to think about
them when considering career options.
Our profile member , Julie Irons, MBA,
RHIA, works as an Account Executive for Government Programs
at QuadraMed, a national healthcare solutions software vendor.
She recalls it all started with her decision to earn an HIM
Degree:
“My career path began while attending Ithaca
College to earn a B.S. in Health
Information Management. During college, I landed a great work-study
position as a teaching assistant for a basic Computer Information
Systems course. Meanwhile, during summers, I worked as a Medical
Records Clerk at a local community hospital, where the Director
allowed me to see the “big picture” by working on many different
projects in all areas of the department. Combining my
fondness for information systems and practical health information
management experience, I subsequently worked with HIM related
and other hospital software, which I found very fulfilling.
After leaving the hospital setting, I spent about six years
working in software training and consulting roles at MediQual
Systems in Marlborough , MA ,
where I grew to love databases and data analysis, and learned
all about severity adjustment and patient outcomes. For the
past six years, I have worked with more traditional HIM software
and many other clinical and financial applications at QuadraMed
Corporation.”
Today, Julie's position as a Government Health Care Account
Executive working with QuadraMed's federal health care customers,
takes her up and down the east coast of the US working with
Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, Department of Defense
Military Treatment Facilities, and National Institutes of
Health. While her main responsibilities are in a sales
capacity, she spends much of her time communicating her customers'
needs to the appropriate staff to ensure those needs are met.
A favorite part of her job, Julie summarizes this as follows:
“I communicate what I hear from my customers to QuadraMed's
product development team, implementation and customer support
teams, and training and consulting services teams. What
originally attracted me to QuadraMed was their niche in HIM
applications such as Coding, Compliance, and Record Management.
I work with all sorts of clinical and financial applications
today; and my HIM education and background has allowed me
to see that “big picture” mentioned earlier, work out the
best solutions for my customers, and be a better communicator.”
On the topic of education, Julie is a strong advocate, as
evidenced by her decision to earn an MBA:
“A few years after completing my B.S. in HIM, I jumped
on a very slow boat to complete an MBA with a concentration
in Health Services at Clark University
in Worcester . My graduate degree
took seven years to complete, but the additional general business
focus in the curriculum paid off. Courses I would not have
taken as an undergraduate such as “International Business”
and “Difficult Dialogues”, turned out to be my favorites.
Taking it slow over the course of seven years was the only
way that I could successfully complete my MBA and maintain
my work travel schedule. I have a very supportive husband
who cheered me on too!”
Julie notes the favorite components of her current job as:
• “Working with my great customers over the
years so that they are comfortable with me as their Account
Rep.
• Finding a solution to a customer's issue
with a recommendation, product, or service.
• Always learning something new about health
care operations since I visit about 50 different facilities
every year.
• Coming home to Massachusetts after a work-week
away!”
Even though Julie is in what many consider a non-traditional
HIM role, she is thankful that her manager and company still
expect her to be a subject matter expert in the HIM profession.
It is imperative she keep up to date with all of the latest
HIM practices and principles. As she puts it, “ I
am considered an HIM professional first and an Account Executive
second, which is very important to me.”
Julie's story is a testimony to the fact that an education
in Health Information Management is a great foundation, with
plenty of career options available. Whether you choose a traditional
or “not so traditional” path, there are no limits to progressing
if you are willing to work hard and continue to learn!
Citations:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm
AHIMA- Health Information Careers.com, http://himcareers.ahima.org/careers1.html
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Technology Educational
Offer to MaHIMA Members
Education Offered by:
Best Practices in Electronic Health Records – A Strategic
& Educational Conference
Editor's note:
This session is not to be confused with MaHIMA's "Best
Practices in Electronic Health Information" originally
scheduled on June 19, 2009 and postponed until fall of 2009.
Dear Healthcare Executive:
By improving the efficiency and quality of health care services,
electronic health records (EHRs) have been hailed as the promising
new component of America's future health care industry. However,
due to cost and other perceived implementation obstacles,
the overall impact of EHRs on the health delivery system has
been muted, and the new technology can still be regarded as
a luxury rather than a necessity for many health care providers.
The reluctance to embrace EHR technology seems likely to
be replaced with real enthusiasm, given that the new stimulus
package strongly promotes rapid EHR adaptation. With a structural
approach to EHR adaptation embodied in the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the time has finally
arrived for many hospitals and other eligible professionals
to start or accelerate implementation of EHR technology. The
ARRA sends a clear and powerful message to health care providers
nationwide.
Since studies have shown that implementing an EMR system
in your organization can help prevent medical mistakes and
improve the quality of clinical decisions, there is an urgent
need to start adopting the latest EMR strategies to improve
quality and efficiency, reduce cost, eliminate errors and
increase customer retention. ACI'S Best Practices in Electronic
Health Records Conference addresses all these issues.
Join us August 19-21, 2009 in Boston, MA
for a gathering of healthcare professionals, providers, hospitals,
healthcare systems and state and federal health departments.
This strategic business forum will highlight strategies for
EMR Adopting and Use within Healthcare Organizations. This
conference will show attendees how to overcome the challenges
implementing an EMR system, offer best practices in integration,
streamline clinical processes, establish training guidelines
for staff and personnel, and how to benchmark your success
of the EMR system.
DISTINGUISHED SPEAKING EXECUTIVES Include: • Dr. Martin Harris,
Chief Information Officer, CLEVELAND CLINIC
• Bill Spooner, Senior Vice president and Chief Information
Officer, SHARP HEALTHCARE
• Bill Beighe, Chief Information Officer, PHYSICIANS
MEDICAL GROUP OF SANTA CRUZ • Edgar
d. Staren, M.d., Ph.D., MBA, Senior Vice president for Clinical
Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, CANCER TREATMENT
CENTERS OF AMERICA • Dr. Steve Klasko, Vice president,
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA HEALTH •
Mark J. Peters, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer,
EAST JEFFERSON GENERAL HOSPITAL •Tom Smith,
Chief Information Officer, NORTHSHORE UNIVERSITY HEALTHSYSTEM
• Eric Perron, Director – Information Systems, ST.
LUKE'S HOSPITAL • Stephen K. Klasko, M.D., M.B.A.,
CEO health Dean, College of Medicine, UNIVERSITY OF
SOUTH FLORIDA • Steven R. Garske, Vice President
and Chief Information Officer, CHILDRENS HOSPITAL
LOS ANGELES • Girish kumar Navani, CEO and co-founder,
ECLINICALWORKS • Robert Carlson MD, CIO,
MARSHFIELD CLINIC • Carl Christensen, CTO,
MARSHFIELD CLINIC • Sue Schade, Chief Information
Officer , BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL •
Mike LaRocca, Product Manager, HealthShare and Identity Management
Technologies, INTERSYSTEMS •
Barry Horton, Vice President, PROFERO SOLUTIONS
Click
here for a full agenda.
For more information and/or to register, please email
conferences@acius.net
or call (312) 780-0700 Ext. 117 and use Source Code "MaHIMA"
to receive your discounted rate.
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Awarding
Job Opportunities
Wanted individuals, or groups: MAHIMA is requesting your
help in nominating your peers (or yourself) for an award.
The MaHIMA Awards Committee has been hard at work to revise
and develop new awards which will reflect what member achievement
in all areas of HIM practice.
Do you know someone who is deserving of recognition for the
own effort or the effort of a group or a project team? The
next opportunity is August 1 st for the HIM Innovation Award
(previously called HIM Collaboration Award):
Award Description : The
HIM Innovation Award recognizes outstanding efforts made by
a department or team (two or more individuals) in meeting
the challenges of the ever changing HIM environment through
a new process or technique.
A department or team can be nominated for a project for one
or more of the following three categories:
- Best practice (defined as processes and activities that
have been shown in practice to be the most effective or
practical techniques gained from experience that organizations
may use to improve internal processes)
- Financial Impact (defined as activities that create a
positive impact on an institution's bottom line)
- Collaboration (defined as working jointly within or across
departments or with external organizations towards a common
goal).
Other New Awards which are available for
2009-2010 are the HIM Advocacy Award & the MaHIMA Outreach
Award. The HIM Advocacy Award recognizes the exceptional efforts
by an individual(s) that have contributed to the advancement
of the HIM profession by means of the legislative and regulatory
process at the local, state, and/or federal levels. The MaHIMA
Outreach Award recognizes individuals or groups who have provided
a public face for the HIM profession. Criteria and nominating
forms will be available soon.
For more information on the HIM Innovation Award, please
visit the link below:
MaHIMA
Innovation Award Criteria & Nomination Form
For more information,
please contact:
Joan Usher, RHIA
MaHIMA Awards Chairperson
jluhome@comcast.net
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Congratulations
to the Newly Credentialed
Congratulations
to the following MaHIMA members who have recently received
a new credential from AHIMA:
Sylvana Baracchini, RHIT, CCS
Linda M. Don, CCA
Oby C. Egbunike, CCS-P
Rebecca L. Fiandaca, RHIT,CCS
Mary E. Grant, CCA
JoAnn L Jordan, MPH,CCS-P
Linda Lacki, CCS
Gwen Y Mark, CCS
Maria C. McLaughlin, RHIT, CCS
Teresa O'Brien, CHPS
Mamta Patel, MD, CCS, CPC
Denise Peffer, RN,RHIT
Noelia M Pinheiro, RHIA, CCS
Leslie C Tlumacki, CCS-P
Jerry P Tremblay, CCA
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Education
Station: Caritas Laboure College & Fisher College
Summer sessions are slow for most colleges. As program directors,
both Patti Parkes and I are busy updating and keeping current
with industry demands. In July, we will be attending the AoE
(Assembly on Education) conference in Las Vegas , NV where
we will learn the most up-to-date demands on our programs.
So stay tuned for more exciting news from your accredited
programs in Massachusetts to be published in the October issue
of eChannel.
Please feel free to contact either college with questions
about programs, running courses, and degree or certificate
opportunities.
Director, Nancy A. Entwistle,
MPA, RHIT, CCS
Health Information Technology and Coding Division
Nancy_Entwistle@laboure.edu
www.laboure.edu
617-296-8300 x4063
Director, Patricia Parkes,
RHIA
Health Information Technology and Medical Coding Program
pparkes@fisher.edu
www.fisher.edu
508-699-6200
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MaHIMA Grants Certification
Scholarships
Congratulations
to the following members who recieved MaHIMA Certification
Scholarships since April, 2009:
Ruth A. Vidal, CCS
Patricia Blair Choyce, RHIT
MaHIMA created this scholarship to encourage members to pursue
professional credentials. Any
member of Massachusetts HIMA who has taken and passed one
of the AHIMA sponsored certification programs is eligible
to apply. The certification exams include:
Certified
Coding Associate (CCA)
Certified
Coding Specialist (CCS)
Certified
Coding Specialist-Physician-based (CCS-P)
Certified
in Healthcare Privacy (CHP)
Registered
Health Information Administrator (RHIA)
Registered
Health Information Technician (RHIT)
The
$100 scholarships from MaHIMA will be awarded on a first-come-first-awarded
basis. The submission
requirements are as follows:
- Written
proof from AHIMA of passing grade for the certification
examination. The request must be made within one year of
taking the examination.
- Receipt
for proof of payment (cancelled check or printout of receipt
for on-line registration).
- Statement
of intent to remain employed in Massachusetts and a member
of MaHIMA for a period of 6 months.
Visit
the link below
for a scholarship submission form:
http://mahima.org/education/documents/Scholarshiprequestform_000.doc
Members may make donations to this scholarship fund by sending
a check to MaHIMA, PO Box 681, Tyngsboro, MA 01879.
Thank you fo the following individuals have generously contributed
to this fund:
Elyse Disciullo, RHIA
Linda Hyde, RHIA
Alinda Johnson, CCS-P
Barry Libman, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P
Kent Morrison, CCS
Susan Pepple
Forestine Robbins, RHIT
Suzanne Sroka, CCS
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MaHIMA's Regional
HIM Director/Manager Forum
Join MaHIMA's Regional HIM Director/Manager Forum.
This is a newly created HIM forum of Health Information professionals
designed to:
- Meet quarterly
- Network
- Share information on "hot topics"
- Advanced Education opportunities
- RAC audits
- Identity Theft Management
- ICD 10 CM preparation
- Propose new ideas
- Compare work flow
- Vendor review/analysis
We envision the first meeting to be face to face with subsequent
conference calls by region. The first meeting will cover
the current and proposed HIM Educational opportunities in
Massachusetts. Subsequent meetings would cover a "hot
topic" with submitted questions/documents in advance
(via the MaHIMA CoP) with discussion during the meeting.
Interested parties should send their name, job title, facility,
phone number and email address to Jackie Raymond, RHIA at
jraymond@partners.org.
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12th
Annual 6 New England State HIMA Annual Meeting - Summary &
thank you to our exhibitors
For the 12th year, the New England Health Information Management
Associations gathered together for continuing education and
networking at Connecticut's Mohegan Sun Convention Center
in Uncasville, CT. The theme of this year's 3 day event was
"Gambling with Health Information: The Stakes are
High ". This year's conference offered over 18 hours
of continuing education featuring topics on Electronic Health
Records, ICD-10, Future Trends in Health Information Management,
Recovery Audit Contractors, Joint Commission, Identity Theft
& the Red Flag Rule, The Legal Health Record, HIPAA Compliance,
Behavioral Health Updates, Billing Issues for Critical Access
Hospitals, Project Management, Interventional Radiology Coding,
and Coding Certification Preparation. Speakers included Linda
Kloss, AHIMA's Executive Director/CEO, Vera Rulon, AHIMA President,
and Sue Bowman, AHIMA's Director of Coding Policy & Compliance.
In addition, several of our speakers were MaHIMA members:
Deborah Adair, Luisa DiIeso, Nancy Entwistle, Marianne
Garfi, Karen Griffin, Mark Haas, Maureen Menzie, Debra Mikels,
Nancy Stanton, and Georgette Wilson. The event was attended
by 350 HIM professionals from all over New England.
Our professional trade exhibits spanned two days and welcomed
over 65 companies.
Special thanks to all of the following companies who supported
our event this year:
3M Health Information Systems
Acusis
Affiliated Voice & Data Systems - FUSION
AHIMA
All Type (speaker sponsor)
Alpha Systems
Ames Color File (Meeting Folder Sponsor)
Bactes Imaging Solutions (Technology Breakfast Speaker)
Barry Libman, Inc.
BizTech Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (Speaker Sponsor)
Breitner Transcription Services, Inc.
Cardone Record Services, Inc.
CBay Systems and Services, Inc.
Celerity Solutions Group, LLC
Clinical Financial Resources, Inc. (Morning Coffee Sponsor)
Crescendo Systems Corporation
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
DB Technology (Technology Breakfast Speaker)
DCM Systems, Incorporated
Diskriter, Inc.
Dupont Business Archives
EDCO Group, Inc.
Fast Chart (Speaker Sponsor)
FormFast, Inc.
FutureNet East
Gorwood Systems
Healthcare Global Inc.
Healthport
H.I.M. On Call (Bag Sponsor)
Hyland Software, Inc.
In Record Time
IOD Incorporated
IQueu Consultants Inc.
Iron Mountain (Presidents Reception Sponsor)
Keystrokes Transcription Service, Inc.
Kiwi-Tek
Landmark Transcription, Inc. (Morning Coffee Sponsor)
LexiCode Corporation
Maxim Health Information Services
Medical Coding Services, Inc.
Medical Record Associates, Inc. (Morning Coffee Sponsor)
MedScribe Information Systems
Medware
Meta Health Technology, Inc. (Technology Breakfast Speaker)
MRO Corporation
Munters Corporation
New England Document Systems, Inc.
New England Medical Transcription, Inc. (Morning Coffee Sponsor)
Nuance
OSi, LLC
Peak Health Solutions (Morning Coffee Sponsor)
Philbrick Transcription, Inc. (USB Drive Giveaway Sponsor)
Precyse Solutions
ProScript
QuadraMed (Morning Coffee Sponsor/Technology Breakfast Speaker)
Retrievex
RezZiliant, Inc.
Spheris
Sten-Tel Transcription
TAB Products Co., LLC
Terra Nova Transcription
Thames Record Management, Inc.
Transcend Services
Transcription, Technology, & Support (Morning Coffee Sponsor)
UASI - United Audit Systems, Inc.
Verisma®
Webmedx, Inc.
Save the Date: 13th Annual New England
State HIMA Annual Conference, May 2-4, 2010, Radisson Hotel,
Manchester, NH.
TOP
E-Channel Editorial Board
Editor
Nancy Entwistle, MPA, RHIT, CCS
617-296-8300 x4063
Nancy_Entwistle@laboure.edu
Editorial Board
Holly Ballam, RHIA
617-667-8149
hballam@bidmc.harvard.edu
Tracy Harris, RHIT, CCS
617-754-5014
monkey64@comcast.net
Susan Marre, RHIA
781-297-1185
smarre@nesinai.org
Linda Peterson, RHIA
617-679-1226
lpeterson@rmf.harvard.edu
Jackie Raymond, RHIA
617-582-5204
jraymond@partners.org
Joseph Reitano
508-650-7956
jreitano@5sqc.com
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