News

HRG Ranked #1 for Extended Business Office in 2019 Best in KLAS: Software and Services Report
Trusted revenue cycle management partner for hospitals and clinics nationwide.

Spokane Valley, WA, February 6, 2019 – Healthcare Resource Group (HRG) announced today their ranking as No. 1 for Extended Business Office in the customer-rated 2019 Best in KLAS: Software and Services Report published January 31, 2019. This ranking was achieved through customer interviews and grading of HRG in categories pertaining to loyalty, operations, product, relationship, and value.

KLAS president, Adam Gale, says, “Best in KLAS is about raising the bar for healthcare technology. Its providers and payers demanding better performance, usability, and interoperability. Ultimately, Best in KLAS is about giving providers and payers the tools they need to facilitate superior care and improved outcomes.”

Each year KLAS publishes the Best in KLAS report, ranking healthcare IT software and services vendors across numerous market segments. A 2019 Best in KLAS recognition highlights outstanding efforts to help healthcare organizations in their quest to deliver quality patient care. According to their website, the Best in KLAS designation is awarded only in those software and services market segments that have the broadest operational and clinical impact on healthcare organizations.

“We’d like to thank our partners for recognizing us as more than just a vendor. Our precision revenue cycle solutions and expertise helps us shape truly customized solutions for our partners. Getting to know them and listening for where the greatest need is results in the right resources being applied exactly where they’re needed,” says, Steve McCoy, HRG’s Chief Executive Officer. “Being a valued partner means we care as much about our partner’s bottom line as our own. We hear them and understand their goals and dovetail our expertise to safeguarding their patients’ financial experience,” McCoy concludes. Greg West, HRG’s president adds, “We are definitely not a boxed solution provider. We put every effort into honest dialogue and clear communication so our partners and their teams know how to best facilitate processes and achieve goals. This KLAS ranking tells us ourpartners know they can trust us to get the job done efficiently, skillfully, and honestly.”

Kim Thomas, Revenue Cycle Director with Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria, Oregon says, “HRG is amazing to work with. Their communication and responsiveness are critical to our success and financial performance. They go above and beyond in tailoring their service to fit our needs and provide consulting in areas where we need assistance. Working with HRG facilitated better processing and utilization of resources for us, and allowed our staff to focus more on our community and our patients.”

HRG is a U.S. based revenue cycle management company founded and focused on quality and delivering exceptional customer service. HRG develops people, processes, and technology necessary to fully optimize the medical revenue cycle for partners of all sizes across the country.

Robin Bishop
Director, Corporate Communication
Healthcare Resource Group
800.695.8171 x 5177
communications@hrgpros.com
hrgpros.com

Dear WSHIMA Colleagues,

We continue to partner with the Haugen Consulting Group on providing coding webinar opportunities. Attached is information about “Sepsis Specifics: From Diagnosis to Claim Denials” webinar. It is available via recording. This is focused on facility coders. We hope you find it interesting and useful to attend.

Learn More And Register

WSHIMA thanks our Gold Partner the University of San Diego

Here is a message from them:

HIM is Changing!

Prepare Yourself by Earning Your Master’s in Health Care Informatics – 100% online.

If you’re looking for career growth in health information management, earning your master’s degree in health informatics can open the door for greater advancement and earning potential in a field where job satisfaction is planning and management competencies while addressing contemporary issues in informatics extremely high. The University of San Diego offers an innovative program that goes beyond the programmatic and technical skills associated with a typical informatics curriculum. With USD, you’ll develop leadership, strategic such as clinical analytics, data hygiene/security, EHRs and decision support systems. All in a flexible online format that fits into your busy life.

• 37 unit program can be completed in 2 years
• Take just one class at a time
• All coursework is completed online, on your schedule
• Classes start in May, September and January

Click here to learn more about this practical online graduate program!

Dear WSHIMA Members,

The AHIMA Nominating Committee is searching for qualified AHIMA members from the Active or Emeritus member categories to fill the roles of:

• One AHIMA President/Chair-elect
• Three Directors for the Board of Directors
• Commissioner on the Commission on Certification for Health Informatics and Information Management (CCHIIM); (Number of commissioners and specific credentials needed are TBD)
• Five Council for Excellence in Education (CEE) Members
• One Speaker-elect for the House of Delegates

The President/Chair-elect, Director, and CCHIIM Commissioner and CEE Council Member positions have three-year terms and the Speaker-elect has a two-year term. All terms begin on January 1, 2020. Descriptions, duties, and qualifications for each of these elected positions are available on the Call for Volunteers web page and go to the Elected tab. Candidate applications are due March 31, 2019.

AHIMA is seeking outstanding leaders who possess the competencies identified in the Volunteer Competency Self-Assessment and are visionary, strong collaborators and critical thinkers.

We have attached a brief write-up on the elected positions. Should you have questions about this process, please do not hesitate to contact Ann Chenoweth via email or phone.

Sincerely,

WSHIMA Board on behalf of Ann Chenoweth, AHIMA Nominating Committee

Ann Chenoweth, MBA, RHIA, FAHIMA Member, 2019 AHIMA Nominating Committee
afchenoweth@mmm.com
801-712-4537

AHIMA Elected Position Descriptions

WSHIMA awards Exam Fee Reimbursement to two new members of our professional community:

• Megan Howard, RHIA
• Rajinder Singh, RHIA

Congratulations to Ms. Howard and Mr. Singh for their successful completion of their credentialing examination!

Information on qualifications and process for the Exam Fee Reimbursement are available on the WSHIMA website.

Dear WSHIMA Colleagues,

We continue to partner with the Haugen Consulting Group on providing coding webinar opportunities. Attached is information about “Coding Cardiac Cath Lab Procedures In ICD-10-PCS Let’s Do It Right (or Left!) being held on November 15 at 11:00 AM (PT) and available via recording after that. This is focused on facility coders. We hope you find it interesting and useful to attend.

Learn More and Register Here

Dear WSHIMA Colleagues,

You have another opportunity to view the Information Governance webinar that we posted last December. It is very informative about the approach that UW Medicine has taken to implementing Information Governance and what worked and the challenges they encountered.

Click here to register.

The University of Washington is considering offering a CAHIIM accredited, totally online post-baccalaureate certificate program in Health Informatics and Health Information Management to members of WSHIMA and residents of the state. In support of this effort, the program at UW has developed a survey in an attempt to ascertain interest in offering such a program. The survey can be accessed by clicking on the link included below in this announcement; the survey can be completed in about 5 minutes.

The program would like to determine the interest level of both members of WSHIMA and others in the state who may want to become eligible to take the RHIA examination by completing a certificate program online.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Click here to complete the survey.

Urge Congress to include provisions aligning Part 2 with HIPAA in the final opioid package!

Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 2 (often referred to as 42 CFR Part 2, or simply “Part 2”) regulates the sharing of substance use disorder (SUD) records. Protecting patients’ confidentiality is of the utmost importance but the outdated nature of Part 2 has created barriers for providing the best care possible to individuals with SUD, often leaving clinicians unaware of risks from multiple drug interactions and co-existing medical problems.

In June, the House of Representatives passed HR 6082, the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act by a vote of 357 to 57. The OPPS Act enables appropriate sharing of substance use disorder records by aligning Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and operations. The bill also includes criminal, civil, and administrative protections for patients during legal proceedings and applies HIPAA penalties to the Part 2 program to ensure that patients can seek treatment without fear their information will be inappropriately shared.

The US Senate is scheduled to vote on the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 on Monday, September 17. Upon passage, leaders in the House and Senate are expected to quickly reconcile differences between the two chambers’ bills. While the existing legislation represents critical steps in addressing the opioid and drug epidemic that claimed 72,000 lives in 2017, any final package would be further strengthened by the inclusion of provisions aligning Part 2 with HIPAA.

We need you to call your lawmakers in Congress and urge them to include provisions aligning Part 2 with HIPAA (HR 6082/S 1850) in the final opioid package. AHIMA’s Advocacy Action Center has everything you need to take action.

Your assistance is critical in getting Part 2 reform included in the final opioid package!

Dear WSHIMA Colleagues,

We are looking for volunteers to participate on our Annual Meeting Committee/Education Committee. This involves planning and putting on our WSHIMA Annual meeting as well as designing and planning other educational opportunities for our members. It is always great to participate in this work with colleagues and it is a great opportunity to give back to our profession.

If you are interested/available, send an e-mail to WSHIMA@WSHIMA.org.

Thanks so much!

Attached is information about our WSHIMA colleagues who received the 2018 WSHIMA awards:

• Sally Beahan
  Distinguished Member Award
• Gloria Anderson
  Professional Achievement Award
• Lisa Withers
  Professional Achievement Award
• The-Phuong Pham
  President’s Award

We are grateful to them for all they have contributed to our organization and to our profession.

2018 WSHIMA Awards Recipients

Dear WSHIMA Colleagues,

We continue to partner with the Haugen Consulting Group on providing coding webinar opportunities. Attached is information about “Does your ICD-10-PCS VIR coding need its own intervention?” being held on June 21 at 11:00 AM (PDT). We hope you find it interesting and useful to attend.

Learn More and Register!

Tell Your US Representative to Co-sponsor and Support the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act!

Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 2 (often referred to 42 CFR Part 2, or simply as “Part 2”) regulates the sharing of substance use disorder (SUD) records. It limits the use and disclosure of such records unless a patient provides written consent.

Protecting patients’ confidentiality is of the utmost importance. But because of the complicated ripple effect on a patient’s health that must be carefully managed and coordinated, Part 2 poses a serious safety threat to patients with SUD, often leaving clinicians unaware of risks from multiple drug interactions and co-existing medical problems.

HR 5795, the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act, enables appropriate sharing of substance use disorder records by aligning Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and operations. The bill also includes criminal, civil, and administrative protections for patients during legal proceedings and applies HIPAA penalties to the Part 2 program to ensure that patients can seek treatment without fear their information will be inappropriately shared.

HR 5795 will be considered on the House floor in the coming days, along with other opioid-related bills.

Call your US Representative to ask him or her to co-sponsor HR 5795 and vote yes when it comes to the House floor for a vote. AHIMA’s Advocacy Action Center has everything you need to take action.

Click here to identify your US Representative.

The Gretchen C Murphy Health Informatics and Health Information Management (HIHIM) Student Support Fund

Gretchen Murphy has been a truly exceptional leader in the Health Informatics profession. Gretchen served as the director of the HIHIM programs at Seattle U and UW for many years. Many of us know Gretchen as a thoughtful and caring leader with a special dedication to advancing students and fostering their education. She has spent her career committed to developing the HIHIM profession.

In 2017, the HIHIM Programs at UW announced the establishment of the Gretchen C. Murphy Health Informatics and Health Information Management (HIHIM) Student Support Fund. The naming of this fund allows us to honor Gretchen’s retirement and her dedication to students. This scholarship will increase opportunities for students by lessening the financial burden of their education. These opportunities may include presenting at conferences, providing partial tuition or simply covering the cost of books.

The hope is to endow this fund at $25,000, establishing a legacy to honor Gretchen and to ensure student funding for HIHIM students in the baccalaureate, post-baccalaureate and master’s programs in perpetuity. So far, $12,000 have been raised for the fund. In order to reach the goal of $25,000, please considering making a donation – no donation is too small!

Click here to donate.

Donations can also be made by calling: (206) 221-6343

Greetings,

Melody Draper and Rhona Moses are organizing this year’s Silent Auction to be held during the Annual Meeting at the Lynnwood Convention Center in Lynnwood, WA, April 26 – 28.  We are seeking donations from WSHIMA members, non-members and vendors.  If you are able to donate an item or service please complete the online donation form located at www.wshima.org on the Annual Meeting Silent Auction Page.

Last year the Silent Auction raised $1,500 with all proceeds supporting WSHIMA’s scholarship and award programs for HIM students and current WSHIMA members.

Ideas for auction items:

• Reference materials – professional books
• Gift baskets – garden, spa day, cooking, sports, entertainment
• Collector’s items – art, jewelry, vases, ceramic art
• Craft items – quilts, blankets, pictures
• Electronics
• Games
• Men’s and ladies’ personal accessories
• Sportswear
• Sporting events / entertainment
• Desk and business accessories
• Tours
• Museums
• Hotel and resort get-aways

If you have questions, please contact Melody or Rhona:

WSHIMA 2^nd Year Director, Draper Hnatovic, Melody MDRAPER@jeffersonhealthcare.org

WSHIMA 1^st Year Director, Moses, Rhona moses.r@ghc.org

Thank you for your support!

Dear WSHIMA Members,

Our Legal Portal is our online version of the former WSHIMA Legislative Manual. As I’m sure you know it is a very valuable resource. Normally, the yearly subscription for the Legal Portal is from June 1 through May 31 but right now we are offering a 75% discount through May 31, 2018.

Here is the link to our webpage that describes the Legal Portal and where you can subscribe to it.

When you subscribe enter WSHIMA75 as the Customer Code and you will receive the discount.

As you can see this is a great pricing opportunity and opportunity for you to experience the usefulness and expertise of the Legal Portal.

WSHIMA Members,

Are you interested in applying for a $1,000.00 or $2,000.00 scholarship? Being recognized for your contributions? Getting reimbursed for your exam fee? Then read on.

The Washington State Health Information Management Association (WSHIMA) recognizes scholarship and professionalism as necessary characteristics needed to succeed as health information professionals. We all recognize that our association and profession benefit from the talents and energy of new, well-educated graduates of Health Informatics and Health Information Management and Technology programs in Washington State. To assist qualified health information students in their educational endeavors, WSHIMA offers the Sister Peter Olivaint Scholarship Program. WSHIMA is pleased to announce that we are offering three 2018 scholarships, each in the amount of $2000.00. These three scholarships will not be school specific but are open to WSHIMA Student Members of any CAHIIM approved program.

Also, the WSHIMA Professional Development Scholarship is open to any active WSHIMA member advancing their education and knowledge through contemporary and innovative achievements. To assist AHIMA credentialed health information professionals (HIM) in the state of Washington, WSHIMA offers monetary awards to HIM professionals in order to further their HIM careers. Examples include:

1. Pursuing an advanced AHIMA Credential such as: CCS, CHDA, CHPS, CPHI, CDIP or CHTS
2. One of the emerging credentials in IG or Informatics

The scholarship award could be used for education and prep work in order to pass the exam. WSHIMA will award 2 scholarship for up to $1,000.00 each. If you are interested in either of these scholarships, then please fill out the application form under “Members” on the homepage.

Do you know of an outstanding individual that should be recognized for his or her contributions to the HIM profession? Consider nominating them for the “Distinguished Member Award” or the “Professional Achievement Award.” These awards acknowledge WSHIMA member(s) who have made outstanding contributions to the profession and/or professional associations, and recognizes WSHIMA member(s) who, through their efforts and example, have been an inspiration to those who know them and has advanced the association’s ideals through contemporary and innovative achievements. Do you know of someone? Send in their nomination by filling out the “Awards” form under the “Member” tab on the homepage.

WSHIMA is proud to announce the launch of our re-designed Exam Fee Reimbursement Program. Are you or someone you know getting ready to take the RHIT or RHIA exam? Or, have you taken it within the last 6 months? Would you like the chance to win back your exam fee? Then I encourage you to apply for the Exam Fee Reimbursement. The Exam Fee Reimbursement Program awards the current cost of the exam ($229.00) to eligible WSHIMA Members, as reimbursement for the RHIT or RHIA exam fee upon successful passing of the exam within 6 months of graduation. Interested? See “Exam Fee Reimbursement Program” under the “Member” tab on our homepage.

Send in your application and nominations today!

Sincerely,

Melody Draper Hnatovic RHIT,CHPS, CCS
WSHIMA 2nd Year Director

Dear WSHIMA Colleagues,

Healthcare Resource Group (HRG), one of our WSHIMA Gold Corporate Partners, is offering this complementary webinar on 2018 CPT Updates that are effective next Monday, January 1. So take advantage of this nice gift from HRG!

Here is the link to the CPT Updates Webinar.

Dear WSHIMA Colleagues,

At UW Medicine, we used the Information Governance (IG) Toolkit and the IGtool as part of our AHIMA IG Pilot to identify our level of IG implementation and level of competency in specific areas such as; IG Structure, Strategic Alignment, Enterprise Information Management, Data Governance, IT Governance, Analytics, Privacy & Security, Regulatory & Legal, Awareness & Adherence, and IG Performance. While the tool is geared toward an overall IG Program, UW Medicine’s approach was to start with a grassroots approach centered around the Health Information Management Department. IGHealthRate was quite helpful in assessing our overall competence and allowed us to hone in on specific areas where we had more opportunity. The AHIMA IG tools can really help you identify where to focus!

And below is a special offer from AHIMA.

Sally Beahan, RHIA, MHA
Director, Health Information Management at UW Medicine

AHIMA – RAISE THE IGHEALTHRATE BY DECEMBER 31, 2017

Following up on the announcement at the AHIMA convention that the IG Adoption Model™ is now available free of charge to qualified organizations* through the IGHealthRate™ assessment tool, we’re opening up a contest to CSAs. Because this tool has made such an incredible difference for those leading IG efforts in their organizations, between now and December 31, the state that gains the largest number of organizations using IGHealthRate™ will win a free four-hour IG training in 2018.

*To qualify: Information intensive organizations of any size qualify by having assigned an IG leader, a C-suite sponsor, and agreeing to do the assessment within 60 days of gaining access to the tool.

Here is the link: https://www.ighealthrate.com/#/login

AHIMA will track states’ participation through the IGHealthRate tool. The winner will be announced January 4, 2018.

Dear WSHIMA Colleagues,

We are preparing for our 2018 WSHIMA Annual Meeting in Lynnwood, Washington, April 26 – 28, and are seeking speakers for that event. If you are interested in being a speaker, please complete the attached Speaker Submission form and return it to me at WSHIMA@wshima.org. We plan to have an excellent meeting with good education and CEU opportunities and fun networking.

I hope to see you there whether or not you are speaking.

My Best,
Eugenia

Eugenia Terry, RHIA
WSHIMA Executive Director

WSHIMA Speaker Submission Form

Let’s help our colleagues affected by disaster. Click on this link to the AHIMA website to donate now: http://www.ahimafoundation.org/Support/HIRO.aspx

• President-Elect (3 year term)
• Secretary (1 year term)
• 1st year Director (2 year term)
• Delegate – 1 position (2 year term)

Dear Colleagues,

As you know, WSHIMA is partnering with Haugen Consulting Group to offer monthly live webinars on various coding topics. The next one will be “Supporting Sepsis: Compliantly coding healthcare’s favorite moving target”.

These coding webinars will also be available on-demand after they occur. These are both valuable and inexpensive opportunities to improve your coding skills and obtain CEUs.

Attached is information about the next webinar:

Supporting Sepsis: Compliantly coding healthcare’s favorite moving target – scheduled at noon (PDT) on November 15, 2017.

Here is information about the webinar.

Welcome to this great opportunity and enjoy!

Click here to register.

Dear Colleagues,

We are in the process of evaluating our WSHIMA sponsored education opportunities with the intention of updating them and providing more and more relevant opportunities for education and CEUs.

With that in mind we have developed the attached survey. Can you take a few minutes to complete it and give us your insight as to what works for you? We will then expand and update the education that WSHIMA provides.

Thanks for your help!

WSHIMA Education Survey

Dear Colleagues,

WSHIMA is grateful to Reimbursement Management Consultants (RMC) who have chosen to be a Gold Corporate Partner with us for several years. Here is some information about them:

Reimbursement Management Consultants, Inc. (RMC) has worked hard over the past 23 years to establish a reputation of QUALITY, CONSISTENCY, PROFESSIONALISM and EXCELLENCE. Our team is built of some of the most skilled experts in the industry, providing coding support, compliance reviews, consulting, education and CDI services to our diverse range of clients. We are always looking for new partnerships, and would love to work with YOU! Contact us today at 800-538-5007 or www.rmcinc.org

To sign up for our complimentary quarterly newsletter, COMPLIANCE CONNECTIONS, click here!

For more information on who we are, and what we do at RMC, click here!

Welcome to learning with Haugen Academy, sponsored by WSHIMA!

This catalog displays upcoming live webinars. Purchase of the live webinar includes access to the recorded version as well.

Enjoy your learning!

Register Here

Dear WSHIMA Colleagues,

The WSHIMA Board would like to encourage you to become a member of the AHIMA Engage Community for Washington state. It is an excellent opportunity to connect with colleagues, pose questions, provide resources and ideas and to network. As AHIMA says: “Choose from a diverse group of health information topics to share your knowledge, seek advice, gain best practices and strategize.”

If you are not already signed up for Engage please consider doing so. Here is the link and we also have it on our WSHIMA webpage under “Resources”.

Go onto the Engage home page, click on the tab “Communities” and you can sign in.

Enjoy!

Dear WSHIMA Colleagues,

Partnering withe Haugen Consulting Group, we have had two coding education webinars in the past two months. One is on the topic of “Wounded By Wound Care” and the other is on the topic of “Chronic Care Management”. In case you missed them we now have those presentations available for you to access On-demand.

So click on the link below, register and enjoy!

Register

Another Great Coding Education Opportunity

Dear WSHIMA Colleagues,

We had our first coding education webinar, partnering with Haugen Consulting Group, last week on the topic of Wounded By Wound Care. It was a great success. Comments in the evaluations included: “Great course. Speaker was very clear and easy.”

We now have that presentation link available for you to access On-demand.

So click on it, register and enjoy!

Click Here For On-Demand Access

Dear Colleagues,

As you know, WSHIMA is partnering with Haugen Consulting Group to offer monthly live webinars on various coding topics. These will also be available on-demand after they occur. These are both valuable and inexpensive opportunities to improve your coding skills and obtain CEUs. Attached is information about the next webinar – Chronic Care Management – scheduled at noon (PDT) on August 16, 2017. Welcome to this great opportunity and enjoy!

Click Here to Register

• 
  Facebook: facebook.com/WSHIMA
   
• 
  Twitter: @WSHIMAResources

The Washington State Health Care Authority has an incentive program for those who participate in the WA Link4Health Clinical Data Repository.

Look at the bulletin to see if this is something you qualify for.

Clinical Data Repository Opportunity

A steering committee has been formed to coordinate efforts to update the Public Hospital Districts Records Retention Schedule, Version 5.0 (March 2011). An updated retention schedule is essential to managing public records, which means not only complying with record-keeping requirements, but also maximizing resources and minimizing risk through appropriate records retention and disposition.

The committee is looking for volunteers to serve on workgroups as subject-matter experts in Healthcare Operations, Quality Control, Treatment, Research, and Long Term Care/Nursing Home Facilities. The workgroups will review and suggest changes to the retention schedule.

The timeline is June through September 2017. The frequency, duration, and setting of workgroup meetings will depend on location and availability of workgroup members; however, members can expect to meet for no more than 4 hours per month.

If you are interested in joining a workgroup or have questions about the steering committee, please contact Ryan Schlender, UW Medicine Records Analyst at: ryans4@uw.edu.

The 2017 AHIMA Advocacy Summit held in Washington DC March 27-28 was incredible – once again – including the blooming cherry blossom trees! This year, we had four WSHIMA representatives – Sally Beahan, President, Cindy Kelly, President-Elect, Lisa Withers, Delegate, and Sheila Green-Shook, Chair of Advocacy and Collaboration. 

Monday, March 27th was filled with interesting speakers, The morning session was kicked off by Ann Chenoweth, AHIMA President and Chair followed by Lynn Thomas Gordon, CEO, AHIMA. 

Next up was Pam Lane, VP Public, Policy and Government Relations for AHIMA and the purpose of her presentation was to enhance the audience’s understanding of advocacy and the opportunity to influence at the state and national level.

• Patient matching and the importance of promoting dialogue with the private sector to beginning discussing strategies to reduce the risk to patients and their care due to patient matching issues/errors 
• The importance of engaging health information management professionals. This talking point wasn’t an ‘ask’ as much as it was ‘we are here to serve as content experts, so please feel free to reach out to us if you have questions’. 

We are wishing you and your family the best in this holiday season. May you have great and good times with family and friends. Thank you for your commitment to our profession and to our Association.

Are you interested in applying for a $1,000.00 or $2,000.00 scholarship? Being recognized for your contributions? Getting reimbursed for your exam fee? Then read on…

The Washington State Health Information Management Association (WSHIMA) recognizes scholarship and professionalism as necessary characteristics needed to succeed as health information professionals. We all recognize that our association and profession benefit from the talents and energy of new, well-educated graduates of Health Informatics and Health Information Management and Technology programs in Washington State. To assist qualified health information students in their educational endeavors, WSHIMA offers the Sister Peter Olivaint Scholarship Program. WSHIMA is pleased to announce that we are offering three 2017 scholarships, each in the amount of $2000.00. These three scholarships will not be school specific but are open to WSHIMA Student Members of any CAHIIM approved program.

Also, the WSHIMA Professional Development Scholarship is open to any active WSHIMA member advancing their education and knowledge through contemporary and innovative achievements. To assist AHIMA credentialed health information professionals (HIM) in the state of Washington, WSHIMA offers monetary awards to HIM professionals in order to further their HIM careers. Examples include:

1. Pursuing an advanced AHIMA Credential such as: CCS, CHDA, CHPS, CPHI, CDIP or CHTS
2. One of the emerging credentials in IG or Informatics

The scholarship award could be used for education and prep work in order to pass the exam. WSHIMA will award 2 scholarship for up to $1,000.00 each. If you are interested in either of these scholarships, then please fill out the application form under “Members” on the homepage. Here is the link: https://www.wshima.org/members/scholarships/

Do you know of an outstanding individual that should be recognized for his or her contributions to the HIM profession? Consider nominating them for the “Distinguished Member Award” or the “Professional Achievement Award.” These awards acknowledge WSHIMA member(s) who have made outstanding contributions to the profession and/or professional associations, and recognizes WSHIMA member(s) who, through their efforts and example, have been an inspiration to those who know them and has advanced the association’s ideals through contemporary and innovative achievements. Do you know of someone? Send in their nomination by filling out the “Awards” form under the “Member” tab on the homepage. Here is the link: https://www.wshima.org/members/awards/

WSHIMA is proud to announce the launch of our re-designed Exam Fee Reimbursement Program. Are you or someone you know getting ready to take the RHIT or RHIA exam? Or, have you taken it within the last 6 months? Would you like the chance to win back your exam fee? Then I encourage you to apply for the Exam Fee Reimbursement. The Exam Fee Reimbursement Program awards the current cost of the exam ($229.00) to eligible WSHIMA Members, as reimbursement for the RHIT or RHIA exam fee upon successful passing of the exam within 6 months of graduation. Interested? See “Exam Fee Reimbursement Program” under the “Member” tab on our homepage. Here is the link: https://www.wshima.org/members/certification-exam-reimbursement/

Send in your application and nominations today!

Sincerely,

Tracy Stanley, RHIT/CHUC
WSHIMA 2nd Year Director

We have new information on our website that gives patients/consumers information about how to request medical records. Click on Resources (at the top) and see “How to Request Your Records — A Consumer FAQ”.

This will be useful to our patients and to our teams who are assisting patients.

Here is the information from the AHIMA House of Delegates (HOD) meeting at the Baltimore AHIMA Convention. Interesting information — lots of new strategy and evolution. As healthcare moves forward, so do we!

AHIMA House of Delegates 2016 Report

I realized that I have been remiss in communicating with you as I enter into my second term as WSHIMA President, it’s almost November and the holidays are fast approaching, where does the time go? Here are some updates!

WSHIMA Board Updates

I want to assure you that even though you haven’t heard much from me, your WSHIMA Board is busy behind the scenes working on moving our strategic plan forward. Our delegates just got back from the international AHIMA conference that was held in Baltimore. We attended the House of Delegates on Sunday October 16^th where we heard a lot about HIM Reimagined (HIM-R). AHIMA’s vision is to move our profession forward in this rapidly changing healthcare environment. As the CEO of AHIMA Lynne Thomas-Gordon said, “we don’t want to be a Kodak or Blockbuster”. That resonated with me and as we look to the future many of the traditional HIM roles are changing with the advancement of technology and the changing reimbursement and pay for performance landscape. We have a unique skillset as HIM Professionals that will serve us well as our future unfolds but we need to be proactive and think about what the future roles look like.

Annual Meeting March 16-18^th Spokane, WA

The WSHIMA Annual Committee is hard at work planning the 2017 WSHIMA Annual meeting which will be held in Spokane, WA March 16-18^th, 2017. We changed the venue this year to the Red Lion Riverfront and more information will be coming on registration and educational sessions.

HIM Reimagined (HIM-R)

You will hear a lot more about HIM-R and the educational tracks AHIMA is creating to keep our skills relevant to the changing times. Healthcare needs us and we need to be poised and ready to step up and lead, accept change with open arms, and promote ourselves to our employers as we have a unique skillset that will help shape the future.

Get Involved

If you are interested in volunteering we have a variety of roles in WSHIMA that can be as big or small as your time allows, we have a great time and it is rewarding knowing we are supporting our members and moving our profession forward, come join us!!

New Education Chair

I’m pleased to announce that Laura Legg from Healthcare Resource Group has offered to take on the role of WSHIMA Education Chair; we are discussing future opportunities for ½ day sessions as we look to 2017.

Sincerely,
Sally Beahan, RHIA, MHA
President, WSHIMA

Evergreen Alert – October 19, 2016

Evergreen Alert – October 13, 2016

Evergreen Alert – July 21, 2016

Evergreen Alert – July 1, 2016

Have you ever considered volunteering your time with WSHIMA? To be truthful with you, before three years ago, I hadn’t! First of all, I didn’t feel that I had been a part of the world of HIM long enough to have anything significant to contribute. Secondly, I found it to be very intimidating to consider. So, I think that makes me the perfect person to encourage all of you to think about volunteering, wherever you find yourself in your professional career at this time, whether you are a new graduate, currently working, or even retired.

My first experience with WSHIMA was as a student attending the 2011 annual convention at the Davenport Hotel in Spokane WA. I graduated that year and began working soon after. To continue earning my CEU’s I attended our regional chapter, INHIMA. I paid my dues and meeting fees, and I enjoyed the fruits of the labor of the local board without ever giving a thought as to how these meetings came together. Then in 2012, I was nominated to serve on the INHIMA board. I was curious about the experience and accepted the nomination. I was later elected to serve as INHIMA President Elect for 2013. One of the benefits of serving is that the President represents the regional board with WSHIMA. So in 2014, I began to attend the WSHIMA board meetings.

I have to admit to you that the first meeting I attended I felt like I was completely out of my element. I looked around the room at the group of professionals who had achieved a status in their careers that I hadn’t even yet contemplated. Their level of knowledge and dedication was astounding. Much of what they talked about went completely over my head at the time. I thought, “What am I doing here?!” On the flip side of that experience, was the way that they welcomed me and encouraged me to participate. I continued to attend and brought back ideas to share with our local chapter. I got to know these amazing and dynamic people, and I grew in personal and professional ways.

I have now finished my term with INHIMA, and in the meantime I have served on the WSHIMA Nominating, Coding, and Annual Convention Committees. I played a small role in helping to put together some of the coding sessions for the 2016 Annual Convention.

As a member attending the learning opportunities put together by our local and state organizations, it’s easy to take for granted how these offerings come together for us. The groups of people working behind the scenes to put them together can seem anonymous and bit like the man behind the green curtain. It’s not magic though and we can take the opportunity to give back and participate. I encourage you to consider being a part of this group of dedicated people. What you will find is that they are an amazing and welcoming group. You will learn that you do have much that you can offer, and that what you gain will be rewarding and well worth your time.

Cindy Stephens, RHIT

Evergreen Alert- March 31, 2016

Evergreen Alert- March 11, 2016