News

Opportunity to See Where Our Candidates Stand

Dear WSHIMA Colleagues, AHIMA is preparing for the annual election (which will occur July 31 through August 14). In doing this they are providing us with a forum for candidates to share their knowledge, experience and opinions.

This is on the AHIMA Membership and Business Engage webpage. Here is the link to that page.

There are various discussion forums there that you can click on.

If you are not already an Engage member, here is the link to the Engage Home page (click on the Communities tab to sign up).

This is a great opportunity to learn about our ballot candidates and make the choices that work best for our profession!

Public Hospital Records Retention Schedule Update 2017-2018

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.

Hill Day in Washington DC

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.

Deven McGraw, JD, who is the Deputy Director for Health Information Privacy at the HHS Office for Civil Rights and the Acting Chief Privacy Officer of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) presented later in the morning. The objective of her session was to share with the audience insights on how the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has sought to modernize HPAA to advance innovation in healthcare, technology and research. She did leave time at the end of her presentation for Q and A, but as you can imagine for this speaker and topic, there is never enough time! 

We ended late in the afternoon with a presentation by Lauren Riplinger, Senior Director, Federal Relations, AHIMA. Lauren is a wealth of knowledge and did a great job being the last speaker of a very long day. The information Lauren shared really helped develop an understanding of the current healthcare legislative landscape as well as what is important to congressional members who we would be meeting with on Tuesday.

Tuesday was as exciting day as we headed to ‘the hill’. We had two talking points this year that AHIMA had prepared for us: 

  • 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’. 
It was an inspiring and interesting time to be in Washington DC – regardless of your political beliefs, I think everyone can agree these are challenging and uncertain times relating to the future of healthcare policies!

Sheila Green-Shook, MHA, RHIA, CHP, FAHIM 
Chair, Advocacy and Collaboration

Happy Holidays!

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.

Awards and Good Things Coming Your Way!

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

Good Information for our Patients!

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.

A Message from the WSHIMA President – October, 2016

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 16th 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 16-18th Spokane, WA

The WSHIMA Annual Committee is hard at work planning the 2017 WSHIMA Annual meeting which will be held in Spokane, WA March 16-18th, 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 – July 14, 2016

The Washington State Health Care Authority is pursuing additional federal funding to assist many types of provider organizations with electronic data sharing and interoperability with the state health information exchange run by OneHealthPort. This process will proceed over several years with several chances for input. The first chance for input is a brief survey covering the current capacities and capabilities of all possible provider organizations.

I encourage you to support this initiative by clicking here to complete the survey.

The survey is important. It surveys a broader range of provider types than previous surveys to identify the broadest possible opportunities to connect Medicaid providers together in support or lower costs, better care, and better health of our customers.

We hope for broad input from across the health care community. Unfortunately, that goal might result in your receiving this invitation multiple times. There is only one survey, so if you complete the survey please feel free to disregard subsequent invitations. We apologize in advance for any duplicate invitations as we understand the overwhelming amount of email you receive.

Should you have any questions or comments please email them to healthit@hca.wa.gov with “Environmental Scan” in the subject line.

Thank you for helping us participate.

Why I Volunteer – By Cindy Stephens, RHIT

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

Message from Vendor Relations Chair Eugenia Terry

A View of Vendor Relations
Eugenia Terry, RHIA

About 3 years ago I was asked to create a Vendor Relations process for WSHIMA.  Marci Vanderbosch joined me and we interviewed key members of other HIM state associations who already had significant vendor relations processes in place.  It was very useful for us and, as a result, we created a WSHIMA Corporate Partner process and approach.

This included developing Gold and Bronze partnerships with a list of benefits and fees for each.  At first we were going to have the Lead of the Vendor Relations process (me) be the key contact with the Corporate Partners, but, at that time we were also developing and implementing the new WSHIMA Executive Director position, so it was determined that optimally that individual (Jill Burrington-Brown) should be the key contact with vendors in general and Corporate Partners in particular.

This has been very successful for us.  To date we have 3 Gold partners and 2 Bronze partners.  We also have 23 vendors signed up to attend our Annual Meeting. (Last year we had 16.)  Great job, Jill!

The advantages to the vendors are that they get a number of benefits that lead to much more visibility to our members.  The advantages to us are that we get more clarity about vendor products and, because they travel all over the country, more clarity about changes in the healthcare field that they encounter elsewhere and share with us at Board meetings.  This latter advantage was something we had not thought of initially but it was strongly pointed out by other state associations.

This process has been enjoyable and enlightening for me.  Plus I appreciate the opportunity to be a member of WSHIMA in this and other roles.  It is a great advantage to know our colleagues (both members and vendors), to interact and network with them, and to participate in changes to the healthcare arena that will, hopefully, lead to improvements in how we do our work and, ultimately, improved patient care.

Message from Gold Corporate Partner, Rik Lewis at Health Resource Group

Planning your Volunteer Career  HRGLogo_WhiteBkgrd_20130313

by Rik Lewis
VP of Healthcare Resource Group
A WSHIMA Gold Corporate Partner

 

 

I think it is safe to say that we have invested a lot of time planning our career.   Most of us are in roles that were not anticipated when we left high school.   As we gained more experience and education, we followed a path that early on was a bit murky, but eventually the path got clearer as we set career goals.

I joined Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) in 1999 at the request of my employer…after 17 years in workers’ compensation claims management, I made a career change that was less planned and more the result of opportunity.   Early on in my HFMA career, leadership asked me to take a volunteer role and here I am, in my President-Elect role 17 years later.

After 10 years of supporting my chapter both at a local and regional level, I was asked by our Regional Executive “when are you going to be President of the chapter?”   My response was that I was not interested…I had my plate full with work, family and Boy Scouts.  Overtime, I realized that in 10 years in the future…I would be right where I am today, serving my chapter.  At that moment, I realized that if I was called to serve in the capacity of president, it would be an honor.

How did it all start for me with HFMA?   Our then chapter president was a very assertive woman…her approach was to directly ask you to volunteer in a specific role and it is hard to say no to your president!   I had only been in the chapter less than a year and I was asked to co-chair the trade fair…a role I filled for nearly 15 years!  I had no experience…I had not even attended past trade fairs!

How did it all start for me with WSHIMA?   Kathy Peterson (Director and Senior Lecturer, Health Informatics and Health Information Management Program, University of Washington) asked me if I would fill the role of education chair…Kathy knew me well for a variety of reasons, but I had never really engaged with WSHIMA prior to the request.  I was asked, honored at the opportunity, jumped in head first!

The WSHIMA chapter is not unlike most trade associations, including HFMA…far too few volunteers carrying too much of the load. There is so much to do and so little time.  In many instances, chapter leaders get overwhelmed in our roles that we fail to delegate.

In my opinion, volunteering your time is unconditional; if you’re lucky you will fill a role that you are passionate about, but ultimately you are supporting the needs of the organization first.

Have you ever offered to volunteer and never been taken up on your offer?   That is a difficult situation…often the volunteer is disappointed…thinking maybe they are not viewed as a competent person or that it is personal and the leaders don’t like you.   The good news is that is not the case…many times leaders forget the offer or fail to immediately have a role that might meet your needs.   Quite honestly, this happens all the time.

Quick tips to volunteering your time:

  • Identify an area in the chapter that you are passionate about…where do you think you can best help?
  • Don’t take no for an answer, if you don’t get an immediate positive answer or volunteer assignment…don’t give up.  Don’t take it personal…it isn’t about you.
  • Don’t get frustrated if you start off in a supportive role…starting off slowly is usually best for all
  • Be aware of what is happening in your chapter…there are a variety of ways to volunteer
  • Do what you say you will do to the best of your ability.  If you have a role but don’t fully understand your responsibilities or duties…ask for help!  If you are falling short and cannot fulfil your responsibilities…communicate your challenge and ask for help.
  • Network with other members…often you have friends in the chapter that can help you find the right spot for you

Planning your volunteer career is usually a series of short, unconditional goals and needs change as well as your availability.   You may not want to fill an officer or board member role but things change over time.  Volunteering is neither hard nor easy…but typically no different than helping at your children’s school or at church…one thing leads to another.  Volunteering is fun and rewarding!

From the Executive Director: Why I’m a Member of WSHIMA

Jill Burrington-Brown, MS, RHIA, FAHIMA

At one of our Board meetings, we discussed why we were members of WSHIMA—What were the reasons we became active in this association?  All of us had stories about being a WSHIMA member.  I’ll tell you mine.

I started out with working on the Bylaws committee, of all things.  It was actually a year with a lot of changes, and a call went out for someone to stay on top of the changes.  I raised my hand, and started meeting some phenomenal people.  I was elected as a Delegate the next year, and was fortunate to go to my first National Convention in New Orleans, LA.  I should have had more experience, because I hardly said two words that convention (those of you who know me well probably don’t believe that!). But I got to know and learn from Mary Jo Callahan and Sue Stubbs, fellow delegates.  Being a delegate for two years gave me the courage to run for Treasurer, and it was during that term that I understood the value of networking.  One of my new friends recommended me for a position as an HIM Director and I got the job!

What I want you to know about WSHIMA is that you get so much more than what you put in.  This HIM community is very generous with sharing their knowledge.  What that means to me is that I had access to experts whenever I needed work advice because I had already worked along side them in association business.   When I needed better productivity models, I had several people I could ask.  When I had a difficult situation, someone else had already been there and could help me navigate it.

I became President of WSHIMA in 1990.  That was over 25 years ago, but I still remember the terrific opportunities I had that year.   I went to my first Hill Day in Washington D.C., and opened the AHIMA National Convention in Seattle that year. I met people I consider to be lifetime friends as well as colleagues.

I now have more working years behind me than in front of me, and I wouldn’t change a thing.  Did I always have the money for dues?  No, there were plenty of years I had to scrimp to come up with it or pay off my credit card. Did I ever wonder if it was worth it?  Sure!  But I could always point to something that I would have missed if I hadn’t been a member:

  • The jobs I’ve held throughout the years have nearly all been because I knew someone in WSHIMA.
  • I learned how to mentor by having wonderful mentors in WSHIMA.
  • I learned to be brave and do public speaking because of WSHIMA.
  • I learned to be brave and talk to state and federal legislators because of WSHIMA.
  • I learned to be brave and ask for a “seat at the table” because of WSHIMA.
  • Learning to be brave gave me confidence. That’s because of WSHIMA.

Being active in WSHIMA means volunteering for whatever you have the capacity for at the moment.  Not all things that need doing are long-term commitments.   Come and join us!  Learn what you need to learn!  Start by coming to our annual meeting in April.   I’ll be at the registration desk most of the time. Stop and say hello.   I’ll be happy to meet you.

 

 

President’s Message – The Role of President & President Elect

The Role of President & President Elect
by Sally Beahan, WSHIMA President

To be honest, when I was asked to run for President Elect 2 years ago, I was scared to death. Fear of the unknown I guess one would say. My first Strategic Planning Board meeting as incoming President Elect in June of 2014 was the first exposure I had to the WSHIMA Board in many years. I had served on WSHIMA committees in the past and had been asked to ‘throw my hat in the ring’ over the years but the time was never quite right for me so I declined. When the call came in early 2014 to run for President Elect I took a couple of days to really think about it and while it scared me to death, I felt the time was right to get involved.

Looking back on my journey in HIM, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Timing is everything! My kids are grown, I finished my Master’s degree, and I have a day job that allows me some flexibility to expand my areas of focus so I finally said ‘yes’! The first AHIMA Leadership Symposium in July 2014 was amazing to say the least. I was so energized to be around other AHIMA Professionals and leaders from all across the United States. We shared ideas and commiserated about our challenges. It was at that point that I knew finally saying ‘yes’ to running for the WSHIMA Board was one of the best decisions I had ever made.

Working with the WSHIMA Board and representing WA State at the national AHIMA level is an enlightening experience. We attended the national convention and House of Delegates in San Diego in September 2014. It was there we received the ‘call to action’ to reach out to our WA State representatives in Congress and the Senate to promote ICD10 and stop any chance of another ICD10 delay. To be honest, that felt a bit daunting, but we did it and quickly became very comfortable talking to our legislative offices. Several of us had the opportunity to travel to Washington DC in March 2015 and participate in AHIMA’s Hill Day to further promote ICD10 with the message of no more delays! We met with some our Congressional and Senate offices. It was so much fun and they really listened to our message about ICD10. I could see we were making a difference!

In June 2015 we held our annual Strategic Planning meeting and welcomed incoming Board members. We put together a robust Strategic Plan and budget for 2015-16 and use that as our guide at our monthly Board meetings. A group of us from the Board travelled to Chicago in July 2015 for the AHIMA Leadership Symposium and learned a lot, got inspired, and came up with some new ideas to support our initiatives to ensure WSHIMA is bringing value to our members. In September 2015 a group of us from the Board descended upon New Orleans and attended the House of Delegates and annual AHIMA conference.

Looking back on the last 18 months in some ways seems like a whirlwind but I can honestly say from the bottom of my heart that I’m so glad I finally said ‘yes’ to running for a Board position! My point in sharing my story is to inspire you to get involved. We have a lot of opportunities in WSHIMA to be as involved as you want or can be from serving on a committee, chairing a committee, or running for a Board position. My journey so far has been truly amazing and I’m thankful to have made so many new friends and met so many HIM colleagues that I wouldn’t have gotten to know had I not said ‘yes’. So my wish for you in this coming year is to think about saying ‘yes’, you won’t be disappointed! We are accepting nominations for the 2016-17 Board positions so check out the WSHIMA website and throw your hat in the ring or send an email to wshima@wshima.org if you are interested in volunteering on a committee.

WSHIMA NEWS: Chief Delegate Message from Cynthia Kelly

The Leadership Symposium July 10th and 11th in Chicago was attended by WSHIMA Delegates Sally Beahan, President; Sheryl Rose, Past President; Cindy Kelly, Chief Delegate; Bill Thieleman, Delegate; Lynette Colis, Delegate and Tracy Stanley, Delegate.

The attendees from around the US reviewed the 2014 to 2017 AHIMA Strategic Plan.

This document is the foundation for the work to be done by AHIMA and each Component State Association (CSA) over the next few years. I encourage you to review the Strategic Plan by clicking here. (http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/ahima/bok1_050165.pdf)

AHIMA’s Strategic Plan includes an Environmental Scan, an analysis of HIM issues and trends expected to affect the future of healthcare. Trends included in that scan are:

  • Business/Economic Climate
  • Demographic
  • Legislation/Regulation
  • Politics/Societal Values
  • Technology/Science
  • Other Key Trends

The identified trends are worth reading as they inform the objectives needed to uphold the Association’s direction.

WSHIMA Delegates will be attending the House of Delegates in New Orleans on September 27th. It is important that we hear from WSHIMA members to help us better understand your thoughts on the Strategic Plan. Please feel free to contact us with your comments via the WSHIMA website, Facebook or Twitter. We look forward to hearing from you.

WSHIMA@Wshima.org or check our web page for our individual emails.

AHIMA Foundation Receives Apprenticeship Program Grant

The AHIMA Foundation will receive a $4.9 million grant to fund the Managing the Talent Pipeline in Health Information apprenticeship program to help 1,200 recent college graduates and career-switchers break into healthcare data management careers. The AHIMA Foundation will work with employers ranging from Kaiser to Seattle Children’s Hospital using a competency based, on-the-job apprenticeship training program in healthcare informatics.

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