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September 2006 Contributing school: CONTRIBUTORS Student Connection e-News is produced eight times per year by the Student Connection Team at AHIMA. To submit or to suggest an article, send your e-mail to studentconnection@ahima.org CONTACT AHIMA: IN THIS ISSUE
Plan to Participate in Upcoming Student Chats
Date: September 29, at 7 p.m. EST Date: October 20, at 7 p.m. EST Chats take place in the Student Community of Practice (CoP)
Ed.gov is extremely helpful for students, teachers, and parents. It contains information about student aids, grants, how to choose a school, career guidance, volunteer opportunities, and much more. It has online information on teaching resources, how to improve student performance, addressing student needs, and how to become a teacher. StudentJobs.gov is a comprehensive information portal providing help with resume writing, assessing student's skills and interests, and searching for job opportunities. Access this site for useful links to different agencies that student employment. The Health Management Careers site is useful tool for students in choosing career options. It provides list of programs offered through the country in healthcare management. It also contains helpful tips and suggestions from successful healthcare management workers. The 2006 AHIMA Convention and Exhibit—Should I Attend?
Are you planning on attending AHIMA's 78th National Convention in Denver, CO, this year? Join thousands of fellow HIM professionals October 7–12 as they attend exciting events and in-depth lectures on HIM current topics. Visit the enormous vendor hall and see hundreds of major companies and healthcare organizations to learn what's new in health information technology. Students Spoke, We Listened Last year, students told us they wanted a detailed game plan of how to snag that all important first job after graduating from college. So this year, the Student Academy will take place at 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 8 and will focus exclusively on this topic of interest. The Student Academy kicks off at 1 p.m. with a HIM recruiter (and Florida HIMA President) Perry Ellie, MA, RHIA, FAHIMA, will offer suggestions on developing a career path. Ellie will outline skills and behaviors that potential employers are looking for. He shares the podium with Barbara Black, MPA, SPHR, who hires for Care Communications, and will discuss what her firm looks for in the field of consulting. At 2 p.m. David McCann, CCS, from HP3, Inc, and Carol Clinedinst from SoftMed Systems, Inc., will focus on breaking into the job market with large employers and vendors. Attend this session to learn the important rules of the game. At 3 p.m. Gwen Hughes, RHIA, CHP, from Care Communications and Perry Ellie, MA, RHIA, FAHIMA, from HIM Recruiters provide behind the scenes details of landing the first job. This session will include job search techniques for entry level positions, advantages of using a recruiter, and tips on designing an action plan to help you help yourself. At 4 p.m., a series of mock interviews will take place, as well as a series of speed interviews. This will allow students to get some valuable feedback on what works and what needs work when presenting your resume to employers. Career Center—October 10 On October 10, from 12 noon–5 p.m., the Career Center opens so that attendees can meet major employers in person and have real-time conversations with companies that are hiring. Use this time to meet industry recruiters, large vendor companies, and healthcare organizations and hand them your resume (using all those new skills you learned about on Sunday!) Four reasons to attend the AHIMA Convention and Exhibit
College of Saint Mary Students Plan to Attend Karolyn Grafel is a senior at the College of Saint Mary of Omaha, NE, and will graduate in May. She lives about 50 miles from the school and commutes with a fellow student, Heather Bodlak. Grafel and Bodlak will be rooming together at convention to help keep their expenses down. This is the first time either student has attended national convention. We spoke with Grafel about why she plans on attending the Denver Convention. "A lot of people don't know what HIM is, so I am drawn to conferences in order to learn more. It's nice to be around a huge group of people who all share the same interest." "I attended Omaha HIMA conferences and also went to the Nebraska HIMA conference last spring (and will again this fall) so naturally when I heard that the national convention would be in Denver (within driving distance) I knew I needed to go." "I've been planning on attending the Convention since I heard about it. Heather Bodlak and I will be rooming together but we are interested in finding a couple of other students who might like to room with us and share the costs. I can be reached via the Community of Practice e-mail system. Please let me know if you may be interested in joining us." As you can see, this year will be an exciting convention experience for students. With so many opportunities to market yourself and learn about your new profession, we hope you will also plan on attending. The Most Authoritative Resource on EHRs Is Now Available
HIM students need to be on the cutting edge of the electronic health record. Here's the definitive EHR resource that will guide you through a successful implementation plan. Margaret K. Amatayakul, MBA, RHIA, CHPS, FHIMSS, a leading authority on EHR strategies for healthcare organizations, shares her expertise in this step-by-step approach to managing the transition to EHRs. The third edition of this best-selling book includes new information on:
New appendices include case studies and practice briefs. Order your copy today to ensure you have the most up-to-date information on EHRs by visiting here or calling (800) 335-5535. See the April 2006 issue of Student Connection e-news here. Coming in October!More from:
Regis University in Denver, CO |
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Copyright © 2006 American Health Information Management Association. All rights reserved.
Welcome to your new academic year! For those of you just beginning your HIM education, welcome—we're delighted you've chosen to become part of this wonderful profession. And to those of you returning to your studies, I hope you had a wonderful summer, and are ready for the new challenges this year will bring. My one piece of advice for each of you as you plan this year is to take full advantage of your student membership in AHIMA. Be active on our Communities of Practice, and use them as the powerful networking tools that they are.
The demand for trained health information management professionals is strong, and getting stronger almost daily as our nation ramps up the development of health information exchange. Study hard, and get involved in your local and state associations to make the kind of contacts that will aid in the job search in which you'll soon be engaged. We are glad you're here, and we look forward to working with you as collectively, we achieve quality healthcare through quality information.
Jill Callahan Dennis, JD, RHIA
by Jennifer Bowen
Jennifer Bowen successfully completed the Regis University RHIA certificate program in May of 2006. She plans to take the RHIA exam this fall.
As a student member of AHIMA, I have been looking for opportunities to become more involved in my state association. Last May, I attended my first Colorado Health Information Management Association (CHIMA) meeting and heard fellow member Diane Bauerle, RHIA, give a presentation on the Community Education Campaign in Colorado. I was interested so I contacted Bauerle to find out more about the program and how I could get involved.
The Nuts and Bolts of the CEC Campaign
The Community Education Campaign began in 2004 with the goal of increasing public awareness of personal health records (PHRs). Each state association has a community education coordinator position (CEC) which is a voluntary office responsible for coordinating campaign efforts in his or her state. The CEC then recruits and coordinates the training of other HIM-credentialed members to be community presenters. Once a presenter is trained, they can give fully scripted presentations to any interested community group. AHIMA also supports a public Web site, myPHR.com, to educate and guide individuals on how to use a PHR as well as the benefits of keeping a personal health record. AHIMA's public relations staff recently shared some of the campaign's impact numbers:
Using CECs to Spread the Word
Part of our responsibility as HIM professionals is to help educate the general public on their rights and spread the word about the benefits of a PHR. Volunteering also helps foster a stronger community within our state associations as well. When I asked Colorado community education coordinator Bauerle why she chose to become involved in the campaign, she said it was an excellent way to meet new people, both professionally and in the community. She also enjoys the personal growth found pursuing public speaking engagements.
As many students approach graduation dates and plan to sit for the RHIT or RHIA exams, we need to find ways to continue our educational experiences outside of the classroom. You may find the Community Education Campaign is just the place for you to foster your involvement with your state association and your community at large. If you are interested in becoming involved in the Community Education Campaign in your state, contact your state association and get in contact with your community education coordinator. You can find more information about the Community Education Campaign by logging on to the Communities of Practice.
by Kim Peterson, RHIT
Kim Peterson, RHIT, is a senior in Regis University's HIM program and the supervisor of the HIM department for Boulder Community Hospital in Boulder, CO. Peterson plans to receive a bachelor of science degree in HIM and she is planning to sit for the RHIA exam in Spring 2007.
I started the HIT program at Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, CO, with the goal of becoming a coder. As I began my studies, the program opened my eyes to many opportunities in the HIM field. A few months after starting the program, I was lucky enough to obtain a position as an outpatient records analyst at Boulder Community Hospital (BCH) in Boulder, CO. I loved the work, but I was ready for additional challenges.
Putting My Experience to Work
BCH was in the process of building a new facility, Boulder Community Foothills Hospital. After I finished my practicum, I applied for a transfer to the new campus and was promoted to an inpatient records analyst. I also got the opportunity to help open a new HIM department. Because the HIM department at the Foothills campus was small, I obtained a lot of experience in most of the HIM areas. After finishing the HIT program I realized that I enjoyed the HIM field so I set goals of continuing my studies, achieving RHIA certification, and pursuing a management career. I applied as an adult transfer student to Regis University's health information management program in Denver, CO. At the same time, my department supervisor accepted an analyst position. Our director approached me about becoming supervisor of the department and I readily agreed.
Utilizing Experiences in HIT and HIA
It took some time to adjust to the differences between the two programs. While my HIT program courses gave me the necessary skills to work in HIM, the HIA program courses provided a broader perspective on the big picture of HIM field and how we impact healthcare operations. However, the most interesting aspect of my studies has been seeing how the course progression paralleled the course of my HIM career. I feel my education prepared me well for the real world as I served as the supervisor of the Foothills HIM Department for almost two years. During that time, I completed the majority of the HIA program at Regis University.
While I was receiving on-the-job training in my supervisory position, my HIA program classes proved to be invaluable because I was able to take what I learned in class and immediately apply it at work the following week. For example, my courses in quality and productivity improvement helped me to accurately measure the quality and productivity of the staff in my department and gave me ideas on how to help analyze and improve the processes in our department. My healthcare finance class provided me with a better understanding of the relationship between the reports I was given to look over and how our budget related to the operation of the entire system. When I had to tackle a personnel issue with an employee who was not performing to standards, my healthcare human resources class offered ways to approach and address the issues, how to document the actions taken, and follow-up in the case.
Looking Ahead
A few months ago, the supervisor of the larger HIM department at the main BCH campus resigned and I was promoted to supervisor of that department. We are in the process of implementing a document imaging system to scan and archive the entire medical record. Although this is a large project, I feel very prepared because of the knowledge I gained in my classes on computer systems and databases, project management, and electronic health records and documentation.
This fall will be my final semester at Regis University. I am looking forward to my management practicum and I will be working with another hospital system that has already implemented document imaging. Once again I am looking forward to taking my classroom knowledge and integrating it with my own experiences at BCH. I plan to sit for the RHIA exam in the spring of 2007 and look forward to applying everything I have learned as a director one day.
September marks the traditional launch of the school year for HIM students and a fresh opportunity for volunteers in the AHIMA Mentor Program to provide support and guidance as you prepare for your career in health information management. Bryon Pickard, MBA, RHIA, has been a very active mentor in the past. Even though he is now AHIMA's president-elect, Bryon is committed to continuing in this role during his busy upcoming year, because he believes in the value of professionals sharing their insights and enjoys connecting with students.
Name and credentials: Bryon Pickard, MBA, RHIA
Current position: Director of Operations, Vanderbilt University Medical Group Business Office
Educational background: Bachelor's degree (1982) and MBA (1984) from the University of Central Florida
Years in HIM: 22
Current home: Franklin, TN
Family info: Married to Dennie with three teenage girls.
If I weren't an HIM professional, I would be: A financial planner or golfer—not necessarily in that order.
Three words that best describe me: Positive, dependable, and results-oriented
Why did you decide to become an AHIMA mentor?
The short answer is that I saw a call for volunteers in the AHIMA Advantage e-alert and said to myself, what a great way to make a real difference and walk-the-talk. Now let me share the rest of the story. While in college at the University of Central Florida, and immediately afterward in my first job right out of school, I was fortunate to have excellent role models and mentors pointing me to the many benefits and great importance of networking and active professional association involvement. Throughout my career I have continued to learn and grow from so many of my peers and HIM colleagues, and at the same time, I have carried on the practice of mentoring by serving as a role model to many others as well.
One of the goals here at Vanderbilt is to hardwire excellence in our day-to-day activities in order to achieve the very best. AHIMA's mentor program enables me to hardwire my mentor obligations so I can reach out to touch the professional lives and careers of others in a positive way.
What do you see in the future for HIM?
The outlook for HIM is truly limitless and can be whatever we want it to be. Without question, the many issues surrounding healthcare represent significant challenges for our society, both today and as we look to the future. At the same time, there are significant opportunities for HIM, particularly as one looks at the many wide-ranging HIM job roles available.
If we are to achieve the goal of improved quality healthcare, it is imperative that providers have access to information at the right time and when they need it, in order to make the most effective, efficient and safest treatment decisions possible. At the same time, I envision consumers playing a much greater and more direct role in the future healthcare delivery system. Those individuals with the right e-HIM skill set will be very marketable.
What was your most enlightening HIM moment?
Two years ago President Bush visited the Vanderbilt University Campus to preview the medical center's health information technology systems, and at the same time, sharing the federal government's stated vision of electronic health records for most Americans within the next 10 years. Clearly this is a monumental task, but one HIM professionals can and certainly do contribute to in so many ways. I sure know I do.
AHIMA launched its Mentor Program in 2003 to support HIM students like you. Through joining this program, HIM professionals volunteer to offer advice, share their experiences, and make themselves available to answer questions or provide guidance. You are strongly encouraged to take advantage of these volunteers' real world experience as you prepare for your future profession. Mentor bios and the program guidelines are available on the Student CoP under "Community Resources." Check them out now, and don't miss the upcoming online mentor/student chat in October. You can participate in the chat by logging onto the Student CoP.
by Mary Sunahara, RHIT
Mary Sunahara, RHIT, is a progression student slated to graduate next spring.
After graduating from Tacoma Community College in Tacoma, WA, in 1991 with an associate's degree in Health Information Technology, my goal was to continue on to an undergraduate degree program. Unfortunately, at the time, the majority of the HIM programs were geared towards day classes.
Putting Experience to Work
I continued to work in the healthcare field as an RHIT and I had many professional successes. My experiences included serving as the director of managed care operations for a small coding, consulting, and information technology development company. As an RHIT, I found that my background in patient accounts and hospital coding was invaluable. In addition, I gained direct experience in IT project management, writing IT business requirements, and software testing.
Deciding to Continue My Education
As my professional experience progressed, I wanted to complete my undergraduate course work and obtain an RHIA. As a mid-level executive, I experienced knowledge gaps that could be potentially filled if I completed my undergraduate course work. In late 2001, I moved to Colorado with my family and accepted a position at one of the country's largest renal dialysis providers. After setting new professional goals, I decided that in order to be truly successful and achieve the next level of professional goals for myself, it was time to continue investing in my education.
As I began researching undergraduate programs, I was doubtful I would find an HIM program that would fit both my work and family schedule. Fortunately, my research was fast and productive—I discovered Regis University had an HIM program that met all my requirements. I applied and was accepted to the program in early 2004 and that fall I began my coursework.
The Hard Work and the Payoff
The road to completing my undergraduate HIM degree has not been easy. Juggling school, job responsibilities, work-related travel, and family has been an exercise in commitment. However, perseverance and support from my family and my advisors have paid off. I expect to finish my coursework in early 2007 and plan to attend graduation ceremonies in May 2007.
My experience in the program has been wonderful. I have met not only high-quality instructors, but many wonderful and talented classmates as well. Everyone I met is passionate about the HIM field and the many professional opportunities available. I have already been able to use my new knowledge in the work setting.
My recommendation for any RHIT who is interested in any type of management position or already in a management position is to continue on and complete the course work necessary and sit for the RHIA exam. This experience has given me great sense of personal accomplishment. Professionally, I have gained the knowledge necessary to perform better in my current role which will allow me to set and achieve higher professional goals. I would like to thank my instructors for providing this experience for me and AHIMA for building a great future for our current and future members.
by Eric Ryland, RHIT
Eric Ryland, RHIT, is in the HIM program at Regis University in Denver, CO, after completing an online RHIT program. He is employed at Denver Health.
After working as a coder in the HIM departments of acute care hospitals for 15 years, I decided I wanted to go back to school to obtain my RHIT credential. I was fortunate that the community college in my city offered program classes online. I was busy with work and other activities so the online program was a good option. I found there were quite a few advantages to studying online. The most important was the ability to work on coursework at my home computer without the need to commute to a campus. In addition, I didn't need to be on campus in a classroom at fixed times and dates. I could work the courses around my schedule and complete all the coursework from my home.
Selecting the Right Option
Online classes were definitely the best option for me. I was able to take advantage of open times in my schedule to complete coursework rather than having to rearrange my schedule to accommodate classes.
Taking online classes was the best match for me because of the number of years of experience I've had in the field and my busy schedule. However, if I was new to the HIM field or just starting out, I think online classes might make me feel somewhat isolated.
Making the Switch
After finishing the HIT program, I decided to continue my education by enrolling in a HIA program. Now I would be attending classes on campus and in a classroom. My on-site classes were mostly composed of people already in the HIM field or in some area of healthcare. The experience level of my fellow students ranged from fileroom clerks to department managers. Beyond the textbook readings and coursework, I was learning a great deal from my classmates' experience in the field. Our discussions and interactions were a great supplement to the course material.
I was fortunate to learn a great deal about different work environments and job functions from my classmates. In addition, classroom learning was an excellent opportunity to network. Many of my classmates will eventually be leaders and managers in the field, and the classroom environment was an opportunity to form relationships that may turn out to be valuable in the years to come.
In a classroom setting I could ask a question and get immediate feedback. Online studies required asking a question via e-mail and waiting for a response. If the response did not help, I had to begin another e-mail cycle. Work groups and team projects in my on-site classes were excellent opportunities to apply and practice the leadership principles and strategies being taught in the classes.
Compare and Contrast
Both learning formats have advantages and disadvantages. I liked the flexibility of the online classes, but I have also enjoyed the human interaction available from on-site classes. With more programs being offered online, students have greater choices of programs that will fit their needs. A hybrid program combining on-site and online learning may be the best of all. Do your research and find the setting that is the best fit for you.
Student chats are a great way to meet and network with other students. Join us in September and October for student chats hosted by Ayeto Djogou and Naomi Agyemfrah from Regis University in Denver, CO.
Below are links to three Web sites with helpful information for students.
