WELCOME
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In case you didn't know it, it's Health Information Privacy and Security Week! AHIMA began commemorating the week five years ago to highlight the value of protecting patient health information and the hard work and effort health information management (HIM) professionals put into their jobs. If you want to share the role you and your department play in preserving the integrity of privacy practices with the rest of your organization, explore the practical and informative privacy and security resources mentioned in this article and the rest of this newsletter!
In other news, I'd like to speak with you about how AHIMA membership has helped you, your career, or your organization. If you're willing to participate in an short interview (either by phone or e-mail), please contact me at dan.kelly@ahima.org. Your testimonial may be quoted in future AHIMA communications!
Special announcement: There's still time to register for the ICD-10 summit!
This month we'll close with a quote from the eminently quotable British prime minister Winston Churchill: "The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
Best,
Dan Kelly
Editor, AHIMA Resources
dan.kelly@ahima.org
Please follow us on Twitter! Go to www.twitter.com/ahimaresources for more details.
Publications
AHIMA Membership
Question of the Month
Here's a Tip
Certification
New Online Courses
HIPS Week
Audio Seminars and Webinars
Fast Facts
Upcoming MeetingsFoundation News
Career Assist
AHIMA Member Benefits
Stop by Our BoothDC Notes
Journal of AHIMA Article
Last chance to Attend
the ICD-10 Summit!
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And the Award |
Looking for |
| PUBLICATIONS |
The Data Analysis "How-To" Guide
A Practical Approach to Analyzing Healthcare Data
Lynn Kuehn, MS, RHIA, CCS-P, FAHIMA
A Practical Approach to Analyzing Healthcare Data is the perfect starting point for understanding basic data analysis concepts, including where to find healthcare data for comparison purposes. The book provides a basic, HIM-focused overview of statistics meant to orient the student to the subject, rather than providing a full course in statistics. It offers hands-on tools HIM professionals can use to start the analysis process for hospital inpatient data, hospital outpatient data, and physician data.
Key Features:
- Learning exercises that use actual data to increase critical thinking skills
- CD-ROM packed with data analysis tools, including reference materials, data files, calculators, tracking sheets, and other useful tools
- Descriptions of jobs in data analysis as well as biographies of real data analysts demonstrate career opportunities
Order Information
Product Number: AC216109
ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-58426-208-4
Member Price: $47.95
Price: $59.95
© 2010
| QUESTION OF THE MONTH |
March's Question of the Month asked, "What are three things that make you happy?" Here are your answers.
The three things that make happy are love from others, success in work and study, money for sure ;)
Abdulrazaq Alawadhi
HIM Officer, Health Information Management Department
A paycheck
Long walks at the beach
My cats
Antonietta Covino, RHIT, CCS-P, CCS
Coding Specialist
My Grandaughter, my dogs, and running.
Debra Mosher, RHIT
Knowing that I can make a difference in the world by serving others who are in need.
Singing, singing, singing gospel music!
Knowing that my boss, coworkers, and external colleagues, respect and value me as a trained and dedicated HIM professional who brings a lot to our Quality Management team. I am valuable because I am valued.
Ginger Smith RHIT CPHQ
Quality Management Specialist
The beach
Spending time with my husband
Warm weather
Theresa Harvey
Pretty difficult to narrow it down to only three, but here goes.
Game night with the family when we all get the giggles about something and laugh so hard we cry.
Being able to solve a problem for an employee, be it a process issue, software or hardware question, finding a record they were looking for, whatever.
Free time to curl up with a good book and a cup of coffee.
Kim Hazelton, MA, RHIA
Having two happy and healthy kids.
Having a good job during a bad economy.
Spring is coming!
Sue Powell, RHIA
EPS/VACC Product Manager
I enjoy the challenge of being a student again. Being a returning student has given me a new outlook on life. Right now the pursuit of my goals is pertinent and I look forward to learning something new every day. Another activity truly fulfilling to me is arts and crafts. Drawing is now an enjoyable activity to treasure. I am also a member of two campus groups, one of which I am president. This satisfies my intellectual being and expresses my desire to help others .
Renee F. Proctor
HIM Student and AHIMA/FHIMA member
Health, family, good weather
Charlotte Ware, RHIA, RN, CPC
Program Director/Instructor
Family (and the dogs too!)
Getting out in the garden and getting dirty for the first time in the spring
Reading a good book
Laura Vondenhuevel, RHIT, CTR
Oncology Research Analyst, Tumor Registry
| CERTIFICATION |
Sign Up Now to Take Your RHIA or RHIT Certification Exam
Students in CAHIIM-approved RHIA or RHIT programs graduating this spring—your chances of passing the exam are highest right after graduation. Sign up now to take the RHIA or RHIT certification exam. For more information, visit here.
Here's the convenient way to get the information you need to excel professionally. AHIMA makes it easy and affordable with the ability for several people to listen for the same low price, and no associated travel costs.
April 16
Effective Denials Management
April 21
The Challenge of Managing Portable Devices
April 30
Procedure Coding for Skin Lesions and Lacerations
May 5
JUST ADDED! ICD-10-CM/PCS Impact Assessment
May 7
Auditing Your RAC Results: What It Means for Your Organization
May 19
The Intersections between E-Prescribing and HIM
Two AHIMA CEUs are awarded for each audio seminar or webinar you attend. Just $179 for members (or $229 for nonmembers) per seminar pays for as many colleagues as you wish to invite to your site! Your registration includes:
- Access to the seminar for as many colleagues as you can fit in a room with a speakerphone—$179/$229 is the per-site charge, NOT the per-person cost!
- Presentation handouts are available in advance on our Web site.
- When you participate in the live broadcast, you follow the presentation online at no extra charge!
If you cannot attend a live seminar, you can purchase the seminar on audio CD or pre-recorded Webcast format. New for 2009—selected audio seminars and webinars are also available in MP3 format. Volume discounts are available for ordering any four or more seminars, in any format, at the same time. Seminars begin at 1 p.m. ET. For registration and information, go here, or call (800) 335-5535.
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May 6
Data Replication in the EHR
(Early bird deadline—April 24)
12 noon–2 p.m. CST (Virtual Meeting)
How does replication affect data integrity in the electronic health record (EHR)? To capture patient data, healthcare professionals are increasing their use of the EHR, but as the number of institutions and facilities employing EHRs grows, few guidelines have been developed to govern the use of the copy and paste function. In many cases, the copy and paste function is used by healthcare professions without any oversight at all, running greater risks for patient safety and provider liability if the EHR’s data integrity is comprised. Register by April 24 and take advantage of early bird discounts. Register and find more information here or call (800) 335-5535.
May 13
Data Analyst Institute
(Early bird deadline—April 24)
AHIMA National Office, Chicago, IL
As healthcare continues to be data-driven, the analysis of this data is vital to an organization's success. Join your peers in Chicago, IL, for the Data Analyst Institute where the following topics will be discussed:
- Explore types of data individuals or organizations may choose to analyze
- Review potential internal and external data sources and various analysis methods
- Benchmarking and its importance
- Participate in hands-on practice of data analysis skills
- Demonstrate knowledge of data analysis and presentation skills
Register and find more information here.
The AHIMA Live Learning Center is your portal to educational content from AHIMA meetings, conferences, and events. In addition to current offerings of content from the 2008 Medical Identity Theft Virtual Meeting and the 2008 AHIMA Annual Convention and Exhibit, new content from the ICD-10 Summit: Beyond Compliance to Strategic Advantage can be purchased on site or by visiting here.
Events with Partner Resources
AHIMA is collaborating with the American Health Lawyers Association to bring you the conference recording of the following educational program. “Information Technology Contracting 101: What You Need to Know.” Become more knowledgeable about information technology agreements covering software, hardware, service, and maintenance with the CD-ROM from AHLA. Visit here for a program description and here to order the conference recording.
Submit Your Nominations for the AHIMA Foundation Triumph Awards by June 1, 2009
AHIMA has a long and cherished tradition of honoring the excellence, dedication, and service of those professionals whose steadfast efforts have made a difference in the HIM profession. This time-honored celebration of outstanding accomplishment continues with the 2009 Triumph Awards. Developed as part of the AHIMA Foundation (formerly FORE) to encourage, nurture, and celebrate exceptional volunteer and professional leadership, the Triumph Awards honor exemplary service, reward contributions that build our knowledge base, recognize excellence in preparing future HIM professionals, and encourage fresh talent and new leadership.
The awards will be presented at the 2009 AHIMA Convention and Exhibit in Grapevine, TX. This year two new awards have been added to the list: the Community Outreach Award and the Pioneer Award. The other award categories are the Distinguished Member, Champion, e-HIM®, Educator, Legacy, Mentor, Research, and Rising Star. You can find the descriptions, qualifications, and guidelines for nominations here.
Show your appreciation for the outstanding contributions of a remarkable HIM professional. For more information and a nomination form, go here. Remember that the 2009 nomination deadline is June 1. If you have any questions, please contact Marilyn Render at marilyn.render@ahima.org.
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Improving the Quality of Quality Measures
Pilots Show Promising Results from Clinically Enhanced Administrative Data
by Gina Rollins
EHRs will improve the accuracy of quality measurement...one day. Until then, blending limited clinical data with administrative data may offer a solution.
Administrative data based on discharge abstracts or claims have widely acknowledged limitations, but they remain the primary means for reporting quality metrics and calculating risk adjustment and pay-for-performance rates. Clinical data, which hold the key to the best measures, are still largely locked up in paper records.
Electronic health records will free up clinical data, offering the possibility of new reporting and measurement paradigms, and a few organizations have begun using clinical parameters from the systems for internal and external quality reporting. Even so, the implementation of EHRs nationally remains very much a work in progress, and quality reporting initiatives are not waiting for the systems to catch up. One improvement in the short term is the potential to enhance administrative data with limited clinical data.
To read more, please go here. Be sure to visit the Journal of AHIMA blog for other useful articles.
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| STOP BY OUR BOOTH! |
AHIMA will exhibit at the following conferences in the upcoming month. If you plan on attending any of these events, be sure to stop by our booth and pick up a free gift.
April 30–May 1
Illinois Health Information Management Association (ILHIMA) 56th Annual Meeting, Booth #60, Marriott Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, IL
May 3–5
Six New England State Health Information Management Association Annual Conference, Booth #26, Mohegan Sun Convention Center, Uncasville, CT
May 14–15
Colorado Health Information Management Association (CHIMA) 56th Annual Meeting and Exhibition, Sheraton Denver West, Lakewood, CO
| ICD-10 SUMMIT |
In the Washington, DC Area April 16–17? Don't Miss Your Chance to Attend ICD-10 Summit: Beyond Compliance to Strategic Advantage!
Start Building a Plan Now to Make a Smooth Transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS
Though AHIMA's ICD-10 Summit: Beyond Compliance to Strategic Advantage is just days away, walk-ins are welcome. Don't pass up this opportunity to turn compliance into a strategic advantage!
From April 16 to 17, in Washington, DC, the summit will showcase information, education, and resources for ICD-10-CM/PCS preparedness and implementation. Healthcare leaders and experts will address the systems’ challenges and opportunities, identifying ways to ensure successful implementation and a return on investment. Join respected speakers, experts, industry leaders, and practitioners from all settings as you start planning now for successful implementation. Learn more here.
| AHIMA MEMBERSHIP |
Are you a current member of AHIMA? If your answer is no, keep reading! You're missing out on important benefits that advance your career. In each issue of Resources, we will highlight one of the many benefits you could access if you become a member today. Go here to join now.
Component State Associations (CSA)—Automatic Membership at Local Level
As a member of AHIMA you are automatically enrolled in your local component state association (CSA). CSAs provide their members with local access to professional education and networking. CSAs also serve as an important forum for communicating national issues and keeping members informed of regional affairs that affect HIM. For more information on how to connect with your CSA please visit here, and select your state's name.
Join today and begin enjoying the benefits of membership!
| HERE'S A TIP |
HIPAA Privacy and Security Tools
Did you know that there are more than 400 articles on HIPAA Privacy and Security available to AHIMA members in the FORE Library? Here are two recent articles you may find useful in your facility:
- “Redisclosure of Patient Health Information” (Feb 2, 2009)
- "Sounding the Alarm: Knowing When to Notify Patients of a Data Breach Can Be Unclear" (Feb 2, 2009)
Go to the FORE Library to locate Journal and Advantage articles, practice briefs, position statements, reports, guidelines and white papers, job descriptions, and other Association information here.
| DISTANCE EDUCATION |
New Online Courses
Exam Prep: RHIT Domain 2—Health Statistics, Biomedical Research and Quality Management
This training provides a review of the important aspects of healthcare statistics, biomedical research, and quality management that may be covered in the RHIT exam. A review of how to take data and turn it into information by understanding how to perform and utilize statistics is included. The research process is explained, and the process of quality management and tools used to present performance improvement data are covered. For information and enrollment, visit here.
Coding Assessment and Training Solutions: The Impact of Accurate Coding on IPPS Course
This six-lesson, 2-CEU course looks at the many facets of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS). The structure, components, adjustments, and provisions for this system are discussed in detail. As the intricacies of the IPPS methodology are discussed, the importance of accuracy in coding and reporting to reimbursement is highlighted. The relationship of IPPS with MS-DRGs, the RHQDAPU program, and the HAC provision are presented and resources for staff education sessions are provided. For information and registration, visit here.
Learn how to assign correct endocrine, nutritional, metabolic and immunity disorder diagnosis codes based upon the coding guidelines associated with each covered disease, and understand the disease processes associated with these conditions and how this may impact assignment of principal diagnosis. (Note: categories 249 and 250, diabetes mellitus, are covered in a separate online course). Lessons will contain information on corresponding codes in the ICD-10-CM classification system, which has an anticipated implementation date of October 1, 2013. The course and assessment are sold separately. For registration and information, visit here.
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| MERCHANDISE |
Health Information Privacy and Security Week Is Happening Now!
Health information is vital to the delivery of care, and so is keeping it secure. Join us as we observe Health Information Privacy and Security Week, April 12 through 18, 2009. This annual event is sponsored by AHIMA to raise awareness among healthcare professionals, their employers, and the public of the importance of protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and security of personal health information. This year’s theme is “Protecting Information—It’s a Top Priority,” and it’s not too late to participate. To access the planning kit, which includes articles, quizzes, and a PowerPoint presentation, go here. Official merchandise for the week is only available through Bells Select, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of official merchandise goes to support the week. To order official merchandise, go here.
Special Savings for Health Information Privacy and Security Week!
Join in the excitement of Health Information Privacy and Security Week, April 12–18, 2009, and take advantage of special savings.
- 10 Percent Off Your CHPS Exam Fee! Download the form here and register today for the Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security (CHPS) exam. This offer is not available for online applications—you must complete the paper form. To be eligible for the discounted rate, please be sure your paper application is faxed to AHIMA or postmarked by April 18, 2009.
- 15 Percent Off Privacy and Security Books: Medical Identity Theft, HIPAA in Practice: The Health Information Manager’s Perspective, and HIPAA by Example. This discount is automatically reflected on the Web site.
- 50 Percent Off! Understanding the Red Flag Rules Webcast (originally broadcast March 10, 2009). Earn 2 CEUs. This offer only applies to the archived webcast version of the webinar, and MUST be ordered online to receive the discount. To redeem this offer, visit here, and order the archived webcast. Enter discount code MX3067 when prompted during the checkout process. This offer expires April 18, 2009.
- 30 Percent Off! Medical Identity Theft: Prevention in the EHR Environment Online Course. Earn 4 CEUs. To register, visit here. You must register online.
NOTE: All Privacy and Security Week special offers expire April 18, 2009.
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| FAST FACTS |
New Physician Practice Fast Facts Seminar!
These 30-minute pre-recorded physician practice topics will boost your knowledge and experience in half the time of an audio seminar.
JUST RELEASED! Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN)
The Advanced Beneficiary Notice is now known as the Advanced Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN), and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has instituted numerous changes to the form. The name change more clearly communicates the purpose of the form. Mandatory use of the new form was effective beginning March 1, 2009. The purpose of the ABN form is discussed, including new and revised features. Physician services that require obtaining an ABN form are identified, and accurate ABN forms are reviewed. Includes tips to make this an efficient and effective process.
Other topics include:
- Developing and Managing the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
- Challenges of Compliance and Ethical Coding in Physician Practice
- Quality Documentation within Physician Practice
- The Importance of the Legal Health Record in Physician Practice
- Developing a Query Process for the Physician Practice or Home Health Agency
- PQRI and Category II Codes
- And others!
Fast Facts seminars are available through pre-recorded Webcast or CD. An assessment is included with each seminar. Earn one CEU for each seminar and assessment completed. Prices start as low as $49 per seminar! Visit here for more information, including a complete list of topics.
| AHIMA CAREER ASSIST |
One of the benefits of AHIMA membership is use of Career Assist. Presenting special offers for job seekers and discounts for posting employers, AHIMA’s Career Assist is your one-stop HIM health information portal to your new career. A Career Assist customer service staff member is ready to assist you with any questions at (888) 575-9675, or by e-mail at custserv@jobtarget.com. You will get an immediate response to your questions.
To find your perfect job today, go here.
Below are some recent job opportunities:
Healthcare Information Services Manager
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta—Atlanta, GA
Director of Health Information
Portage Health—Hancock, MI
Coder
Carson Tahoe Regional Healthcare—Carson City, NV
| MEMBER BENEFITS |
Liberty Mutual Home and Auto Insurance
AHIMA has teamed up with Liberty Mutual—a Fortune 100 company and one of the top 10 insurance providers in the nation—to offer you Group Savings Plus. Though this program, you can receive a special group discount* on Liberty Mutual’s already-competitive auto and home insurance rates.
To see how much you could save through Group Savings Plus, call toll-free (800) 524-9400 and they will provide you with a free, no-obligation rate quote. Please mention client #113284.
AHIMA is proud to offer this member benefit, which is just one of the many benefits you have through membership. Go here for a complete listing of member-discounted services including rental cars, reward point’s credit card, hotels, and more.
*Discounts and credits are available where state laws and regulations allow, and may vary by state. Certain discounts apply to specific coverage only. To the extent permitted by law, applicants are individually underwritten, not all applicants may qualify.
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| DC NOTES |
The HIPAA privacy rule will be modified shortly as a result of the new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA—Public Law 111.5). The new law affects HIPAA-covered entities as well as business associates, and addresses issues such as breaches. Regulations will be issued over the course of the next three years to implement the new provisions. For more information see AHIMA’s analysis of these new privacy requirements here (look under “analysis”).
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