"The Link" Newsletter of WHIMA

Have you seen it? The reshaping of WHIMA is taking place before your eyes! I am thrilled to be able to share our story with you. The teams, especially the E-Communication Team has been working behind the scene for a while to give the website and this newsletter a new look. Doesn’t it look Marvelous! Not only do we have photos from Wisconsin but also the website has a new feel as you glide down the navigational bar. It is simply awesome! The website represents the voice of you our members/customers that answered the survey. Thank you for participating and hats off to the E-Communication Team for the endless hours they have spent and continue to spend on the project.

Our new website also includes an ICD-10 tab. Yes! It is so great! In sticking with our mission to be the ultimate resource for HIM, an ICD-10 Task Force was created. This Task Force has been extraordinary. They pulled together the content and links for the new tab and are in the process of collaborating with the Annual Conference Team to begin ICD-10 education in Wisconsin. They are prepping for the Academy in Milwaukee in July. Yes, you read that right! We have an AHIMA ICD-10-CM/PCS Academy coming to Wisconsin and we are excited. Once we have additional trainers educated the Task Force will then roll out ICD-10 education for the remainder of our coders and HIM professionals in the state. Watch for upcoming workshops and webinars! Speaking of Workshops, the Workshops Team is working on another great ROI workshop. Watch for an announcement to come out shortly.

Not only have these teams been busy, our other teams have been busy as well. The Legal Resource Manual Team and Professional Practice Manual Team are both almost ready to unveil their new manuals. The Annual Conference Team is in the process of collaborating with the Spirit Team, VIP, Scholarship and the ICD-10 Task Force to bring us a bang of a conference in the “Spirit of 76” in the home of the Packers! Yeah! Green Bay! I look forward to seeing you there.

And, if you haven’t heard, WHIMA is on LinkedIn! The Ambassador Team launched our first social media site this past year and our members are growing. It is so exciting! HIM’ers are connecting and communicating on this site. Check it out! We invite you to join in the discussions.

The Policy and Legislative Team continues to follow legislation, pen advocacy letters and are partnering with the WHA to plan a WI Hill Day to meet our legislators. Come join us at the capitol on April 27th …It shall be fun!

Your WHIMA Board of Directors also started utilizing the CoP for Board and Team communications. I want to extend a special thank you to Sandy Bissen and Dawn Paulson, as they created and are the facilitators of our special CoP for Board and Team Members. This CoP enables us to share and collaborate on documents, including our dashboard. No longer do we need to send out numerous emails and status reports back and forth to communicate. It is so wonderful! How can you be a part of this special CoP? Come join us….Volunteer! All of our volunteers are part of this CoP. Speaking of which…the Nominating Committee is seeking candidates for the ballot. I encourage you to say “yes” when you get the call. With your help we could do so much more to forward our Vision and Mission.

Victoria "Vicky" Wolf, RHIT, CPHQ
WHIMA President

2011 Annual Conference
The "Spirit of 76"
by Wendy Crowe, RHIT & Miranda Path, RHIT

Mark your calendars May 18-20, 2011 for the 76th


	Jerry Bridge

annual WHIMA Conference. This year’s conference will be held at the Hotel Sierra and KI Convention Center in Green Bay. The conference theme is The Spirit of ’76, celebrating 76 years of Illumination, Inspiration and Information Management.

Wednesday features Jerry Bridge presentation of “Is Too Much Technology Making Us Stupid?” Join us at noon for the Leadership Awards & Recognition Lunch. Visit with exhibitors and check out the silent auction with the opening of the Exhibit Hall at 5 p.m. Be ready for entertainment and dancing at the WHIMA Annual Party at 7 p.m.


Donna Hartley

Start Thursday off right with a Special Interest Breakfast Buzz Session at 7 a.m. Sessions include “Audit Requests from 3rd party payers;” “The What, When, Why & How of These Never Ending Audits;” “Health Information Technology Initiatives & Trends in Long Term Care;” “Dressing for Success in the Workplace” and “Coping with Cutbacks.” View the featured products from the exhibitors during the Innovation Theatre. Attend our Annual Business Meeting for food and conversation. Enjoy Thursday’s general session presented by Donna Hartley “Is your Attitude Showing.” Join us for after hour’s fun at 7 p.m.

Choose from one of these three educational mini courses on Friday: “Responding to a RAC Audit;” “HITECH Meaningful Use;” “Preparing for Litigation - The Need for a Strong Electronic Medical Record and Information Management System.” We hope to see you on May 18-20 at the WHIMA 76th Annual Conference.

Wendy Crowe and Miranda Path work at Tomah Memorial Hospital and are co-leaders of the Annual Conference Team.

Want to De-stress Your Life? Volunteer!
by Vicky Wolf, RHIT

Next to humor, volunteering might be just what the doctor ordered. Yes, recent studies have shown that volunteering can actually help reduce stress and add years to your life.

How does this work? It has to do with the body hormones; Oxytocin and Dopamine. Helping, similar to laughing and exercise, releases these hormones, which in turn leads to the feeling of happiness. And when you are happy you are less stressed. Actually, they also say volunteering can reverse cognitive decline by revitalizing our slumbering neurons. I found all the above to be true as I posed the question, “Why do you volunteer?” to Ambassador Team Members and here is what they shared:

Julie Andrews: “I feel that I am making a difference. It gives me a feeling of value”.

Susan Summerfield: “It is revitalizing! It gives me new energy, ideas and resources that I can share with fellow students”.

Sandy Stevens-Berens: “It has given me personal growth and learning opportunities through networking. I don’t feel alone. Through networking I find there are colleagues with similar experiences that are willing to share their expertise. It gives me energy”.

Sandy Bissen: “The most rewarding thing for me is the connections that I have made and continue to make each day”.

I, too, agree that volunteering has brought me together with friends that I would not have met if it was not for volunteering. Therefore, I can truly say that volunteering has brought great happiness and joy to my life.

Start building your connections today! Visit our volunteer page online. Submit your name now to live a healthier happier life!

Vicky Wolf is an independent Health Information Management Consultant and the President of WHIMA.

Nominate a Colleague for a Leadership Award
by Michelle Magedanz, RHIA

It is that time of the year again when the VIP Team is looking for nominations in our award categories. The award categories include:

Distinguished Service Award

Distinguished Member Award

Educator Award

Motivator Award

Rising Star Award


	Submit Your Nomination for the Professional Practice Mentor Award

This year the VIP Team is also introducing a new award: “Professional Practice Mentor Award”. This award will honor a member who always says “yes” to host HIM students and creates outstanding experiences for them. They provide students the opportunity to observe, participate, learn and comment on operations, workflow and special projects. So if you know a member who consistently hosts students and goes “above and beyond” as a professional practice site manager/mentor, then please nominate them so they can be recognized for their participation in shaping the future of our HIM students!

For more information on the awards and to nominate a fellow WHIMA member, please visit Leadership Awards. Here you will get descriptions of each award as well as the nomination form. The 2010 Leadership Award winners are featured on this web page too. Deadline for all nominations is Tuesday March 15, 2011.

Michelle Magedanz is the Centralized Records Supervisor, Waukesha County, DHHS.

Educational Opportunities in Health Information Technology in Wisconsin
by William French, RHIA

Milwaukee Area Technical College and Madison College are recipients of a Federal Grant to train existing Health Care, Information Technology, and Project Management professionals in key roles necessary to help health organizations convert to Electronic Health Records (EHR) and meet Federal “Meaningful Use” requirements. Graduates of the 6-month certificate programs will be prepared to implement, support and integrate electronic health care information systems into diverse health care practice settings. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) predicts 50,000 additional health IT workers will be needed during the next five years to satisfy EHR meaningful use criteria. Meaningful Use Criteria. Tuition costs are low due to grant funding. Both colleges are currently recruiting qualified individuals to enter the programs. Milwaukee Area Technical College is conducting training in four roles: Practice Workflow and Information Management Redesign Specialist, Clinician/Practitioner Consultant, Implementation Support Specialist, and Technical/Software Support. Madison College is conducting training in two roles: Implementation Support Specialist, and Technical/Software Support. MATC Milwaukee: For more information and to pre-apply now for classes starting in March 2011 go to: MATC Milwaukee. At MATC Madison applications are presently being accepted for upcoming classes. Online training/distance learning opportunities start in March. For additional information, application criteria and scholarship forms go to: MATC Madison.

William French is a member of the UW Advisory Committee.

Out with the Old...In With the New!
HIM Manager Describes How the Coding Department Was Shook Up!
by Laurie Schimek, RHIT


Laurie Schimek

In anticipation of sweeping Healthcare Reform and ICD-10, we at Monroe Clinic/Hospital in Monroe, Wisconsin completely transformed our Coding Department. Monroe Clinic/Hospital, a 100 bed hospital, 80 provider multi-specialty clinic and 11 branch clinics in WI and IL, decided to really ramp it up in coding when we went from the paper world to our fully integrated Epic EMR. It was a "New Day in HIM" and we seized it! Instead of looking back, we chose only to look forward. With the addition of a fulltime Coding Supervisor and newly acquired office space and furniture, we turned our Coding Department upside down and inside out utilizing the skills of our existing coding staff. We even decided to change our terminology. The words; "audit", “review” and “benchmark” were banned from our vocabulary, as outdated and passé as the word "groovy" is from the '60's. Instead we use the phrases; "Interactive Coding Sessions", “Peer Role Relationship”, and “Top 5” for all of our discussions/training/education/meetings with our many providers and staff. Read More>>

Laurie Schimek is the HIM Manager & Privacy Officer at the Monroe Hospital and Clinic in Monroe, WI.

Paid Advertisement
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

-Coding Compliance Analyst
-Coding/Reimbursement Integration Analyst

Monroe Clinic offers a competitive salary & benefits package, a great team and a wonderful work environment. For more details about these positions, please visit our website and apply online by going to “Join Our Team”.

Monroe Clinic

This e-mail was sent to you by www.whima.org. WHIMA respects its members' Internet privacy. Update your Membership Profile or E-mail Address. If you prefer not to receive informational e-mails regarding WHIMA and the Link newsletter, send an e-mail with the subject line Remove to Sandy Bissen and include your full name and member ID number (if applicable) in the text. Please allow a few days for processing of your request.

Reserve Your Place!

Release of Information Workshop
March 24, 2011

The 2011 Release of Information Workshop will be held at the Glacier Canyon Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI on March 24, 2011. You can see the brochure and register for the workshop by going here ROI Brochure & Registration

Come to WHIMA LinkedIn Group

WHIMA and the Ambassador Team are pleased to announce the launch of the new WHIMA LinkedIn group. The LinkedIn group launched in July 2010 and was designed to be all about networking. What's happening? What are topics that are relevant to you? We hope that you have already visited the new networking site, but if not please come and see what the WHIMA LinkedIn group can do for you.

WHIMA 2011 Coding Webinars

March 17 --- Overview of ICD-10 & New Code Structures
April 21 --- Conducting a Documentation Assessment & Physician Education for ICD-10
June 16 --- CPT Coding for Integumentary & Injuries

For details on each session and to register go to 2011 Coding Webinars

Are You Ready for ICD-10?

Register for the AHIMA Academy for ICD-10 in Wisconsin

Experience a dynamic training program that uses various teaching methods to help coding professionals become proficient in coding with the ICD-10-CM/PCS coding systems while preparing them to train other coding professionals in these systems.

It’s time to start planning to attend the AHIMA Academy for ICD-10 to be held on July 7-9, 2011 in the Milwaukee area. The exact location for the Academy is still being finalized.

For additional ICD-10-CM/PCS information and resources, please visit… ICD-10 Information

Take Action and Apply for a WHIMA Scholarship
Receive Up to $1000
by Kris Brukl

Did you know WHIMA provides scholarships to Wisconsin members for credentialing examinations, undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education?

The Feburary 15th deadline is quickly approaching for graduate and undergraduate applications. Consider applying for the Established Professional scholarship. You can find more information and application forms by going to Scholarships.

Submit your application for one of the WHIMA scholarships today!

Do You Need to Update Your Membership Profile?

We value your commitment and dedication to WHIMA and the HIM profession. To ensure the continuation of your WHIMA member benefits, login to the Member Center on the home page of the WHIMA web site at WHIMA and select the navigation button to update your membership profile or renew your membership today.

WHIMA periodically downloads a membership listing from AHIMA to update our Membership Directory which then provides us with your demographics so that we can continue to send you the Link newsletter and notices of conferences and late breaking news in Wisconsin that impacts you, your career or work.

Plan to Attend the Annual Business Meeting!

The 76th Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Health Information Management Association will be held on Thursday, May 19, 2011 beginning at 12 noon until 1 p.m. All members are invited to attend the meeting. Scholarship winners and election of Board membrs will be announced. Activities and highlights from the 2010-11 association year will be presented. Come to hear the update from AHIMA.

May 19, 2011
Hotel Sierra & KI Convention Center
Green Bay, WI

UW Developing BS Degrees
By William French, RHIA

Four campuses in the University of Wisconsin System are working together to develop a collaborative Bachelor of Science degree in Health Information Management and Health Information Technology. The development of this degree depends on formal approvals from the four partner campuses (UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW-Parkside, and UW-Stevens Point) and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. The purpose of this degree is to provide students with the knowledge and competencies required to meet the growing needs of this rapidly expanding and evolving area of health care. If approved, this degree will be targeted at adult and non-traditional students and offered entirely online. It is hoped that this degree will be offered beginning fall 2011. Dawn Paulson, WHIMA President Elect and Bill French, WHIMA member, participated in advisory group discussions on the content of the curriculum of these programs.

New ICD-10 Resources

The ramp up to ICD-10-CM/PCS is happening. To help HIM professionals in Wisconsin prepare for the transition, the WHIMA ICD-10 Task Force co-chaired by Jane Duerst Reid and Susan Summerfield, develped new informational pages for the WHIMA internet site. There are resources, links to assessment tools and more on the site. Just go to WHIMA & ICD-10

For assistance with your advertising, contact WHIMA at 608-787-0168.


	Call 608-787-0168

Find It Online

Here's some quick links to WHIMA resources online: