Barbara Savagian -- President's Message (continues)

You need to be aware of the changes and resolutions to be considered at the annual national meetings; they can affect your career and future of HIM!  In summary, these topics may come to the House of Delegates (HOD) in Seattle this October:
 

1. Proposed bylaws amendment:  The 2008 Nominating Committee is proposing to specify the number of members appointed by the Board of Directors each year (one active member for a two year term; the appointed Chairman to serve a one year term) to keep consistent with the terms of elected members of the committee and ensure appropriate continuity of membership to sustain the Nominating Committee processes. 

2. Proposed Resolutions:

A. “Healthcare organizations must create consistent privacy and security practices.”

   -educate users of HI about the need for improved and consistent information privacy and security, and the role of the HIM professional in protecting and securing information;

    -improve privacy and security of HI through greater attention to the concept of minimum necessary, encryption of HI, and the use of biometric-based keys;

     -place HIM professionals on the forefront of auditing and monitoring access to individual health information, especially high profile patients;

     -endorse consistent internal sanction policies that are enforced equally over all disciplines when a privacy or security breach is discovered, and external penalties for organizations that do not take appropriate steps to prevent such breaches.

         -support efforts to establish consistent health  information privacy and security legislation to establish standards for national health information exchange and eliminate confusing and contradictory state regulations.  

3. Update to AHIMA Standards of Ethical Coding

-Last updated in 1999

-Now includes information on reimbursement and all purposes of coded data.

-Available on the AHIMA website.  

4. Action items from the Council on Certification:

A.     New Credential in Health Data Analytics (see associated LINK article)

B.     Pursuit of 3^rd party Accreditation by AHIMA’s Council on Certification (COC)

-to do this, COC must demonstrate autonomy in decision making and protection from undue influence with respect to essential certification elements for both initial certification and maintenance of all AHIMA credentials.

-as an initial step, the COC will propose a motion to revise the AHIMA bylaws to transfer the powers and duties of approving the standards for initial certification and maintenance of certification from the House of Delegates to the COC.

C.     Addendum to “Alternate Paths to RHIA Eligibility”

-this document is a compilation of questions presented to various stakeholder groups on the COC’s discussion document regarding expanding the RHIA Eligibility criteria.

-currently candidates who sit for the RHIA exam must have a degree or post baccalaureate certification from a CAHIM recognized program.

-this changes it to any baccalaureate degree plus experience in HIM

-it is now a proposal; if it is an official action to HOD and voted to be accepted, it will be enacted in 2009.

-MUCH discussion; other proposals anticipated.  New updates will be shared!  

More information on these topics will be shared so your 2008 HOD representatives (Debbie Case, Sue Casperson, and Karen Holzwarth, Barb Savagian, and Sandy Stevens-Berens) can appropriately represent WHIMA in any votes at the 2008 AHIMA House of Delegates during the 2008 AHIMA Convention, to be held in Seattle on October 12, 2008.

 Updates on current initiatives from previous HOD votes included:  

1. HIM Adoption of the Personal Health Record

-Practice Brief published in June 2008 JAHIMA, “Defining the Personal Health Information Management Role”.

            -Developed and posted a brochure for MyPHR.com for distribution and use; posted on the State Leader and HOD CoP.

            -Article completed, “Helping People Understand Their Health Records”, to be posted on the State Leader and HOD CoP for component state association use (CSA).

            -Public Relations completed a public service announcement for use in the website, journal, and component state associations (CSA’s).

            -PHR web-based educational module (s), tentatively ready 3^rd-4^th quarter.          

2. Diversity

-Inclusiveness survey reviewed; recommend further board of directors discussion, session, and assessment.

            -Replace “Call for Nominations” and Call for Volunteers” with “Application to Serve” to facilitate easier access for Nominating committee and the President-Elect to foster inclusiveness.

            -Diversity Resolution updates presented and included in AHIMA reports to the CSA’s, webinar planned for 8/08, included in the CSA Survey and Core Achievement Awards.

            -Assessment of FORE scholarship program.  

3. eHIM Professional Standards

-Performed formal study the standard setting methodologies of approx. 12 voluntary standard setting entities.

-All incorporate an open comment process and highly defined mechanisms for achieving consensus on standards.  The process for creating each new voluntary consensus standard takes about 2 years!

-The Professional Practice Resources Team has prepared a set of recommendations regarding the adoption of a formalized voluntary, consensus-based process for creating HIM and eHIM practice standards to comply with the requirements of ANSI (American National Standards Institute).  

4. Quality Data and Documentation in EHR

-The Physician Practice Council wrote a Practice Brief to provide additional guidance to ensure quality in the EHR to be published in the 8/08 JAHIMA.

-This resolution was published 6/08 in a new AMA book, “Practical EHR: Electronic Record Solutions for Compliance and Quality Care” by Steve Levinson, M.D.   

5. Vision 2016:  A Blueprint for Quality Education in HIM

-RFP for an employer survey on needs assessment and marketability validation of  baccalaureate and master’s degreed HIM professionals. 

-AHIMA brand marketing campaign is in progress

-seeking funding sources to create community models linking academic programs in HIM with employers.

-Developing campaign to raise visibility of higher education and faculty status in HIM to entice more practitioners to become HIM educators.  Article in 9/08 JAHIMA, “Practitioner to Educator” breakfast for those interested in becoming an educator at the AHIMA national convention in Seattle; faculty development campaign proposed in the 2009 budget cycle.

-CourseShare, a web-based HIM curriculum content and learning activities resource system to support HIM educator launched 7/08.

-Current House of Delegates proposal for alternate pathways to seek the RHIA credential.

-Breakout discussions at 2008 Leadership Conference on involvement of CSA’s in supporting programs and faculty, and engaging HIM students in volunteerism and CSA networking.  

Whew – didn’t I tell you that we have a lot going on?  And this is only a summary!   Before I take up any more of our beautiful summer, I will sign off.  Continued happiness and success, and we will pass along updates as they come our way.   

Barb Savagian, RHIA
WHIMA President