Since the last time I wrote we have had quite a few changes, or should I say our board really has experienced the domino effect. We said goodbye to members of the board and welcomed previous members back and welcomed new members as well.

• Michelle Daniels left us in March because she accepted a position in a Health Information Department at a Hospital on an Army Base in Germany. Even though this is a great opportunity for her, she will definitely be missed. Thankfully we were able to welcome back Debbie Mackaman to finish out Michelle’s term as president-elect.
• Terri Hall accepted a job as a compliance officer in Alaska, which left a vacancy on the board. Many thanks to Becci Rose who agreed to fulfill Terri’s term as a board member.
• Of course with Becci accepting the role has board member that left an opening for a marketing chair. Many thanks and a warm welcome to Karla Duckett who has agreed to be the marketing committee chair. In addition to the marketing chair, Karla has agreed to be our 2011 Spring Meeting Chair. If you would like to volunteer to help on the Spring Meeting Committee, please contact Karla Duckett

Patti and I attended Winter Team Talks and Hill Days in Washington, DC on March 22nd & 23rd. The focus of the Team Talks was “Real Leadership in a Time of Real Change”. As always this was a great way to network with other states and hear first hand what AHIMA is working on. In addition to the major discussion regarding delegate apportionment AHIMA also reviewed:

• HIM Core Model
• Key 2010 Initiatives
• HIT Transformation Agenda
• Meaningful Use
• Regional Extension Centers/HIE
• Workforce Development
• Privacy & Security
• ICD-10

There are two proposed amendments, one standard development, and one resolution that Patti, Debbie, and myself will be virtual voting on your behalf in June:

• Bylaws Amendment on Delegate Apportionment
• Each Component State Association (CSA) will be entitled to two delegates and shall be entitled to one additional delegate for each additional percent of Active Members, but not CSA shall be entitled to more than six delegates.
• Bylaws Amendment of House of Delegate Apportionment
• The HOD shall be composed of 9 AHIMA Board of Directors and delegates from CSAs. Each member of the HOD shall have one vote.
• This motion will only be effective if the delegate apportion is adopted
• Ethical Standards for Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) Professionals
• Guides decision making and actions
• Relevant to clinical documentation professionals and those who manage CDI function
• Leading the Transition to ICD-10 Resolution
• Developed by the HOD Team on Best Practices/Standards

The first proposal has created a lot of discussion and has always been considered a “hot” topic. It seems that other CSA’s would support the delegate apportionment as long as the HOD number of delegates was decreased as well. At our recent spring meeting and previous fall meeting this proposal was reviewed in detail with the membership. A quorum of the eligible members voted in favor of the delegate apportionment. If you are interested in providing further input to this discussion, I encourage you to go to the CoP so that all members can participate. As your elected delegates, Pattie, Debbie, and I will be voting as you have directed us to do. Thank you for you input into to these action items and for your “Real Leadership in a Time of Real Change”.

Perhaps the most exciting part of our visit to Washington, DC was Hill Day. Our meetings with Senators John Tester & Max Baucus, and Representative Denny Rehberg were scheduled the same day that the Health Care Reform Bill was signed. All meetings were very successful and at these meetings we focused on 2 areas:

• Update Department of Labor (DOL)- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) HIM Definitions
• Definition is out of date. Definition needs to be updated and reclassified to help identify shortages and plan recruitment
• Allied Health EHR Education Funding
• Most funding for Allied health education was eliminated except for physicians, nurses, and pharmacists. Allied health professionals make up 60% of the healthcare professions.
• All healthcare professionals need education in the use and practice of EHRs.

It is critical that we communicate with our state leaders regarding the above issues, we do not want to let all of the funds that we are receiving as a result of ARRA for EHR implementation go to waste. It is very important for the MHIMA membership to contact our State leaders to let them know how important this issue is to us. Watch for an email blast from Laurie Hamel, Legal/Advocacy Committee Chair who is currently working on a letter for you to send to our state leaders regarding these issues.

In April I had the opportunity to visit with AHIMA’s new CEO Alan Dowling. He really wants the CSAs to know that even though he comes form a different background and is not credentialed he truly is a kindred spirit to our profession and has always been one of our biggest supporters. He really understands what his purpose is and is very passionate about our profession and is excited to help AHIMA grow during a time of great change and to help overcome some of the barriers that we have come up against in the past.

Jane and I will be attending Summer Team Talks and Leadership in Chicago in July. We will let you know of any important topics via email blast when we return and give you a summary in the Fall Newsletter. The board will be meeting in August to develop the 2010-2011 Strategic Plan. If you have any ideas or concerns about what MHIMA should focus on, please let Patti, Debbie, or myself know as soon as possible.

Have a safe, fun, and happy summer!!! I look forward to seeing you in Billings at the MHA Fall Convention, September 22-24.

Jennifer Mcmanis