The Cooperative Exchange Ensures that NHIN is Functional, Secure

The Cooperative Exchange said that the National Health Information Network (NHIN) superhighway currently exists through the inter- and intra-connectivity of its member organizations, and electronic health records (EHR) can currently be transferred between providers securely and efficiently.

The "gateways" or clearinghouses enable providers and other trading partners to establish connections with payers. The Cooperative Exchange has developed a collaborative environment among organizations that transmit a percentage of the health care electronic transactions through its member organization. Each year, claims clearinghouses and other electronic data interchange vendors electronically transmit billions of claims and related financial/administrative transactions among providers and payers. Read the full story at advanceweb.com.

Med Students Not Ready to Use EHRs: Study

Does the medical-school curriculum adequately prepare students to diagnose and treat patients using an electronic health record? That’s the question educators at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine set out to answer this year. The preliminary conclusion: probably not. As a result, the school may add course work to teach students how to incorporate the EHR into an encounter with a patient. Read more at ModernHealthcare.com.

Need CECs? Bladeless LASIK, US FDA Clinical Trial to Reverse Aging, Forever Young Lens Cataract ... Webinar - Registration ends 1/26/10!!

In this presentation, Dr. Wang will talk about:

- Latest in bladeless LASIK, for nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism;
- The new FDA clinical trial to treat age-related loss of near vision (presbyopia). Wang Vision Institute is only one of three centers selected by US FDA to conduct a research and clinical trial, for a new breakthrough technology to treat presbyopia.
- The new Forever Young Lens cataract surgery, to enable patients to have a full range of vision for both distance and near.
- Novel sight restoration surgeries to restore sight in the blind.

Dr. Ming Wang, MD, PhD, Harvard & MIT graduate (MD, magna cum laude) and one of the few cataract and LASIK eye surgeons in the world today who holds a doctorate degree in laser physics, will present a web presentation, in which he will describe the new technologies in laser vision, new FDA clinical trial to reverse aging, Forever Young Lens cataract surgery and sight restoration surgeries for the blind.

Presenter: Ming Wang, MD, PhD
Time: 11:00 AM PST / 2:00 PM EST
Duration: 1.5 Hours
Registration Close: January 26, 2010
Cost: $20 Members / $30 Non-members
CEC Given: 1 CM

Click here for Dr. Wang's full bio.

Click here to register!

Public Comment Period Open

The Meaningful Use NPRM and the Initial Set of Standards and Certification Criteria IFR have now been published and are available for public comment. Go to Healthcare IT News to download and read the PDF or HTML versions of these documents.

AHDI Webinar - Advocacy 101: What You Need to Know about AHDI/MTIA Advocacy - Registration ends 1/25/10!

Presenter: Gregory Doggett, JD
Time: 1:00 PM PST / 4:00 PM EST
Duration: 1 Hour
Registration Close: January 25, 2010
Cost: FREE
CE Given: N/A

Are you new to AHDI or MTIA and looking for ways to become more involved? Are you looking for opportunities to advocate for the profession and industry? Are you curious about the AHDI-MTIA Advocacy Summit? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this is the perfect webinar for you. You will learn about the 2010 Advocacy Summit which runs from March 23 to 25 in Washington, DC. Find out about additional opportunities to become involved in advocacy. Learn about the associations' recent advocacy efforts and plans for the future. If you have any questions before the webinar, please contact AHDI/MTIA staff member Greg Doggett at gdoggett@ahdionline.org or 859-512-3284.

Sheryl Williams is the Chair of the Legislative Issues Group and is an active member of Wisconsin-Minnesota AHDI. Greg Doggett oversees government and board affairs for AHDI and MTIA. Greg received his law degree, with a concentration in health law, from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Click here to register

Online Speech Recognition Editing Course - Registration ends 1/25/10!

This course is a 100% online, self-study SRT course designed to be completed at the student’s individual pace within an approximate 8 to 12-week timeframe starting February 1, 2010. It offers the student the opportunity for ample hands-on practice on 3M’s ChartScript.com platform using authentically speech recognized drafts from genuine physicians.

Content Areas

• History and Development of SRT


• Basic Scientific Terms Relating to SRT


• Differences between front-end and back-end SRT


• Productivity and Quality Issues


• The Role of SRT in the Electronic Health Record


• Implications of SRT on the Future of the Medical Transcription Industry

Click here to register!

Education Approval Raises the Bar

When AHDI partnered with AHIMA a few years ago to launch its education approval program (EAP), it was the hope of both the association and the industry that the program would impact the way educational programs were addressing job readiness and preparing industry candidates to make the transition from school to work. Since that time, the EAP has approved 22 educational programsthat meet the rigorous standards for curriculum assessment and approval. Such a significant number of programs demonstrate how an approval process can gradually establish a new standard for training and provide industry candidates with a credible source of programs from which to choose. AHDI is proud to acknowledge the schools below who have helped the sector to realize this goal:

A&H Training

Allied Medical Schools

The Andrews School

Canscribe Career Centre

Career Step

Central Texas College

Columbia State Community College

Dakota College at Botineau

Everett Community College

Exact-Med/United Tribes

Guilfold Technical Community College

Lakeshore Technical College

Medical Transcription Education Center (M-TEC)

Med-Line School of Medical Transcription

Metropolitan Community College

Richland Community College

Roane State Community College

Sheridan Technical Center

Seminole State College

TRS Institute

Tranzmed

Winter Park Tech

Celebrating A Banner Year

Successful advocacy efforts, membership growth, KB adoption, and nearly 2000 fans on Facebook–all among the most critical accomplishments AHDI can tout for 2009. Keeping the association and its members at the forefront of industry growth and change continues to guide every initiative, program, service, and event our organization is working on, many in partnership with MTIA. While there is always a greater work to be done, AHDI is proud to share our 2009 Timeline of Accomplishments so that members, partners, and industry stakeholders can assess how well the association and its leadership are meeting industry objectives. If you weren’t actively part of these efforts in 2009, it’s never too late to become a member and/or get involved. Visit the AHDI website to find out more.

The Health Literacy Movement: Using Plain Language for Patient Understanding Webinar - Registration ends 1/21/10!

Presenter: Lisa Woodley, RHIT, CMT, AHDI-F
Time: 10:00 AM PST / 1:00 PM EST
Duration: 1 Hour
Registration Close: January 21, 2010
Cost: $20 Members / $30 Non-Members
CEC Given: 1 TW

The Health Literacy movement aims to increase patient understanding, compliance and positive medical outcomes by making medical forms and records easier for consumers to understand. This presentation will explore health literacy, define best practices in form creation and management, and discuss ways that healthcare documentation specialists can play a role in promoting health literacy.

Ms. Woodley has been in the healthcare documentation field for 20 years, primarily as a medical transcriptionist. She has worked in a variety of healthcare and education settings, including owning her own medical transcription business. She is currently the Health Information Supervisor for inpatient medical transcription services at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, WA, and teaches for M-TEC, Inc. She is an active member of AHDI, AHIMA, and the American Medical Informatics Association and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Health Informatics and Information Management at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN.

Click here to register!

CMT and RMT: Steps to Credentialing - Free Webinar - Registration ends 1/20/10!

Do you want to get credentialed but don't know where to start? This comprehensive FREE webinar will cover everything you need to know about how to become an RMT or CMT, including an overview of the content of both exams, test taking tips, information on how to register, and even sample test questions.

Cassie Uber is the Credentialing and Education Coordinator for AHDI.

Click here to register!

Professional Programs Coordinator—Job Opening

AHDI is looking for a qualified candidate to fill the position of Professional Programs Coordinator. In this position, the coordinator would fulfill such roles as serving as the association spokesperson and point-of-contact for all association programs housed under Professional Programs; overseeing policy development and critical decision-making for all major program areas, including credentialing and education approval; and contributing to all program deliverables with the goal of making sure all products, services, programs, and events meet association standards for professional excellence. Qualified, credentialed candidates can download the Professional Programs Coordinator Job Description and forward résumé and qualifications to Lea Sims, CMT, AHDI-F at lsims@ahdionline.org.

New Webinar Announced: Advocacy 101—What You Need to Know about AHDI/MTIA Advocacy

Are you new to AHDI or MTIA and looking for ways to become more involved? Are you looking for opportunities to advocate for the profession and industry? Are you curious about the AHDI/MTIA Advocacy Summit? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this is the perfect webinar for you. You will learn about the 2010 Advocacy Summit, which runs from March 23 to 25 in Washington, DC. Find out about additional opportunities to become involved in advocacy. Learn about the associations’ recent advocacy efforts and plans for the future. The webinar will be offered on Thursday, January 28, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. EST and Wednesday, February 10, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. EST. To register for either of these webinars, please click here. If you have any questions before the webinar, please contact AHDI/MTIA staff member Greg Doggett at gdoggett@ahdionline.org or 859-512-3284.

Webinar: AHDI/MTIA Manual on Ethical Best Practices: A Program Your Company Cannot Afford to be Without (Free) - Registration Ends 1/14/10!

Presenter: Gregory Doggett, JD
Time: 1:00 PM PST / 4:00 PM EST
Duration: 1 Hour
Registration Close: January 14, 2010
Cost: FREE
CE Given: N/A

During this webinar, AHDI-MTIA staff member Greg Doggett, JD will provide an overview of the associations’ new Manual of Ethical Best Practices for the Healthcare Documentation Sector. Heightened privacy and security concerns, increased calls for transparency of operations, and a growing home-based workforce have prompted AHDI and MTIA to create the manual. The manual will help medical transcription businesses and professionals to adopt policies and procedures for complying with HIPAA privacy and security laws and operating in a manner consistent with ethical best practices related to transcription billing, compensation, and outsourcing. The manual is part of the associations’ ongoing commitment to safeguarding protected health information and upholding the integrity of the profession and industry.

Greg Doggett, JD oversees government and board affairs for MTIA and AHDI. In addition, he serves as staff project manager for the compliance advisory council which was convened to provide input regarding areas that could benefit from the creation of ethical best practices and to assist in content development for the manual. Greg received his law degree, with a concentration in health law, from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Click here to register!

Continuing Education Through AHDI Webinars

AHDI continues to offer a wide selection of educational webinars. What better way to hear the latest news on technologies, clinical medicine topics, industry awareness campaigns, and more than during a live presentation. Webinars are an interactive opportunity to participate in discussions and ask questions, all from the comfort of your home or office. Many webinars offered are approved for continuing education credit. Visit the AHDI Online Store now to see all available webinars. Check back often as new speakers and topics are routinely added.

Member Testimonial
“I very much enjoyed the webinar by Dr. Tabor. It was most interesting and intriguing and I thought he did a great job on his first webinar. I work in a remote environment so am familiar with remote meetings and learning/training sessions, but I know it takes some adjustment when it’s new to you. I was fascinated by some of his information/stories and am grateful for his continued efforts to increase awareness so that people don’t ever forget 9/11. We need more people in the world like Dr. Tabor.

Thank you for hosting the webinar and for the opportunity to participate in this interesting event.” – Marcia Mueller, CMT

AHDI and MTIA Commit to High-Integrity Best Practices for the Transcription Industry: Release Compliance and Transparency Manual

WASHINGTON, DC, January 7, 2010 — Heightened privacy and security concerns, increased calls for transparency of operations, and a growing home-based workforce have prompted The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and The Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA) to create their Manual of Ethical Best Practices for the Healthcare Documentation Sector. The manual will help healthcare documentation/medical transcription businesses and professionals to adopt policies and procedures for complying with HIPAA privacy and security laws and operating in a manner consistent with ethical best practices related to transcription billing, compensation, and outsourcing. The manual is part of the associations’ ongoing commitment to safeguarding protected health information and upholding the integrity of the profession and industry. Click here to read full release.

AHDI & MTIA Launch NEW Career Center

AHDI and MTIA are pleased to announce the launch of the new and improved Career Connection, designed to connect healthcare documentation specialist employers with the largest, most qualified audience of industry professionals.

Let the Career Connection help you make your next employment connection decision an easy one. The online job board offers:

• Easy online management of job postings, including job activity reports


• Access to a searchable résumé database


• Competitive pricing


• Automatic email notification when new résumés match your criteria


• And more…

Mass-market job boards may not have the candidates you’re looking for. More and more, employers are looking to niche job boards to find qualified candidates that will fit their company’s needs. By adding a niche job board, such as our Career Connection, you get direct access to a focused group of qualified talent specific to our industry.

The AHDI Career Connection consists of job seekers who are members of a society of dedicated healthcare documentation and data capture professionals. Their membership through AHDI provides them opportunities to develop their careers and enhance their skills through peer interaction, continuing education events and webinars, and other programs. Where better to find the talent you need than from the members of AHDI?

AHDI and MTIA’s Career Connection’s new and enhanced features make it an easy and efficient choice for anyone using job boards. And our competitive pricing makes it affordable to add the Career Connection to your advertising mix for 2010.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to be seen by an exclusive audience of the industry’s best and brightest. Visit the AHDI and MTIA Career Connection to post your job today!

Posting jobs to the Career Connection is easy and takes only minutes!

Step 1: Go to http://careerconnection.ahdionline.org/.

Step 2: Fill out your company’s information.

Step 3: Post your jobs. That’s it!

Start receiving résumés from the most qualified healthcare documentation professionals right away! It’s that simple.

AHDI and MTIA Co-Sponsors in Best Practices in Electronic Health Records Event

Join us February 3-5, 2010, in Boston, MA, for a gathering of healthcare professionals, providers, hospitals, healthcare systems, and state and federal health departments. This strategic business forum will highlight strategies for EMR Adopting and Use within Healthcare Organizations. This conference will show attendees how to overcome the challenges of implementing an EMR system, offer best practices in integration, streamline clinical processes, establish training guidelines for staff and personnel, and how to benchmark your success of the EMR system. To learn more or to register for this event, visit Active Communications International.