2012 AHDI Integrity Awards - Nominations Close April 30, 2012

AHDI's Integrity Awards program is designed to shine a spotlight on those individuals, organizations, and volunteer groups who are truly making a difference in our industry. Not only does this recognition program impact the individuals who are nominated and chosen for these awards, but it generates visibility around best practices and drives recognition of our industry in a public way. Do you know a CMT who has a passion for credentialing and helping others get credentialed? What about an MT educator who really made a difference to you as a student? Do you belong to an AHDI component that has done something innovative and engaging this year? Is your employer creating a corporate culture that has inspired you to excel? Every one of us knows someone who has made a professional impact over the last year. Be a proactive colleague. Take the time to nominate that person or organization for one of these awards:

• Hall of Fame Award


• Employer of the Year Award


• Membership Impact Award


• Rising Star Award


• Excellence in Credentialing Award


• Innovation through Technology Award


• Educator of the Year Award


• Advocate of the Year Award

Nominations should be submitted electronically and are due no later than Friday, April 30, 2012. Nominees will be notified of nomination after committee vote and winners will be announced at the Integrity Awards Luncheon at AHDI Annual Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, IN. Visit the AHDI Integrity Awards page for more information

Healthcare Innovation Grant Proposal in the Works; AHDI/CDIA Seek Volunteer Grant Writer

AHDI and CDIA's joint Workforce Development Committee has submitted a Letter of Intent to apply for a $5 million grant with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid’s Innovation Center The complete grant proposal is due on June 29, 2012, for the second round of awards. The Committee is seeking a volunteer with government grant-writing experience to participate in this initiative.

We will propose to demonstrate how the current and future healthcare documentation workforce can be inserted in a reformulated support structure; provided with the necessary training and ultimately improve healthcare delivery, improve quality outcomes, and lower costs.

Our grant will specifically propose to build training models for healthcare documentation professionals in variety clinical settings for key positions in EHR/EMR implementation and improvement within those systems; and evaluating documentation for patient safety, audit purposes, and reimbursement accuracy. We will demonstrate that physicians should be the users of data/information, rather than data entry clerks, to improve patient care, optimize delivery, and reduce the cost.

We anticipate this volunteer opportunity will require a total of 60 to 80 hours between February and the end of June. If you are interested in participating and contributing your grant writing experience and expertise, please contact Peter Reilly by email: peter.reilly@ahdpg.com.

Fond Farewell, Dr. Rebecca McSwain

Rebecca McSwain, PhD, CMT will be leaving her post at AHDI. As AHDI's Professional Programs Associate for the past two years, Dr. McSwain has managed and led a variety of AHDI professional programs with integrity and excellence. She's played an integral role in the educational approval, credentialing, and workforce development programs. During her tenure, Dr. McSwain was a lead author of AHDI's recently published RMT and CMT Exam Guides and a variety of articles and quizzes published in Plexus. Please join us with extending our best wishes to Dr. McSwain in all of her future endeavors.

Timeline of Accomplishments - 2011

Thanks to the engagement of all our volunteers and the work of staff during 2011, AHDI's many accomplishments continue to push this sector to the forefront of key industry stakeholder groups. Despite an unstable economy and the rate of change that's occurring in our sector, we have endured to offer relevant member programs and services. Take a moment to reflect on our 2011 achievements and ponder the possibilities for 2012.

AHDI Webinars

Continue your education by attending these great webinars, or visit our webinar page to see all upcoming webinars.

Vendor Affiliate Highlight

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ACE 2012 Registration Now Open and Payment Plan Option Available!

Spark Your Growth at the 2012 Annual Convention and Expo! Registration for this exciting event is now open and payment plans are available. Register for this event today to be one of the first 250 registrants and get our early-bird discount!

Make the most of your ACE 2012 experience by booking your room at the JW Marriott Indianapolis and becoming an ACE VIP! Find out more about the ACE VIP program.

Want to earn a free ACE 2012 full registration? Play "Search ACE 365" and win! Visit www.ACE365.org and click on "ACE Clue Game" in the menu bar to find out how!

Check out Plexus in January

Have you seen the January edition of Plexus yet? AHDI eligible members can log into the website to view this issue today!

CMT Opportunity: Open Call for Content & Program Experts

AHDI's leadership will be identifying professional practice roles within the organization over the next several weeks in mission-critical program areas such as education approval, credentialing, and workforce development. As part of this effort, we are seeking experienced candidates who may be interested in exploring opportunities to work with AHDI. Interested candidates should have a minimum of 5 years' experience in clinical documentation, with broad-based multi-specialty acute care expertise; and currently hold a CMT credential. We would be particularly interested to hear from MTs who have transitioned into new roles working with the EHR/EMR, and individuals with experience as a clinical documentation educator or educational program director with advanced clinical content understanding as well as item-writing experience, strong communication and editing skills, and an understanding/experience with industry technologies.

Please note this is an open call for interested candidates and specific staff, contractor, and/or volunteer positions have not yet been determined. Statements of interest and resumes/CVs may be emailed to resume@ahdionline.org.

Advertise Your Events

Components, don't forget to post your upcoming events, study groups, etc., to the AHDI Events Calendar. Events to be included in the March issue of Plexus need to be posted by January 26.

Membership Tip of the Month

Are you looking for a resource tool to empower you to be accurate, fast, and compliant? Benchmark KB is a web-based portal that will do just that. As an AHDI Individual Professional, Postgraduate or Sustaining member, you may purchase Benchmark KB at the discounted rate of $174 (that's $25 off!). Corporate and Educational members should contact InterFix, LLC, for information on discounted rates and bulk pricing. Visit the Benchmark KB web page to learn more about this service.

A Word From the Board

A new year is viewed as a milestone opportunity for all of us. Many people are making decisions and taking steps forward for positive changes and improvements in their lives and careers, eagerly closing the door on the year just past and welcoming the shiny new year as chockfull of potential. As you read these words, you have probably noticed that your first monthly newsletter of 2012 is packaged under the new banner "Membership Matters—Benefits in Action." A benefit isn't really a benefit unless you know about it, and AHDI has chosen this exciting new name to rebrand the purpose and content of this newsletter, to keep its membership in the know and destined to grow as we explore all that matters to membership. Read more.

January Deals of the Month

There's just a couple more weeks to take advantage of this month's deals:

RMT Exam Bundle

CQE Exam Bundle

Visit our home page for full details!