A Word From Your National Leadership Board

“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy…” Do you know the tune? I hope your summertime is going well. My husband and I just returned from a 4500-mile trip from Louisville through Colorado and Wyoming and back again. I wish I could say it was all easy, but work follows me everywhere I go. We did have some fun, easy times though. There is something about all that wide-open space that draws us back time and again.

Even though it is summer and many are enjoying time away, the board continues to attend to affairs of the Association. Read more.

President's Address—Ramping Up, Transitioning, Winding Down

AHDI ACE in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, is the topic of the day for the entire National Leadership Board, staff, and many excited attendees. Our hotel reservations look fantastic, and July 16 is the deadline for saving $50 off on-site registration fees. AHDI continues to strive toward fascinating educational experiences at affordable prices. We have 39 breakout sessions, 2 keynotes, a leadership conference, annual business meeting, Great Debate, educational and managers/supervisors workshops, a comprehensive student track, and time with our valuable vendors all rolled into 4 days at the Buena Vista Palace. Read more.

AHDI and AHIMA Announce New Skills For a New Era

Survey Finds Electronic Health Records Key to Transcriptionists’ New Career Paths

New speech and language processing technologies have dramatically changed the traditional work of medical transcriptionists, the health information professionals who prepare the records of patients’ health stories from clinicians’ dictations.

“The skills of a transcriptionist—to listen and be detailed- and research-oriented, with a familiarity of medical terminology and disease process—are still in critical need in HIM departments during this time of healthcare transformation,” said AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon, MBA, RHIA, CAE, FACHE, FAHIMA. “The transcriptionists that can demonstrate agility by moving into a new position can carve out a valuable niche for themselves.” Read the full press release.

Continue Your Education With These Great Options!

Don't miss the collection of great webinars currently available in the AHDI Online Learning Library*! Step into our virtual vault of continuing education and choose from these great titles in the Online Learning Library:

• Power Point Basics I and II (3 TW)
• Cataract Surgery and Sight Restoration for the Blind (1 CM)
• Information Transparency (1 ML)
• Harnessing the Power of Twitter (1PD)
• You’re Welcome! No, that's My Welcome! Fun with Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar (1 MTT)
• Life in a Level 1 Trauma Center: Case Studies (1 CM)
• Job Search Skills in the New EHR World (1 PD)
• Research Skills 2.0 for the MT (1 MTT)
• Let's Chat About Medicolegal Terms: It's More than HIPAA (1 ML)

*The AHDI Online Learning Library is a benefit of Individual Professional membership. You can access the AHDI Online Learning Library by logging in to www.ahdionline.org and going to Member Center > My Benefits > AHDI Online Learning Library.

Your Record Speaks Walking Public Service Announcement at ACE

August 2, during AHDI’s Annual Conference & Expo, attendees will come together in Downtown Disney to promote a very worthy cause—helping educate the public about obtaining and reading their medical record for accuracy. We know how critical it is to ensure accuracy in the record, and we want to help patients understand that they have the right to access and read their medical record, as well as tell them how to obtain their record and how to get any inaccuracies corrected.

Whether you will be attending ACE or not, if you live close to the Orlando area, we invite you to join us at Downtown Disney for this event—Your Record Speaks campaign. We are encouraging attendees to wear our campaign T-shirts. With the purchase of a T-shirt, you will receive a supply of Your Record Speaks cards to pass out as you share life-saving information about the importance of checking their medical record. See our flyer for full details.

AHDI's Annual Convention & Expo is Right Around the Corner—Do You Have Your Ticket?

Be sure that you are in person to take in extensive continuing education, hear empowering keynote presentations, learn about exciting new technologies, and network with industry leaders at the only event dedicated to your profession!

Register today for a chance to be part of the growth of the organization and its future as we debate hot topics, discuss industry news, and even review a case that has been a sentinel event for the transcription sector—the case of Sharon Juno.

ACE 2013 will be held at the Buena Vista Palace in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, home of Walt Disney World, and ACE attendees can take advantage of discount tickets to Walt Disney World theme parks while they're in Lake Buena Vista.

Join us for our 35th Anniversary Celebration, and feel free to bring the family and enjoy all the amenities and opportunities that being at Walt Disney World has to offer!

Your Welcome! No, That's My Welcome!

Spelling and grammar are the arrows in the MT's quiver, and we need to sharpen them as often as we can. In Your Welcome! No, that’s My Welcome! Fun with Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar, Julia Kinsey Welch takes us on a humorous tour through common errors in spelling and punctuation and how to avoid them. The more medicine you know, the better a MT you'll be, and Mrs. Welch will delineate the anatomy, pharmacology, and history behind terms that deserve better at our hands. Watch this webinar now.

Who Cares if You’re Certified

A growing number of companies in the US are recognizing the link between certified professionals and quality documentation outcomes. Many are now seeking, reimbursing, and compensating the credential in the marketplace. If you know of, work for, or are an employer who recognizes the credential in a measurable way, please let us know so that we can acknowledge your company in our publications as well as on this page. Send your information to Kristin Wall at kwall@ahdionline.org.

New Recredentialing Resources

AHDI has recently updated our Recredentialing Resource Guide for Certified Medical Transcriptionists (CMTs). Knowing what content qualifies—or doesn’t qualify—for continuing education credit is important information to have when choosing sources to invest your time and/or money in to apply toward recertification. The resource guide provides multiple avenues of full CEC requirements, convenient preapproved resources and supplemental details, and a handy checklist for making good choices for continuing education. CMTs can find full details about recredentialing by logging in to www.ahdionline.org and clicking the “Certification” tab and then “CMT Only.”

Credentialing Conundrum

Credentialing isn’t an easy decision. It’s important to know the facts, not only about how to become credentialed, what’s covered on the exams, what resources are available, and how to maintain your credential, but also knowing if credentialing is right for you. Our March 2011 issue of Plexus, which was published just after we launched the new RMT and CMT exam blueprints and launched our current RMT and CMT exams, is full of information, resources, and testimonials surrounding credentialing. Read, do research, speak to fellow healthcare documentation specialists, but above all, decide if becoming a credentialed professional fits with your purpose and goals. Eligible members can log in to view this issue of Plexus, and others, in the online archive.

Get the FAQs on the RMT/CMT Credentialing Changes!

Did you hear that AHDI’s credentialing exams are being rebranded? Find out complete information and answers to your questions on our Credentialing Frequently Asked Questions web page. There you’ll find answers to such questions as: What will happen to the RMT and CMT credentials? How do I make the move to become a Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS) or Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist (CHDS)? Can I keep my transcription-specific credential? What will recredentialing involve? How do I recredential?

Save on Credentialing Prep Products

RMT Study Bundle—Save 10%, includes:

• RMT Exam Guide—A structured approach to understanding the multiple-choice domains for the exam.
  
  
• RMT Exam Audio Objectives—A guide for understanding the blue print audio objectives.

RMT Study Course—Save 20%

• This 12-week study course includes weekly reading assignments and quizzes.

CMT Study Bundle—Save 10%, includes:

• CMT Exam Guide—A structured approach to understanding the multiple-choice domains for the exam.
  
  
• CMT Exam Audio Objectives—A guide for understanding the blue print audio objectives.

CMT Study Course—Save 20%

• This 12-week study course includes weekly reading assignments and weekly quizzes as well as focus on practicing critical thinking and accuracy, as well as applied transcription and editing skills.

 

Buy RMT Study Bundle

Buy RMT Study Course

Buy CMT Study Bundle

Buy CMT Study Course

Register by July 16 and Save!

Don’t miss a chance to save $50 off the onsite rate for ACE 2013 by registering early! ACE 2013 will be at the Buena Vista Palace at Walt Disney World July 31–August 3, so be sure to join us for great educational sessions like:

• Transcription & Technology in the New EHR Era (1 TW)
• The ABVs of Meningitis (1 CM)
• Capturing the Patient’s Story through Meaningful Use (1 ML)
• Clinical Documentation Improvement Programs and What They Mean for Healthcare Documentation (1 PD)
• Imitation and the Importance of Good Visual Processing Skills (1 CM)
• Health Information Exchange–An Evolving Territory (1 TW)
• Work Smarter, Not Harder–Productivity Tips for Editors and MTs (2 MTT)
• The Juno Case: A Sentinel Event for the Transcription Sector (1 ML)

Discover everything ACE 2013 has to offer by downloading the ACE 2013 Online Brochure or viewing the Schedule-At-A-Glance. Recharge your passion for the profession through education and connecting with new and old friends. Register today for ACE 2013.