What We've Been Up to Since Advocacy Summit

AHDI and CDIA members on Capitol Hill in May were eager to get the support of our nation’s leaders around the importance of a comprehensive, accurate health story. In addition to sharing our collateral materials around Capturing America’s Healthcare Story, advocates on the Hill sought specific support from legislators. Members of Congress were asked to submit a letter to Dr. Mostashari, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, with the request that ONC take the patient narrative into account in developing standards for EHR systems. Over 74 legislative offices indicated an interest in providing this level of support, all of whom have now been provided a draft letter for review and signature, and early feedback is very promising. We’re excited to announce that Congressman Bob Filner, 51st District, California, was the first to submit a letter to ONC in support of our message:

Filner Letter to Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM

Congratulations to the AHDI/CDIA members from California whose advocacy efforts with this office led to such an immediate statement of support.

Legislative Tracking
AHDI/CDIA advocacy staff is diligently tracking all outgoing and inbound emails and phone calls to ensure that consistent communication with these legislative offices continues. Keeping our organizations and key messages on the "radar" of legislative contacts is an important part of what we are doing in followup to our Advocacy Summit. To that end, we are now using Basecamp, a web access project management platform, to track all legislative contacts and will be coordinating these efforts with the Legislative Leaders for each state.

Legislative Issues Group (LIG):
Now the Advocacy Alliance!
Given the strong participation of our new Legislative Leaders Program, we are migrating our Legislative Issues Group to an alliance format. The new Advocacy Alliance will be open to anyone in either AHDI or CDIA who wants to stay connected to advocacy information or engage in advocacy dialogue. You do not have to be a Legislative Leader or an active advocate to join or participate in discussions. Regular monthly meetings will now be held by the Legislative Leaders Program (see below) and the leaders who chair that steering committee:

AHDI Chair: Sheryl Williams, CMT, AHDI-F
CDIA Chair: Steve Gaus
Board Liaison: Karen L. Fox-Acosta, CMT, AHDI-F
Staff Liaison: Lea M. Sims, CMT, AHDI-F

Legislative Leader Program
On the heels of Advocacy Summit, interest and participation in the Legislative Leader Program is growing. If your state does not currently have a Legislative Leader assigned and you have an interest in fulfilling this role, check out our Become an Advocate page for more information about the role as well as resources available for those who participate and contact Miranda Chalabi (mchalabi@ahdionline.org) to get connected to the program. Look for information about our Legislative Tracking Training webinars for Legislative Leaders in the next week or two.

Not Too Late to Follow Up!
If you participated in legislative visits at the Advocacy Summit and have not yet sent a followup/thank-you letter to your legislator or legislative aide, please do so as soon as you can. A personal followup from a constituent is an important part of establishing long-term, productive relationships with our legislative offices. If you need some help drafting your followup, use the template below:

Advocacy Summit Followup Letter to Legislators

District Connections
Meeting with your Senators and Representatives when they return to their districts will be critical to spending more one-on-one time with those officials and connecting our advocacy messages to what’s going on in your local area. Check out the dates for Senate and House recess coming up soon:

Senate Recess Dates
July 4-10, 2011
August 8 – September 5, 2011
September 26 – October 2, 2011

House Recess Dates
June 27 – July 5, 2011
July 18-24, 2011
August 8 – September 5, 2011
September 26 – October 2, 2011

Begin making plans now to secure face time with your legislator during these recess periods.

Advocacy Summit 2011 Recap

Thank you to all who were able to attend the 6th Annual AHDI/CDIA Advocacy Summit last week in Washington, DC. Members, leaders, and business owners came together to deliver a critical message to legislators and their aides on Capitol Hill.

The Summit was kicked off with a welcome reception and a fabulous presentation by Laura Bryan on the Health Story Project and CDA data tagging. This information was a perfect addition to help attendees prepare for their Hill visits. The next day, we set out on Capitol Hill with a total of 53 attendees representing 24 different states. This group participated in 85 legislative appointments and 7 constituent coffees. We delivered several additional packets and letters to legislators as well as the industry petition letter with 1403 signatures. Read more.

Advocacy Summit - Legislative Agenda

Come to the Hill and/or support our Summit objectives by preparing in advance. The following preliminary resources have been developed to assist you in understanding the AHDI/CDIA advocacy agenda and key messages for 2011.

AHDI/CDIA Advocacy Agenda
This comprehensive document identifies and outlines the 6 Key Areas where the associations have chosen to focus our advocacy efforts.

America’s Healthcare Story
This 2-page, full-color flyer will be the central marketing piece for our advocacy efforts in 2011 and will be included in all legislative packets to be taken to the Hill in May.

AHDI/CDIA Comment on Stage 2 Meaningful Use
Preserving a full patient health story in the EHR is priority one for both organizations, and securing a role for narrative reporting in the EHR is a big part of that. Key Summit messages will come from this formal comment to the HIT Policy Council.

Note: Full legislative packets, cover letters, flyers, and a full-fledged Advocacy Summit Guide will be available in the coming weeks.

Register for the 2011 Advocacy Summit

Advocacy Summit - Early Price Extended Through April 11!

No one can advocate for you better than you can. Bring your industry insight and experience to Capitol Hill on May 3 and 4, 2011. Join fellow MTs, MT employers, and AHDI leaders at the 2011 Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC, where we will be meeting with legislators, healthcare aides, and key committee members to discuss the role this sector plays in preserving America’s healthcare story. Do you want policymakers to understand the critical value of an accurate, comprehensive patient record? Make plans to join us on the Hill. There is nothing more professionally empowering than advocating on the ground in our Nation’s Capitol. Don’t miss it!

What to Expect
Attendees will speak with key legislative officials and healthcare staff about the healthcare documentation industry’s critical role in healthcare delivery. With assistance from our lobbying firm, Dewey Square Group, attendees will receive:

• Orientation and training on effective lobbying techniques.
• Appointment scheduling services for legislative meetings.
• Materials to convey a clear, concise, and powerful message.
• Assistance from AHDI/CDIA staff every step of the way.

Register for the 2011 Advocacy Summit

Advocacy Summit 2011--Your Support is Needed

Many of our nation’s legislators are completely unaware of our important contribution as healthcare documentation professionals in terms of ensuring patient safety. Advocacy Summit 2011 will provide you with an opportunity to speak with key legislative officials and their staff about our industry’s critical role in health care. There couldn’t be a more important event for you to attend, and those who have participated have had some amazing experiences…

"For too long, MTs have taken a backseat to issues relating to their profession and future. We are great at telling ourselves how valuable we are, but we fail to get the word out to other healthcare professionals and legislators. I am not a political person but definitely felt this was something I could tackle with the right information. DSG provided that guidance and made the entire experience wonderful." - Sandy Shumaker, CMT, AHDI-F, business owner

We hope to see you there! Find out more about Advocacy Summit 2011

Advocacy Summit 2011 Details Released

Registration for Advocacy Summit 2011, May 3-4, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, is now underway! Attendees will speak with key legislative officials and staff about the medical transcription industry’s critical role in healthcare delivery. With assistance from lobbying firm Dewey Square Group, attendees will receive:

• Orientation and training on effective lobbying techniques
• Appointment scheduling services for legislative meetings
• Materials to convey a clear, concise, and powerful message
• AHDI/MTIA staff assistance every step of the way

Additional events are scheduled at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center.

Download Registration Form
Register Online

Why We Advocate

• To further relationships with key/influential members of Congress and the Administration
• To create a stronger and more meaningful coalition of allies with allied health and IT organizations, patient and consumer advocacy groups
• To enhance career development and workforce support
• To be involved in possible future rules/regulations around safety, credentialing, and management of data about which workers should be qualified to have access in alignment with more stringent HIPAA requirements

Sign the Petition Letter
AHDI/MTIA staff, volunteers, and Dewey Square Group have created a petition letter summarizing the critical nature of our profession and the role we play in ensuring patient safety. We are collecting as many electronic signatures as possible between now and December 31, 2010. In early 2011, we’ll be presenting this letter to all the appropriate legislators. If enough signatures are obtained, we will present it to the Secretary of Health and Human Services as well as the President of the United States. Please take a moment to read this letter and sign it electronically.

The Hotel
Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center
3800 Reservoir Rd NW
Washington, DC 20057
Phone: 202-687-3200

The Georgetown University Hotel and Conference center is nestled among the buildings of the university campus in one of the most historic Washington, DC, neighborhoods. Complimentary transportation to two nearby metros—Dupont Circle and Rosslyn—are available along with abundant shopping and restaurants right around the corner in the heart of Georgetown. Single- and double-occupancy rooms for AHDI/MTIA Advocacy Summit attendees are $189 per night.

Online reservations
Reserve by Phone: 1-888-324-2111 (mention you are with AHDI/MTIA)

Room-Sharing Program
Advocacy Summit attendees interested in sharing hotel room costs at Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center may contact Miranda Youkhaneh at myoukhaneh@ahdionline.org or 800.982.2182 for roommate pairing.

For more details and updated information, visit Advocacy Summit 2011 at www.ahdionline.org/advocacy2011.

Recording Now Available for Post-Advocacy Summit Webinar

On Friday, April 16, AHDI and MTIA members attended a webinar highlighting accomplishments and success stories from the recent Advocacy Summit. Scott Shalett and Jason Eberstein of the Dewey Square Group and AHDI-MTIA staff provided a recap of Advocacy Summit and presented follow-up plans to capitalize on the success of the event. In addition, members who attended Summit shared their inspiring stories and experiences. If you could not attend the webinar, you can check out a recording by clicking here.

The 2010 AHDI-MTIA Advocacy Summit in Review

Last week AHDI and MTIA members took to Capitol Hill to educate legislators on the need for regulators to recognize the medical transcription sector’s valuable contribution to quality documentation and accelerated EHR adoption. Information about the outcome of this event can be found on the AHDI website. In addition, we are offering a free webinar in which Scott Shalett and Jason Eberstein of the Dewey Square Group and AHDI-MTIA staff member Greg Doggett will provide a recap, including information about the dozens of meetings members had with legislators and their staff, the hundreds of letters delivered to legislative offices, and major outcomes and policy implications of the associations’ advocacy efforts. Advocacy Summit attendees will share their stories, experiences, and thoughts from the event. Webinar participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and to offer comments. For full details or to register for this webinar, click here.

New Webinar Open for Registration--"2010 Advocacy Summit Accomplishments and Success Stories"

Date: April 16, 2010
Presenters: Scott Shalett, Jason Eberstein, & Greg Doggett, JD
Time: 12:30 PM PDT / 1:30 PM MDT / 2:30 PM CDT / 3:30 PM EDT
Duration: 1 Hour
Registration Close: April 13, 2010
Cost: Free
CE Given: 1 ML

Scott Shalett and Jason Eberstein of the Dewey Square Group and AHDI-MTIA staff member Greg Doggett will provide a brief recap of the 2010 Advocacy Summit, including information about the dozens of meetings members had with legislators and their staff, the hundreds of letters delivered to legislative offices, and major outcomes and policy implications of the associations' advocacy efforts. Advocacy Summit attendees will then share their stories, experiences, and thoughts from the event. Webinar participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and to offer comments.

Scott Shalett is a principal in Dewey Square Group’s grassroots practice. A results oriented, critical thinker with a background in strategic planning, policy analysis and political organizing Shalett brings extensive experience and strategic planning to high profile political and corporate clients across the country. Prior to joining Dewey Square Group, Shalett managed The ATLAS Project devising grassroots strategies in 15 battleground states on behalf of progressive institutions and democratic allies.

In 2004, Shalett served as Chief of Staff for Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitchell J. Landrieu where he was responsible for the policy and political direction of the Lieutenant Governor’s office and the Department of Culture Recreation and Tourism.
In 2000, Shalett was the Southern Political Desk at the Democratic National Committee and also directed Al Gore’s Get- Out-the-Vote effort in Iowa. He served as the Field Director for U.S. Senator Carl Levin (1996) and directed City Council relations for New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial from 1994 to 1996.
Shalett was selected as one of the "Rising Stars of Politics" by Campaigns and Elections Magazine in 2002 and is a native of New Orleans.

Jason Eberstein, a principal at the Dewey Square Group, is involved in legislative lobbying and advocacy, government outreach, and strategic planning for the firm’s clients. With an extensive background in lobbying and public relations, Mr. Eberstein brings a strategic approach to advocacy and government affairs. Eberstein has represented a cross section of American businesses and foreign entities on issues ranging from appropriations to taxes, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and telecommunications and trade.

Mr. Eberstein has represented numerous clients before federal, state and local governments. Additionally, Mr. Eberstein has experience in coalition creation and management, having developed and run multiple successful national grassroots legislative advocacy coalitions.
Mr. Eberstein’s government relations experience includes both working for a foreign embassy, on Capitol Hill, and for a global public affairs/public relations firm. Mr. Eberstein holds a Master’s of Business Administration from the George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from the University of Maryland.

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.

Register Now!

Advocacy Summit 2010: Not Too Late To Get Involved

With less than a week until Advocacy Summit 2010, the Dewey Square Group (DSG) is busily working to schedule as many meetings as possible with legislators. Two things to keep in mind–this is an election year with a lot at stake, so it is more likely we will be meeting with actual legislators, not staffers. However, on the flip side, health reform is looming prominently and may not be resolved by the time we are on the Hill, making for some heavy competition. Our messaging will be succinct, clear, and relevant to accelerating EHR adoption and the practical use of capturing and exchanging health information to improve patient safety and clinical care and to reduce costs. We will also be promoting the growth of environmentally friendly, digital, home-based jobs.

On Monday, March 15, AHDI and MTIA submitted an official comment to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONCHIT) on the proposed regulations for “meaningful use” and EHR certification. In addition, over 75 AHDI and MTIA members submitted comments. These comments have helped set the stage for the messaging we will take to the Hill, calling for CMS and ONCHIT to explicitly recognize in the regulations that the dictation-transcription process is a viable method of data capture that can be used to achieve “meaningful use.” To read the official AHDI-MTIA comment, click here.

We are excited to announce that DSG has secured a room on Capitol Hill that we will be able to use for a briefing and orientation on the morning of Wednesday, March 24, before meeting with legislators. Members also will have access to the room throughout the entire day.

For anyone interested in attending the AHDI national board of directors meeting, it will take place on Tuesday, March 23, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Advocacy Summit 2010 host hotel, the Marriott Crystal City in the Potomac Ballroom, Salon F. The meeting room will have open gallery seating for approximately 20 people.

We encourage you to come to Advocacy Summit and to ask your colleagues to do the same, as this is a critical time for defining our value proposition. If you do come, we will be sure that your experience is meaningful and impactful. Click here to learn more about Advocacy Summit. If you have any questions concerning attending Advocacy Summit or anything else, please contact AHDI/MTIA staff member Greg Doggett (gdoggett@ahdionline.org, 859-512-3284).

EHR Regulations May Discourage IT Adoption: AHA

The American Hospital Association says the regulations proposed by federal administrators to use stimulus payments to encourage widespread adoption of electronic health-record systems may actually discourage many providers from even trying to use the technology.

The government’s proposed list of 23 measures to demonstrate so-called "meaningful use" of EHR systems is so daunting that even hospitals that already have long-established systems may not qualify for stimulus payments because regulators have proposed hospitals meet every criteria before they become eligible to receive the federal grants, according to the AHA. Read more at Modern Healthcare.

Lisa Grabert, senior associate director for policy at the American Hospital Association, will speak at the 5th annual AHDI/MTIA Advocacy Summit on Thursday, March 25. Cynthia Brown, vice president of government affairs for the American Medical Association, will also speak at the event. For more information about the Advocacy Summit, including details on hotel and registration, please click here. If you have any questions about the event, contact Greg Doggett at (859) 512-3284 or gdoggett@ahdionline.org.

Advocacy Summit 2010 Hotel Sold Out for Evenings of March 23 & 24

The Marriott Crystal City is completely sold out for the evenings of Tuesday, March 23 and Wednesday, March 24, the two primary evenings of Advocacy Summit. For those who didn’t reserve a room in time at the Marriott Crystal City, the Radisson National Airport Hotel is offering all AHDI and MTIA attendees a special group rate of $175 plus tax for single- or double-occupancy rooms for the evenings of March 23 and 24 only. Do not delay—this offer expires Friday, March 5, 2010. Please call 703-920-8600 and mention that you are with the "AHDI" group to book your room today.

Advocacy Summit: Your Voice is Needed

With all that is at stake for the medical transcription sector, it has never been more urgent that members of the industry state the value they bring to patient care delivery to public officials at the 5th Annual AHDI/MTIA Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC.

From March 23 to 25, 2010, medical transcription owners, executives, and healthcare documentation professionals will converge on Capitol Hill to speak with federal legislators about the critical need for "meaningful use" and EHR certification regulations to include the dictation-transcription process and preserve a place for structured narrative reports. The recently proposed regulations represent a major step toward acknowledging the potential for EHRs to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of health care; however, more must be done to ensure the integrity of patient health information and to convince healthcare delivery that "meaningful use" must be practical for both physicians and patients.

We need you to educate legislators on how the medical transcription sector can partner with care providers to ensure the clinical accuracy, security, and completeness of patient records by serving as an "extra set of eyes" for quality assurance. We also need to powerfully demonstrate how this sector is a fast-track solution to the challenges of EHR adoption. We need legislators to support our campaign by encouraging government agencies to acknowledge the role and value of the dictation-transcription process and structured narrative reports through formal inclusion in legislation and related regulations.

We’ve extended the discount on the AHDI member rate until the event! Register for only $70. If you can only attend the lobby day on Wednesday, March 24, when we will be on Capitol Hill, a single-day registration now is available.

Register for Advocacy Summit 2010

Calling All Members: Submit Your Comments on "Meaningful Use" Today!

The federal government’s proposed regulations for "meaningful use" and EHR certification do not explicitly recognize the value of the dictation-transcription process for documenting healthcare encounters or the importance of patient narratives for clinical decision-making. Given these concerning omissions, we need as many AHDI and MTIA members as possible to submit comments asking the federal government to acknowledge the medical transcription sector as a vital contributor to quality of care, patient safety, and successful EHR adoption. Click here for instructions on how to support this important advocacy effort. (Note that this request is in addition to our letter writing campaign for Advocacy Summit already underway, so if at all possible, please help with both efforts.)

In Case You Missed It: Recording of Webinar on “Meaningful Use” Now Available

Last Thursday, over 60 AHDI and MTIA members joined a webinar presented by AHDI/MTIA CEO Peter Preziosi and Scott Shalett of the Dewey Square Group on the federal government’s proposed regulations for “meaningful use” and EHR certification, the regulations’ potential impact on the medical transcription sector, and the efforts being undertaken by our associations to position the sector for success in the rapidly changing health IT landscape, including the upcoming Advocacy Summit from March 23 to 25 in Washington, DC. If you missed this webinar, click here to listen to a recording. If you are interested in learning more about the Advocacy Summit or attending this important event, click here for more information, including details on registration and accommodations.

Blueprint for Great Governance

AHDI’s Board of Directors, Component Leaders, and House of Delegates are spearheading a new initiative to ensure the long-term success, relevance, and business sustainability of our association’s components. This project, called "The Blueprint for Great Governance," is being lead by AHDI President-elect Barb Marques, CMT, AHDI-F, and Speaker of the House Bonnie Monico, CMT, AHDI-F, with an esteemed group of team members representing the diversity of our membership.

Over the next six months, the team will host a series of Town Hall meetings both in person and online to brainstorm new approaches, services, and models to best serve the needs of our members and position MTs for long-term success in this rapidly changing environment of health care. We will examine the 1) purpose of components, 2) tactics for collaboration and sharing of best practices, 3) ways to ensure financial stability, and 4) engagement models.

All AHDI members, component leaders and members, and delegates are invited to participate in the Town Hall meetings. The online Town Hall meetings will be announced in Vitals as they are scheduled; and face-to-face meetings will be held as follows:

• March 25, 2010 (in conjunction with the Advocacy Summit)
  2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  Marriott Crystal City; Arlington, Virginia



• April 16, 2010 (in conjunction with the AHDI-West Conference & Advocacy Day)
  9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  Hilton Garden Inn–Phoenix Airport North, Phoenix, Arizona

Following the Town Hall meetings, there will be a Leadership Summit held at ACE on Wednesday, August 4, 2010, for our Component Presidents, House of Delegates, and national AHDI Board of Directors. Please mark your calendars. Our goal for the Summit will be to reach final consensus on a blueprint for the future and specific paths forward in the four areas outlined above.

If you have questions or would like more information on this important initiative, please contact Linda G. Brady, CAE, director of member relations by email: lbrady@ahdionline.org.

Register Now for the 2010 AHDI/MTIA Advocacy Summit

With the Advocacy Summit three months away, it is vital that members register for this important event. The Dewey Square Group, the lobbying firm we have been working with since June, will be scheduling appointments on behalf of Summit attendees. To be as strategic as possible with our meetings on Capitol Hill, we need to know as soon as possible whether people plan to come to Advocacy Summit. Given the push for greater EHR adoption, heightened government regulation and enforcement, and major healthcare reform, now is a critical time for professionals and businesses in the healthcare documentation sector to articulate their value proposition to federal legislators. We must not let this historic opportunity and moment pass us by. So make your plans today to attend the 2010 Advocacy Summit by registering at the AHDI website or MTIA website.

AHDI/MTIA Advocacy Summit 2010 - REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

You may now register for Advocacy Summit 2010 and finalize your arrangements to come to Washington, DC, to advocate on behalf of your profession at a critical time for the medical transcription sector. 2010 promises to be a truly exciting year for AHDI/MTIA as we continue to work with the Dewey Square Group (DSG), a professional lobbying firm based in Washington DC, to position the healthcare documentation sector favorably and prominantly amongst the legislators who are making the decisions that will determine our future. To register for this event, reserve your hotel room (critical—rooms are limited), or find out more about what this event entails, please visit the Advocacy Summit web page.

Advocacy Summit 2010 Hotel Room Block: Now Accepting Reservations

AHDI/MTIA will host the 5th Annual Advocacy Summit on March 23rd – 25th at the Marriott Crystal City in Arlington, VA. This property hosted the first annual Advocacy Summit in 2005, and those who attended that event will remember the level of comfort and convenience that the Marriott Crystal City provides for individuals commuting to and from Capitol Hill. With a metro station directly below this beautiful hotel, and stylish restaurants, shops and entertainment directly surrounding it, it is difficult to find a better location to host an event such as the Advocacy Summit. The AHDI/MTIA room block is now open and all Advocacy Summit attendees will enjoy a discounted group rate of $175 per night for both single and double occupancy rooms. However, rooms are limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to book your reservation immediately here.

Would you like to share your hotel room with another member and split your hotel cost? Contact AHDI/MTIA staff member Miranda (Myoukhaneh@ahdionline.org) who is coordinating the room-sharing program.

AHDI/MTIA Staff are hard at work finalizing the 2010 Advocacy Summit agenda, but for more information on the overall outline of activities and event registration, please visit the 2010 Advocacy Summit page.

Make an Investment in Your Future: Attend the 2010 Advocacy Summit

AHDI and MTIA are excited to announce the dates for the 2010 Advocacy Summit. From March 23 to 25, AHDI and MTIA members will converge on Washington, DC, to educate their Representatives and Senators on how the medical transcription sector can help ensure the federal government’s multi-billion dollar investment in electronic health records is a fruitful one for both physicians and patients by ensuring the completeness, accuracy, and consistency of patient records, producing information-rich patient narratives that physicians rely on for clinical decisions, and offering physicians a proven, effective, and cost-efficient method of capturing healthcare encounters. Given the technological, regulatory, and economic challenges currently facing the sector, it is vital for the future of the profession and industry that legislators hear this message. So mark your calendars now and plan to attend this important event. More information is available at both the AHDI website and MTIA website. If you have any questions, please contact Greg Doggett at gdoggett@ahdionline.org or 859-512-3284.