Love a Good Debate? We Need You at ACE!

This year AHDI will be launching a new session concept at ACE in Phoenix. The Great Debate will be a 2-hour, facilitated, collegiate-style debate on five key industry topics (see below), many of which have arisen out of this year’s Let’s Talk About open letter series from our Board of Directors. Each topic will be presented by both point and counterpoint opening statements, followed by timed debate from the floor and an audience poll. We are looking for attendees with good presentation skills and a strong affinity for either the point or counterpoint for each these hot topics:

1. “Mandatory” Credentialing: Worth the Effort or Waste of Time?
2. Offshore Outsourcing: Restrict it or Regulate it?
3. Incentive Compensation: Carrot or Stick?
4. Trending Technology (EHR/SRT): Threat to Transcription or Opportunity for Growth?
5. AHDI & CDIA Partnership: Collaboration or Conflict?

If you would be interested in writing and presenting the opening point or counterpoint on any of these issues, please contact Lea Sims, CMT, AHDI-F, as soon as possible so we can finalize our schedule for this event.

Exhibiting at ACE 2011?

If your company is considering exhibiting at the 33rd Annual Convention & Exposition, don’t wait to reserve your space. The ACE 2011 exhibit hall is filling up quickly, so don’t miss this opportunity to get your organization, product, or service directly in front of your target audience.

View Exhibitor Prospectus

Questions? Contact Jeff Rhodes
Phone: 410-584-1952

For more information on ACE 2011, visit ACE365—Your ACE 2011 Headquarters

Featured Breakout Sessions at ACE 2011

What Every MT Should Know About Privacy & Security Rules and Requirements
Friday, August 19, 2011
2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Barbara Perrett, RHIA, CCS, CHP, CHC

This session will update your knowledge of the privacy rule and the HITECH Act’s more stringent requirements for enforcement. You will gain the knowledge to be prepared to meet privacy rule requirements. Government regulations often seem like an alphabet soup: HIPAA, PHI, TPO, NPI, BAA, HITECH. What are the distinctions between Privacy/Confidentiality; Passwords/Encryption; Breach/HIPAA violation; Business Associate/Business Associate Agreement? Can you define these terms? Should you care about them? Do you know how or if they impact you? Do you need a BAA? What are the penalties? What is included in the HIPAA Privacy Rule, Security Rule, and the additional elements in the HITECH act? Having the knowledge about privacy regulations in health care is critical with the increasing government emphasis on enforcement. Come hear the answers to these questions and more as Barbara helps you to navigate the sea of government privacy regulations and to learn how to protect yourself.

Barbara Perrett, RHIA, CCS, CHP, CHC, is a corporate ethics & compliance consultant for University Physicians Healthcare in Tucson, Arizona. She has previous compliance experience with University Medical Center and was the compliance and privacy officer at Tucson Medical Center. Her credentials are in management, coding, privacy, and compliance. She has 25 years’ experience in acute care and rehabilitation hospitals in Georgia and Arizona as director of health information management. Barbara served as the regional HIM advisor for 13 rehab hospitals in the western U.S. She was also the HIM consultant for 5 renal dialysis centers in Atlanta, writing policies and procedures and monitoring compliance with documentation regulations. Barbara has been a speaker for state HIM conventions in two states, a national audio conference for HCPro, and two World Research Group seminars. Her innovative solutions to health information management issues have been published in a number of healthcare newsletters.

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Emerging Therapies in the Treatment of Low Back Pain
Saturday, August 20, 2011
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Presenter: Susan Sorosky, MD

The objectives of this lecture are to provide a background concerning low back pain, examine the disc as a pain generator in low back pain, review the diagnostic tools for discogenic low back pain, discuss the biomechanics and pathology of the intervertebral disc, review the current interventional treatments for discogenic low back pain including IDET and disc injection, and focus on the emerging therapies for low back pain including gene therapy and stem cell therapies.

Dr. Sorosky is a board-certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialist with additional board certification in Pain Management. She is the co-owner with her husband, Brad Sorosky, MD, of Desert Spine and Sports Physicians located in Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona. Her practice is dedicated to the nonsurgical diagnosis and treatment of spine, sports, and musculoskeletal pain and injury. She has consistently been recognized by her peers as a "Top Doc" by the Phoenix magazine for the last five years.

Register now!
View the Interactive Schedule
Visit ACE365—Your ACE 2011 Headquarters

Don't Delay - ACE 2011 Early-Bird Registration Rates Expire June 20!

Still on the fence as to whether or not you will attend ACE 2011? Don’t wait any longer! Register before June 20, 2011, receive the early-bird rate, and save nearly $100 on your registration fee. You won’t want to miss ACE 2011 in Phoenix—you won’t find a more comprehensive professional development and networking experience all under one roof. Make 2011 your year to Learn, Evolve and Shine!

Register now!
View the Interactive Schedule
Visit ACE365—Your ACE 2011 Headquarters

ACE 2011 Early-Bird Rate Ends Soon--Register Now!

If you’re considering attending the 2011 AHDI Annual Convention & Expo (ACE) in Phoenix, don’t wait too much longer. The early-bird deadline is Monday, June 20. After that date registration prices will increase. Join your peers at ACE 2011, where we’ve designed a dynamic professional development and networking environment that will put you on the path to success. 2011 is your year to Learn, Evolve, and Shine.

View the Interactive Schedule of Events

Register Today

Visit ACE365 – Your ACE 2011 Headquarters

Payment Plan Option for ACE 2011 Expires Tuesday - Register Now!

AHDI members purchasing a full conference registration may pay for their registration fee in three equal payments over a three-month period. To utilize this special option, you must register using the Payment Plan Registration Form. The payment plan option expires on May 31, 2011 – register today!

Register before the early-bird deadline (June 20, 2011) to secure the lowest registration rate available!

View the Interactive Schedule

Visit ACE365—Your ACE 2011 Headquarters

The MT's Role in Real-Time EHR Documentation at ACE 2011

Featured Breakout Session:

The MT’s Role in Real-Time EHR Documentation
Friday, August 19, 2011
9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Joe Weber, MS, MBA


The future for medical transcriptionists is said to be threatened by speech recognition but much more so by EHRs. Physicians dislike point-and-click data entry, and documenting into a computer makes them far less productive, but there are strong market forces pushing them in that direction. This session introduces an innovative approach to clinical documentation within an EHR, introducing a new type of professional called a Medical Coordinator (MC) that leverages the medical language expertise of MTs. MCs listen to clinical encounters from a remote location via a secure audio-transmission system. They are intensively trained in EHR documentation, combining relevant free text for the Subjective and Objective sections with codified input for the Assessment and Plan, with the documentation appearing on monitors in the exam room. MCs can also handle the coding and other important functions. MCs actually determine how the encounter should be documented, thereby migrating into a critical role in the future of health care.

Joe Weber is CEO of Valadoc, The Medical Coordinator Company. During his 40 years in the healthcare industry, Joe has been engaged in medical research, hospital administration, biotechnology, consulting, and marketing – with a heavy focus since the 1980s in dictation, transcription, speech recognition, and natural-language technologies. Joe has published and presented extensively on a variety of topics, mostly related to clinical documentation, is the holder of 3 U.S. patents, one of which was for Smartype. He is a founding member of the prestigious Davies EHR Excellence Award Program of HIMSS and has served on the board of directors of the Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA).

Register before the early-bird deadline (June 20, 2011) to secure the lowest registration rate available!

View the Interactive Schedule

Visit ACE365—Your ACE 2011 Headquarters

ACE 2011 - Interactive Schedule Now Available!

The Annual Convention & Exposition (ACE) 2011 program committee is comprised of a group of volunteer healthcare documentation professionals that share your passion for this profession. They’ve hand-picked the most pertinent, hard-hitting session topics aimed at meeting your needs as a modern MT. Attend ACE 2011 and leave Phoenix empowered by the knowledge you’ve gained and re-energized by the connection you’ve re-established with your industry and peers. Join us in Phoenix where you, too, can Learn, Evolve and Shine!

Register before the early-bird deadline (June 20, 2011) to secure the lowest registration rate available!

View the Interactive Schedule

Visit ACE365—Your ACE 2011 Headquarters

Payment Plan for ACE 2011 Registration Available through May 31

Money is very tight for all of us these days. We have taken that fact into consideration and have developed a payment plan option available for AHDI members purchasing a full conference registration to the 2011 Annual Convention & Exposition (ACE) in Phoenix, Arizona. Register before May 31 using the payment plan registration form and pay for your ACE 2011 full conference registration in three equal, monthly payments. We feel strongly that ACE is absolutely critical to the growth and development of today’s healthcare documentation professionals. Given the challenges we face in this industry with the landscape of our profession evolving at a rapid pace, it is the Annual Convention & Exposition that provides us with the forum to showcase all of the industry-related topics, technologies, and information you need to stay ahead of the curve in the healthcare documentation field. Join us in Phoenix where you can Learn… Evolve… and Shine.

View the ACE 2011 Interactive Schedule

Visit ACE 365 – Your ACE 2011 Headquarters

ACE 2010 PHOTOS, BLOGS & TWEETS

Don’t forget to share your experience during & after the event! Upload your ACE photos, share a blog note, and track the event live on ACE365. Are you on Twitter? We would love to see you tweeting the event—just use #ACE365 in your posts.

Jump into social networking on site! Join us in the AHDI Lounge…Live! in the Exhibit Hall for live "on the couch" interviews, Twitter and Facebook lessons, and great group discussions—including AHDI’s Lea Sims and M*Modal’s Lynn Kosegi for our first-ever Tweet Chat event to discuss industry issues on Thursday, August 5, from 1 – 2 p.m. CDT.

The Great ACE Tweet Up!

Date: Thursday, August 5, 2010
Time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
Hashtag: #ace365chat

The word networking has taken on a whole new meaning in today’s age of virtual connectivity, and arguably no social networking tool has done a better job of getting people connected than Twitter. Keeping our highly wired, at-home workforce connected to critical information has become an important goal not only for AHDI but for its strategic partners, member groups, and vendors. AHDI will be partnering with M*Modal over the coming months to engage in a “virtual” dialogue about a number of emerging industry issues and concerns. We’ll be kicking off a series of collaborative blogs, online chats, and webinars by cohosting a “Tweet Up” in the AHDI Lounge at ACE 2010. Lea Sims, CMT, AHDI-F (AHDI Director of Professional Programs) and Lynn Kosegi, PMP (M*Modal Director of Professional Services) will be leading both on-site attendees and virtual Twitter followers through a live Twitter “chat” event designed to engage more members of our MT community in social networking and generate “buzz” around key issues.

For more information on how to join in on the conversation, visit The Great ACE Tweet Up page at www.ace365.org.

Last Chance to Hop on the Highway to Success

ACE 2010 is nearly upon us! In just under two weeks, nearly 500 healthcare documentation professionals from across the country will be gathering in Austin, TX, to enhance their professional prowess. The time has come to invest in your career development and increase your chances for success within the ever-changing healthcare documentation sector. The discounted registration price deadline has been extended through July 29, 2010, so seize this opportunity and register today!

Download PDF Registration Form
Register Online
View ACE 2010 Interactive Schedule

ACE 2010 Presentation Highlight: Lynn Kosegi, PMP

Transcription—Continued Relevance in Clinical Documentation Today
Friday, August 6
CE Credit: 1 PD

This innovative session will answer the question of how can we use our expertise combined with technology such as speech recognition to promote the value of medical transcription, and to ensure its survival into the future.

Lynn Kosegi, PMP, is the author of the Management for the Modern MTSO blog, a frequent contributor to the Always Understanding blog, and can be found on both Twitter and Facebook. Read her full biography.

Download PDF Registration Form
Register Online

Two Birds, One Stone: Have Fun & Network at ACE 2010

Life is a Highway Welcome Reception
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Your Backstage Pass will be your ticket to great food and networking with exhibitors, and some great surprises that speak to our musical theme. Come dressed as your favorite musician, put on your dancing shoes, and pull out your air guitar, because this year’s reception will be a "gig" you won’t want to miss!

Download PDF Registration Form
Register Online

ACE 2010 Presentation Highlight: Donald Mon, PhD

HIT and Interoperability: The Important Role of Medical Transcription
Thursday, August 5
CE Credit: 1 CM

This presentation will provide a review of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clincal Health (HITECH) Act and how it sets the stage for health IT and interoperability. Dr. Mon will highlight the areas in which the medical transcription sector can play a critical role. Read Dr. Mon’s biography.

Download PDF Registration Form
Register Online

First time to ACE? New Member of AHDI? Check This Out!

First-time Attendee & New Member Orientation
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
6:00 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.

First-time attendees and new members are invited to attend an orientation and speed networking event in the Austin Grand Ballroom Foyer. AHDI volunteer leaders will provide a brief orientation to the Annual Convention & Expo. Be sure to stop by for this overview of all the things you need to know to make your ACE experience a success and an opportunity to connect with members before heading to the welcome reception.

Download PDF Registration Form
Register Online

Last Call for Esther’s Follies!

Friday night at ACE 2010 is designated as the official Fun Night Out, featuring a special evening of laughs at one of Austin’s most widely recognized and popular comedy spots, Esther’s Follies. Handing out laughs for the past 20+ years, Esher’s Follies is part magic show, part vaudeville review and part satire tour-de-force, with a comedic style that takes no prisoners, while offering biting, hilarious satire on all of today’s news makers and headline events. Tickets for this event must be purchased by Monday, July 19. Tickets will not be available on-site at the ACE registration desk.

ACE attendees who purchase presale tickets for this event will be attending the 8:00 p.m. show on Friday, August 6.

Purchase tickets now

Discounted Registration Rate Extended for ACE 2010

AHDI has extended the discounted registration rate through July 29, 2010, to give you the opportunity to save money and still attend the conference that will pave the road for the industry going forward.

Download PDF Registration Form
Register Online

Your Future: The Road Starts at ACE

AHDI understands times are tough and every penny needs to be justified for return on investment. Therefore, we have placed "No Limits" on the potential this conference has to offer. To see just how far we have gone to pull out all the stops, review our interactive program schedule, or watch the ACE 2010 Preview video at ACE365. Every speaker is relevant to what heathcare documentation specialists are facing today.

Download PDF Registration Form
Register Online

Did You Miss the ACE 2010 Preview Webinar? Watch it Now!

Join AHDI staff through a tour of the new social networking community site, ACE365, dedicated to all that is the Annual Convention & Expo 365 days a year. Also covered is an overview of the major events planned for the 2010 convention.

Watch it now!