Vendor Affiliate Benefit of the Month

Web File Storage Services is a leading web-based file storage system that provides an easy-to-use solution for storing, accessing, and sharing computer files. With 256-bit encryption, TrueShare equips medical transcriptionists with a safe and secure system to upload and download any file type.

One of the many key features of TrueShare is the Auto-Tran for Windows application. Auto-Tran can be used to automatically receive files from clients on an hourly, daily, or weekly schedule. You can also utilize Auto-Tran to schedule downloads of processed files back to your clients. TrueShare fits naturally and easily into most transcription businesses without requiring change, and every Business Account includes unlimited users, enabling you to establish an account for each of your employees and clients with no extra costs. TrueShare enhances your business processes and gives your clients confidence that their information is safe and secure!

AHDI MEMBERS RECEIVE - a 10% discount off the monthly TrueShare rate.

What's on Your Mind?

A month ago we invited members to ask questions and receive personal answers from directors at large, staff, or other leaders. We received almost 30 questions ranging from district location assignments to our partnership with CDIA. The most popular questions centered around substandard pay/decrease in hours, overseas transcription (including outsourcing and HIPAA requirements), certification (both RMT and CMT), how to effectively participate in AHDI and MT growth, and getting a job in the industry. Every question submitted has been answered, and we invite further conversations using the What’s on Your Mind contact form.

We sponsored a series of open letters this year, tackling many of these same issues in a broader arena and invite you to read these association position pieces at your leisure. Those open letters were followed at the time of publication with discussions on the AHDI Lounge, another forum where we encourage discussion, questions, and opinions. AHDI is also on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter—surely representing opportunities to fit any agenda. Want to talk? Let us know!

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.

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.

Upcoming AHDI Webinars

June 8
Ensuring Compliance in the Medical Documentation Industry
Presenter: Scott Edelstein
Time: 1 PM PDT/4 PM EDT
Registration Close:June 7
CEC Given:1 ML

June 14
MT Intelligence: The Value of MTs in HIT Implementation
Presenter: Gary David, PhD
Time: 10 AM PDT/1 PM EDT
Registration Close: June 13
CEC Given: 1 TW

June 22
CMT and RMT: Steps to Credentialing
Presenter: Lea Sims
Time:1 PM PDT/4 PM EDT
Registration Close: June 21
CEC Given: n/a

July 6
Book of Style Boot Camp Series, Part 3: Specialty Standards & Technology
Presenter: Lea Sims
Time: 10 AM PDT/1 PM EDT
Registration Close: July 5
CEC Given: n/a

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

Attention, MTs! Why You Need to be at the CDIA MT Workshop

MT Workshop
CDIA 2011 Annual Conference
Saturday, April 16, 2011

AHDI presents a morning of educational sessions following the CDIA annual conference at the Westin Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. This special event has been developed by the Carolinas Association with the aim of providing three credit-worthy, hard-hitting educational sessions at a reasonable price.

Registration Options MT Package #1 includes only the Saturday morning educational sessions featured below. MT Package #2 includes the Saturday morning educational sessions below and the closing reception of the CDIA conference scheduled for Friday evening, April 15, from 5:30–6:30 p.m. Whether you are only interested in the educational sessions or would like to maximize an ideal networking opportunity and attend the Friday evening reception as well, both opportunities are available at a superb price.
Don’t delay—registration prices go up after March 31, 2011. Download the MT Workshop Registration Form.

---

The Impact of Documentation Specificity for ICD-10-CM and PCS
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Lee Ford, MHA, RHIT, CHC

This presentation will provide an overview of the documentation changes and challenges all providers will experience as ICD-10-CM/PCS is implemented and put into use. In addition to explanation, direct examples will be provided for the increased requirements of providing specific clinical information to support the selection of the appropriate ICD-10 codes & the direct impact to clinical documentation, coding, reimbursement, quality, and compliance. Lee Ford, MHA, RHIT, CHC, has over 17 years of business consulting experience working with hospital, physician, ambulatory care, home health, long-term, and skilled nursing care organizations. *This session is approved for 1 Medicolegal or 1 Professional Development CEC

---

Understanding Revenue Cycle
10:15 – 11:15 a.m.
Lisa Walter, RHIA

"Meaningful Use" has become one of the hottest phrases in the healthcare industry over the last year, but the conversations using the term tend to speak in vague (and often negative) generalities. This presentation will provide an overview of the HITECH EHR Meaningful Use programs introduced under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). At the close of the session, participants will have a greater understanding of the terms, programs, and requirements of the Meaningful Use programs, as well as insight into proposed future plans for Meaningful Use program compliance. Questions/discussion will be welcome during and after the session. Elizabeth Stewart, RHIA, CCS, CRCA, CPMB, serves as the executive director of the South Carolina Health Information Management Association (SCHIMA), clinical coordinator and adjunct faculty for the HIM and medical coding programs at Midlands Technical College, and as an independent healthcare consultant. *This session is approved for 1 Medicolegal CEC

---

Making the Big Changes We Need: An Overview of Meaningful Use
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Elizabeth Stewart, RHIA, CCS, CRCA, CPMB

This session will provide an overview of the hospital revenue cycle and the importance of HIM in mid-revenue cycle services. You will learn revenue cycle terminology, understand the workflow, and learn the functions of each department impacting the overall success. We will discuss the impact of HIM on the revenue cycle, best practices for success, and key performance indicators for monitoring metrics. Lisa Walter has 30 years’ professional experience in the healthcare revenue cycle and health information management (HIM) field. She currently serves as the vice president of HIM services at Conifer Health Solutions. *This session is approved for 1 Professional Development CEC

---

For more information about hotel reservations or the CDIA 2011 conference, visit the CDIA 2011 conference page.

*CMTs and other credentialed professionals seeking credit for CDIA conference sessions should check in at the registration desk for a CE form.

Representatives from Verizon Medical Data Exchange Join the Direct Project Implementation Group

The Verizon Medical Data Exchange, formed initially with the Clinical Documentation Industry Association (formerly MTIA), has joined the Office of the National Coordinator’s Direct Project Implementation Group. The Direct Project brings together multiple stakeholder groups, including providers, technology vendors, and the standards community, to create a set of standards and services that enable simple, directed, routed scalable transport over the Internet to be used for meaningful exchange between participants in support of meaningful use. Learn more about this initiative by going to their website www.directproject.org. The Direct Project is another opportunity that will continue keeping the clinical documentation sector involved on the Federal roadmap for health information exchange. Click http://mtia.com/mdevideo.cfm for more information on the Medical Data Exchange or contact mdex@icsalabs.com to learn how your business can join the Exchange.