A Word From Your National Leadership Board

Some of us have recently returned from ACE 2013 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. For those of you who could not be there, you were missed. We hope that you will begin to make plans now to attend our 2014 annual conference in Las Vegas.

Karen Fox-Acosta presented her president's report, reviewing the goals/objectives we had set for the year and our achievements. We had quite a few achievements in the four strategic areas of Workforce Development, Credentialing, Community, and Advocacy & Alliance. Karen also recognized the efforts of all our volunteers who help the Board see these achievements accomplished. Read more.

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President's Address—Presidency Winding Down

ACE 2013 in Lake Buena Vista was a smashing success. We had over 400 in attendance and we received lots of positive feedback. Huge kudos to program volunteers from District 6 under the leadership of Betsy Ertel, AHDI-Florida President and ACE 2013 Program Chair; Brenda Hurley, Exhibits and Sponsors; Vallie Piloian, Marketing; as well as our diligent staff led by Gina Amatruda, ACE program consultant; and Linda Brady, CAE, AHDI CEO. Read more.

Don't Miss these Great Educational Offerings!

Mastering the Electronic Health Record Course—NEW COURSE!
Supporting Quality in an Electronic World—NEW WEBINAR!
The HIPAA Final Rule and the MT Industry—NEW WEBINAR!

Register for Mastering the Electronic Health Record Course
Register for Supporting Quality in an Electronic World
Register for The HIPAA Final Rule and the MT Industry

Your Record Speaks Walking Public Service Announcement at A

August 2, during AHDI’s Annual Conference & Expo, attendees came together in Downtown Disney to educate the public about obtaining and reading their health record for accuracy during our Your Record Speaks campaign. With more than 125 sold at ACE, attendees wore our campaign T-shirts to share life-saving information with the public about the importance of checking their medical record. Blue shirts could be seen throughout all of Downtown Disney!

We wish to extend a special thanks to everyone who participated in this important campaign and to our exclusive T-shirt sponsor Transcription, Etc., for their support.

A number of T-shirts in various sizes are still available for purchase from the AHDI online store. Components are encouraged to organize Your Record Speaks walking public service announcements in their own areas, and further information will be provided soon.

Purchase a T-shirt today! (while supplies last)
$10 – Large
$10 – X-Large
$13 – 2X
$13 – 3X

CHDS Bridge Course Open for Registration

The CHDS Bridge Course is now open for registration. Designed for elligible certified medical transcriptionists (CMTs) as a means for bridging to and earning the certified healthcare documentation specialist (CHDS) credential, this course will address only the expanded healthcare documentation objectives—i.e., content and knowledge domains not covered on any prior CMT exam: advanced editing, regulatory compliance and technical standards, applied clinical medicine, speech recognition, and health information technology.

The 8-week online course is only available to current CMTs who certified prior to January 2011. CMTs who took the beta exam in 2010 or certified after January 2011 will automatically become a CHDS this fall. This course is optional for current CMTs. Click here for complete information and FAQs.

The CHDS Bridge course has been approved for 10 CECs. Upon successful completion of the course, CMTs will earn their CHDS designation and your recertification cycle will not change. The CECs earned by taking the bridge course may be applied to your current recertification cycle.

AHDI firmly supports the Credentialing Commission for Healthcare Documentation's (CCHD) pursuit of rebranding the credentials for relevance in today’s healthcare marketplace. To that end, the CHDS Bridge course is being subsidized by AHDI and offered at below market value in order to confirm our commitment to the new credentials and make it accessible for current CMTs who wish to bridge to the CHDS. The price for eligible members is $45, with a list price of $70.

Register today to bridge from a CMT to a CHDS! The first course will begin on October 1 and registration closes September 25. From thereafter, registration will be open each month prior from the 1st to the 25th for the start of the course on the 1st of the following month (e.g., the next enrollment cycle will be October 1-25 for the course starting on November 1).

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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.

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!

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.

Airline Discounts for Annual Convention (ACE)

AHDI has partnered with American Airlines and Delta to provide meeting attendees discounts of up to 10% for travel to Orlando or Tampa for our Annual Convention July 31-Aug 3. Visit www.ahdionline.org/ACE for full details on these great offers and to make your airline reservation.

3-Month Payment Plan Available for ACE Registration

AHDI members can break their Annual Convention & Expo (ACE 2013) full registration into 3 easy payments.

Experience the unparalleled education, unlimited networking opportunities, and unique advantages ACE has to offer on a budget you can afford.

Register for ACE 2013 today!

Airline Discounts for Annual Convention (ACE)

AHDI has partnered with American Airlines and Delta to provide meeting attendees discounts of up to 10% for travel to Orlando or Tampa for our Annual Convention July 31-Aug 3. Click here for full details on these great offers and to make your airline reservation.

ACE 2013 - Keynote Sessions Announced

We are proud to announce both our Opening and Closing Keynote speakers for our Annual Convention and Expo!

Dalia Al-Othman, Esq., will be opening the conference on Thursday, August 1, with her session, "The Medical Record and Beyond: Patient Advocacy in Today's Healthcare System." Attendees will learn why patient advocates are crucial if we want to move toward a new model of patient-centered health care, as well as what is meant by private, professional patient advocacy and how this term applies to an exciting new field/profession in health care. (1 ML)

Dr. Scott Terrell with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will close the convention on Saturday, August 3, with "Exploring the Magic of Disney's Animal Healthcare Program," a behind-the-scenes look into the animal healthcare program at Walt Disney World. He will demonstrate how they achieve their primary mission of "delivering excellence in animal health care on a local and global level."

Both of these speakers are well revered in their fields and are passionate about their work. Join us in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, to hear from these great speakers and more. Download the ACE 2013 Online Brochure to read more about these presentations and others at ACE 2013.

Dedicated Student Track at ACE!

Students, we know the concerns you face, demands of your time, and mindfulness of where every penny goes. So this year we are putting together a special track of educational sessions geared toward your needs. Topics planned include:

• Voice/Speech Recognition—an overview of VR/SR software, what it is, how it’s used, what it can (and can't) do. Will include a demonstration.
• Critical Thinking Skills—learn how to think critically, problem-solve, recognize clues, and make good decisions as you transcribe and edit medical reports.
• Electronic Health Record Platform Demo—learn the complete story of what happens with an EHR, how narrative is included in the EHR, and find out where healthcare documentation specialists fit in.
• Finding a Job, Putting Your Best Foot Forward—find out what professional skills recruiters look for, how to craft a resume, prepare for an entry test, what paperwork to expect upon getting hired, professional phone and email etiquette.

Join us Thursday, August 1, for these great sessions as well as the opening keynote speaker, the AHDI Integrity Awards, browse the exhibit hall, and much more!

ACE: 6-Month Payment Plan Available-February Only

To make paying for ACE even easier, we are splitting the registration fee into six payments! AHDI members wanting to register at the early-bird rate can now take advantage of our 6-month payment plan for full registration, available only in February. This breaks each payment down monthly to $43.44 for Student, Associate Student, and Postgrad members; $58.84 for Individual Professional members; and $64.17 for Associate members.

A 3-month payment plan is also available through May 31, 2013. Download the Payment Plan Registration form or go to www.ahdionline.org/ACE to find out what's happening at ACE 2013!

Last Chance to Save up to $150 Off ACE

With more than 35 credit-worthy breakout sessions, AHDI's Annual Convention is, hands down, the best place to find the continuing education that drives our industry and prepares you for the future. Keep yourself ahead of the learning curve, and keep your budget on track by taking advantage of 2012 prices for ACE 2013 registration.

Don't miss this last chance to sign up for ACE 2013—up to $150 off the early-bird rate! Learn more about ACE 2013 and Register Today. Special rate is good through January 31, 2013.

Call for ACE Presenters-Deadline January 15, 2013

We want to hear from you at ACE 2013! Dynamic industry experts, educators, practitioners, and authors interested in presenting at the 35th Annual AHDI Annual Convention & Expo are encouraged to submit a Call for Abstracts. If you or someone you know has a topic worthy of an ACE audience, this is the perfect opportunity to share it in an educational setting and information-rich environment.

The ACE Program committee will review all Call for Abstracts forms submitted and contact the presenter/applicant to discuss their proposal. Deadline for submission is January 15, 2013.

AHDI's Annual Convention Registration is Open; Register Early to Save Big

It's never too early to start making your plans to attend AHDI's 35th Annual Convention & Expo (ACE 2013). ACE 2013 will be held July 31-August 3, 2013, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Resort.

Through January 31, 2013, we are offering a special rate to everyone who preregisters for ACE 2013. Register now and save big!

Individual Professional Members: $285
Associate Student, Student, Post-Grad Members: $225
Associate Members: $335
List Price: $385

Download the Registration Form

Register Online