AHDI Participates in The Joint Commission Liaison Network Forum

AHDI CEO Linda G. Brady, CAE, visited The Joint Commission (TJC) in Oakbrook Terrace, IL to participate in the Liaison Network Forum, August 12-14. She had an opportunity to meet separately with Dr. Ronald Wyatt and Dr. Daniel Castillo to discuss quality assurance and patient safety initiatives. Key takeaways included ways in which TJC may be able to help promote the new QA best practices for clinician-created documentation and understanding how AHDI may be able to contribute to surveyor education on standards related to healthcare documentation. Followup is planned for the coming months.

More than 50 healthcare associations were in attendance at the Liaison Network Forum, held August 13-14. The Forum provides the unique opportunity to learn about TJC's work and current strategic priorities, and to engage in dialog with TJC's executive leadership and standards interpretation staff. Furthermore, it raises the visibility of healthcare documentation issues and the roles and value of the workforce among key stakeholders across healthcare.

Over the course of the two days, we gained important insight into how AHDI can contribute to surveyor education by submitting documentation to the surveyor portal; answers to some of our questions submitted to TJC leadership and standards interpretation panels; and how AHDI and other healthcare associations may be able to assist TJC in communication on high reliability in healthcare. The full report is posted on the Lounge. If you have questions, please write to Linda at lbrady@ahdionline.org.

Conference Early Bird Registration Deadline is April 30

At AHDI’s Healthcare Documentation Integrity Conference, July 23-26, you will find engaging, credit-worthy continuing education that is content-rich and focused on current issues facing the profession today. Register by April 30 to save $50!

Think of attending AHDI's Conference as your own mini sabbatical—carving out me time to nurture your mind, explore what's changed, and learn what lies ahead. A place where great minds think alike, uniting you with fellow healthcare documentation specialists who share your commitment to excellence in documenting patient care.

Be inspired with excellent keynote presentations by:

Opening Keynote
Ronald M. Wyatt, MD, MHA
Director, Division of Healthcare Improvement
The Joint Commission

Closing Keynote
Zubin Damania, MD (AKA ZDoggMD)
Director of Healthcare Development
Downtown Project Las Vegas

Choose from more than 30 sessions developed with you in mind, including:

• Conan the Grammarian (1 PD)
• Your "Hitchhiker's Guide" to Medicine's "Tower of Babel" (1 TW)
• Standing and Active Workstations: Novelty or Disruptive Technology? (1 CoM)
• How HDSs' Role Can Stay Relevant in the EMR (1 PD)
• Robotic Surgery in Gynecology (1 CM)
• Strengths Finders Workshop (1 PD)
• HDS to Scribe: Using Your Skills to Keep Doing What You Love! (1 PD)
• Shoring Up the Printer/Copier HIPAA Hazard (1 ML)
• Updates and Audits in Maternal Fetal Medicine (1 CM)

Download the full Conference brochure

Don't delay in registering for AHDI's 2014 Healthcare Documentation Integrity Conference. Complete information is posted online, www.ahdionline.org/ACE. Early bird registration ends April 30!

AHDI Conference: Opening Keynote Speaker from The Joint Commission

Make your plans to join fellow healthcare documentation specialists at the 2014 AHDI conference slated for July 23-26 in Las Vegas, Nevada. We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Wyatt from The Joint Commission as our opening keynote speaker. Dr. Wyatt will speak on Thursday morning, July 24.

Ronald M. Wyatt, MD, MHA
Medical Director, Division of Healthcare Improvement
The Joint Commission

Ronald M. Wyatt, MD, is the medical director in the Division of Healthcare Improvement at The Joint Commission. In this role, Dr. Wyatt promotes quality improvement and patient safety to internal and external audiences, works to influence public policy and legislation for patient safety improvements, and serves as the lead patient safety information and education resource within The Joint Commission. Dr. Wyatt collaborates in the development of National Patient Safety Goals, and oversees data management and analyses related to the Sentinel Event database. Visit the AHDI website to read Dr. Wyatt's full biography.

This year’s conference will be held at the beautiful M Resort Spa Casino. Hotel reservations can be made online. AHDI’s discounted group rate is $125/night plus tax (single/double), which includes the complimentary roundtrip airport shuttle service and in-room wireless internet access.

You can also find everything you need to talk to your manager about attending the conference in our justification kit. It includes an email template, cost analysis worksheet, and more.

Registration is open and The M Resort is accepting reservations for our event. Visit www.ahdionline.org/ACE for complete information. Continue to watch your email inbox for updates on the conference program, the fun night out, and other important information. We look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas!