Author: AHIMA Work Group

Source: AHIMA toolkit

Publication Date: 2017

The goals of the coding roundtable coordinator include:

• Improving coding skills through education
• Providing local networking opportunities
• Attracting new members to the coding and HIM profession
• Creating an environment that facilitates mentoring
• Sharing coding practices, challenges, and requirements to affect policy in the industry

Author: Dover, Kayce

Source: AHIMA newsletter article

Publication Date: June 2016

"Happy families are all alike," Leo Tolstoy famously wrote. And the same may hold true for HIM departments. So what are the factors that make an HIM department happy? HIM Connections recently conducted a survey of HIM managers and team members to learn about HIM happiness: What works well....

Author: Thierry Sheridan, Patty; Watzlaf, Valerie J.M.; Fox, Leslie Ann

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: April 2016

Abstract


Even though leadership is one of the most examined topics in the organizational literature, its application in the field of health information management (HIM) has not been studied extensively. This descriptive, mixed-methodology study examined HIM leadership through the....

Author: Glondys, Barbara

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2016

A communication technique developed by the United States Navy and used with nuclear submarines has been endorsed by multiple healthcare organizations. That technique, known as “SBAR,” is an acronym for “Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation,” a technique....

Author: Valyi, Catherine; Gann, Robin; Liquori, Carol; Marshall, Pamella

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2016

Today’s healthcare systems have become a hotbed of activity ripe with new trends, opportunities, and roles for HIM professionals. Centralization of HIM services is one of these megatrends that places the profession at the heart of unparalleled change. Driven by value-based payment mo....

Author: Thierry Sheridan, Patty; Watzlaf, Valerie J.M.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2016

Information governance (IG) captures the soul of health information management (HIM), yet many HIM professionals may not engage in IG due to a lack of knowledge, inexperience, or a misunderstanding of all that IG entails. Because of this, experts in IG leadership took part in a focus group....

Author: AHIMA House of Delegates

Source: AHIMA report

Publication Date: January 2016

The 2016 report aims to help stakeholders understand key issues and trends affecting the healthcare and health information management (HIM) industry.

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: December 2015

In order for health information management (HIM) professionals to be successful in their organizations—from starting an information governance program to getting ICD-10-CM/PCS implemented on time—support from the C-suite is crucial. As HIM departments undertake increasingly expa....

Author: Czarkowski, Lynette; Clark, Jill S

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2015

Information governance (IG) is evolving as a necessity in healthcare as institutions expand their footprint and partnerships to meet “meaningful use” and earn EHR Incentive Program payments, participate in accountable care organizations, and tackle other industry challenges suc....

Author: Head, Erin

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2015

For many decades, health information management (HIM) departments have been the hub for information collected within healthcare organizations. HIM has frequently been referred to as the “medical records department” due to the perceived idea that the department’s main tasks are receiving a....

Author: Bowen, Rita K.; Phelps, Cindy; Muscarella, Maria A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2015

While some healthcare organizations have made progress in formalizing information governance (IG) programs, many remain in the infancy phase of planning and implementation. At the 2015 Annual HIMSS Conference and Exhibition, the session “Seven Opportunities for Stronger Information Govern....

Author: Mancilla, Desla; Guyton-Ringbloom, Carolyn; Dougherty, Michelle

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2015

Jobs in the health information management (HIM) profession are becoming increasingly advanced in the need for both technical expertise and leadership skills. This shift is particularly important to recognize as HIM professionals navigate new career opportunities and changes ahead. Strong l....

Author: Desai, Anna

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2015

Today’s healthcare environment is driven by various economic and regulatory forces and technological advancements that bring both opportunities and challenges. Healthcare organizations need the right information at the right time to make accurate decisions regarding patient care and....

Author: AHIMA House of Delegates

Source: AHIMA report

Publication Date: January 2015

The top trends/issues and recurring themes captured from the 2014-2015 House of Delegates centred on the following topics:

• Rising healthcare costs and business/economic pressures on providers to deliver better healthcare while meeting mandate requirements;
• HIM workforce; evolution of roles;
• Effects of healthcare reform and regulatory changes; and
• New technologies and consumer access to health information

Author: AHIMA; eHealth Initiative

Source: AHIMA report | External healthcare industry report

Publication Date: October 2014

Results of a survey of healthcare organizations conducted by eHealth Initiative in May and June of 2014 to assess the anticipated impact of the transition to ICD-10.

Author: Horn, Kelli

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2014

When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in the spring of 2014 that ICD-10-CM/PCS would be unexpectedly delayed for at least one year, the health information management (HIM) community was shocked. Hospitals, healthcare facilities, and educational organizations h....

Author: Kadlec, Lesley; Warner, Diana; Washington, Lydia

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2014

This practice brief has been updated. See the latest version here. This version is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Bower-Jernigan, Patricia L; Chenoweth, Ann; James, Jaime

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2014

The Affordable Care Act has been a catalyst for the transition to pay for outcomes. Through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center, dozens of new payment and service models have emerged that promise to deliver better care throughout the United States at a l....

Author: Eramo, Lisa A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2014

Leaders are innovative, strategic, and collaborative. Leaders are confident and creative problem solvers. They’ve worked hard to hone their knowledge and earn the respect of others. Leaders are known for their subject matter expertise, as well as their business savvy.


In he....

Author: Hunt, T J

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2014

Editor’s note: This article is an excerpt from “Leader-Member Exchange Relationships in Health Information Management,” published in the Spring 2014 issue of AHIMA’s scholarly research journal Perspectives in Health Information Management.


Following the leader-member excha....

Author: Hunt, T J

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: April 2014

Abstract


This article seeks to raise awareness of the leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership and its potential benefit to the health information management (HIM) profession. A literature review that was conducted identified a leadership challenge for HIM practitioners.....

Author: Kadlec, Lesley

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2014

Information governance is gaining increased momentum in healthcare. Health information management (HIM) professionals have the necessary skills in all aspects of information management to become experts in the facilitation, planning, and execution of information governance initiatives with....

Author: Gurrieri, Joseph J; Karban, Karen M

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2013

HIM professionals know the facts about ICD-10-CM/PCS. Achieving readiness is the number one IT concern among hospital and physician group executives.1 But there are costs to achieving a high level of preparedness—which some studies show can range in the millions of dollars for large....

Author: Kloss, Linda L

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2013

The past two decades have seen tremendous change in health information management (HIM) practice. The underlying drivers of this transformation are the complexity of healthcare delivery, the exploding demand for actionable information, pressure for greater public accountability, and the ev....

Author: Jacob, Julie A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

When Sebrina Campbell started her health information management degree program at Saint Louis University, she knew she wanted to follow a non-traditional career path. To help her figure out her route, she turned to the HIM Career Map. The interactive online tool, available on the AHIMA-sp....

Author: Stoltz, Paul G

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

It’s the Big One. By all indicators the seismic shift currently upending the healthcare industry-electronic health records, health information exchange, healthcare reform, ICD-10-CM/PCS-scores a 8.0-plus on the Richter scale. Make no mistake, the entire career landscape will be forev....

Author: Desai, Anna

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

Whether planning a summer vacation or the direction of a new business, one must consider the larger external environment. Consider a trip to the grocery store. You’d like to get this done as quickly as possible. You run into some traffic. There’s been an accident on the road you usually take t....

Author: Person, Carol; Terlep, Minnette

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2013

Facing a diminished role, transcriptionists at Sanford Health worked with the organization to move into open, and in-demand, coding roles



The need for transcription was diminishing at Sanford Health, and transcriptionists needed to make a choice-transition into another....

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2013

Staff up or suffer. That is one message HIM professionals are hearing regarding the upcoming ICD-10-CM/PCS transition. Clinical documentation specialists will be needed to ensure clinicians adequately document provided care that validates the new, more detailed ICD-10 codes. Coders with ICD-10....

Author: Jahn, Mark

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

As providers and payers grapple with the complexities of ICD-10-CM/PCS (ICD-10), many are formally collaborating with one another to learn best practices and accelerate ICD-10 implementation.


Across the country, many different types and sizes of ICD-10 collaboratives have fo....

Author: Barnhouse, Torrey; Rudman, William J.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

Those who think their hospital is way behind in preparing for ICD-10-CM/PCS (ICD-10) should take note of the following. Several industry surveys reveal the same thing: most of the nation’s 4,000-plus hospitals have only just begun implementation efforts.


That concernin....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA leadership model

Publication Date: December 07, 2012

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2012

“Evolution” and “change” are two words that come to my mind when I think about how the move to electronic health records (EHR) has altered the nature of the work we do. AHIMA has been talking about this change for as long as I can remember. But now it’s happen....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA toolkit

Publication Date: June 02, 2012

Author: Bower-Jernigan, Patricia L

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 02, 2011

Background

Over 4 years ago there were 11 Allina hospitals in Minnesota and Wisconsin with 11 different coding teams reporting into 11 various Allina HIM directors. The role of these individual departments was to manage all of the aspects from budgeting, work distribution, including maki....

Author: Szymborski, Rick

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 02, 2011

Background

In this era of health care reform and the reality of publicly reported data on clinical outcomes as well as the associated challenges with reimbursement hospitals and health care systems across the country are struggling to differentiate themselves by embarking on journeys to i....

Author: Yount, Shane

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 02, 2011

1. Leadership GPS – Growth, Performance, Sustainment Overview

The economic downturn and austerity based thinking has created an organizational environment of leaders managing more and more responsibilities. Often open positions have not been filled, leaving existing leaders with mor....

Author: Devrick, Jill

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 02, 2011

Responding to Change

Change happens. It’s part of everyday life. If you’ve been in the HIM industry for more than a year or two, you’ve probably gone through at least one, if not several, changes in the technology that you use to do your job. New functionality and fancie....

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2011

Presenters from AHIMA's 2011 Leadership Academy share their perspectives on what it takes to lead in the current changing healthcare environment.



In the midst of the myriad changes occurring in healthcare today, it is easy to get lost and become a follower. However, ARRA....

Author: Campbell, Robert James; Brantley, Jeffrey

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2011

HIM professionals need more than tools to manage information, they need tools to help manage the stress and anxiety a state of constant change can bring. "Mindfulness" offers a way to reduce anxiety and keep focused.

During times of change, people may react with fear, ange....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2011

Editor's note: this practice brief supplants the January 2005 practice brief "The HIM Role in Patient Safety and Quality of Care."


Achieving high quality, cost-efficient healthcare requires collaboration among all healthcare professionals and stakeholders. Currently the quality of....

Author: Crawford, Mark

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2010

Migrating their patient records to an EHR system is not the only challenge physician practices must manage when they are acquired by a larger organization. Good communication is the foundation of all success.

An increasing number of small physician practices are being acquired....

Author: Campbell, Thea; Gilman, Charlie

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: September 27, 2010

Background

These are exciting times in the world of health information management. Across the country, hospitals, health networks, physician offices, etc. are implementing technology – the fabled electronic or computerized health record. This movement is being incented by a variety....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: August 2010

This practice brief has been retired. It is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Torrance, Kelly

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2010

The HIM department can sometimes feel like the invisible department, because often no one acknowledges it until there is a problem. HIM professionals often bemoan the fact that they are not included in key organizational decisions like IT implementations that impact their departments. There ar....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2010

Talk is cheap. But learning how to communicate is essential for those working to be leaders within their teams, departments, and organizations.

The HIM profession has never offered more opportunity for leadership than it does right now. EHR implementations have HIM profession....

Author: Rollins, Genna

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2010

Times like these require a lot of leadership. That means risk-taking, passion, mentoring, and always striving, say HIM professionals.



The enormous change that healthcare is undergoing calls for professionals in all disciplines to step out of their routines and play....

Author: Kloss, Linda L

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2010

What more can you do to earn that coveted seat at decision-making tables in your organization? As directors and managers of health information services, you are responsible for valuable information assets, including their accuracy, compliance, access, and use. Yet organizations continue to pla....

Author: Morton, Mary E.; Wiedenbeck, Susan

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: January 2010

Abstract

With the U.S. government calling for electronic health records (EHRs) for all Americans by the year 2014, adoption of an interoperable EHR is imminent in America’s future. However, recent estimates for EHR implementation in the ambulatory care environment are just over 10 percent....

Author: AHIMA e-HIM Work Group on the Transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2009

This practice brief has been retired. It is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Sheridan, Patricia Thierry; Smith, LaShunda Blanding

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: August 2009

Author: Campbell, Robert James

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2009

Lean thinking is the efficient use of staff, resources, and technology to provide the highest level of service possible to the ultimate healthcare customer: the patient.

In today’s volatile healthcare environment, health information managers are being asked to do more with less....

Author: Heubusch, Kevin

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2009

Organizations undertaking EHR system design, planning, and implementation can become so focused on getting the clinical details right that they forget to put sufficient attention to the legal implications of maintaining the information over time.


Turning an organization&rsquo....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA

Publication Date: December 30, 2008

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA leadership model

Publication Date: December 30, 2008

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA leadership model

Publication Date: December 30, 2008

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA leadership model

Publication Date: December 30, 2008

Author: Hall, Teresa M

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2008

It can be tempting for providers to reach for paper, especially when things get hectic. Planning and support help keep the hybrid record from getting more hybrid than it has to be.

Providers who are comfortable with the paper chart system can have a very difficult time letting go of....

Author: Kloss, Linda L

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2008

As AHIMA celebrates its 80th anniversary this month, we focus on the significant challenges that lay ahead. Though most emphasis today is on acquiring and implementing health IT, this will give way to an emphasis on managing and creating value from an organization’s information assets.

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA Advantage

Publication Date: October 2008

In its first year ACE (Action Community for e-HIM Excellence) already has more than 500 members. ACE members have reached out to component state associations (CSAs) and allied health professionals by speaking, writing, testifying, and mentoring. Members provide their HIM expertise and then report it to AHIMA. This article presents some of the highlights from the first year.

Author: Fox, Leslie Ann; Clark, Jean S.; Bowen, Rita K.; Postal, Susan

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 10, 2007

Introduction: A Framework for Leading Change: Systems-based Leadership and Change Management™

Today’s fast pace of change is a huge challenge to the survival of every business organization. Whether change is rapid, sudden, large scale, or constant in nature, it is the most difficult type....

Author: Rulon, Vera

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 10, 2007

I.   Introduction


Managing change is not an easy thing. We experience change in many aspects of our lives. Is it any different in healthcare versus other industries? This writer thinks not, as change is a difficult thing to effect, although it happens all the time.

<....

Author: Sasnett, Bonita; Ross, Thomas

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: October 2007

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2007

Industry trends are putting HIM professionals in charge of staffs with diverse expertise. Managing staff in non-HIM roles takes some special skills, but the advantages abound.
Information is a thread that weaves together healthcare staff with a wide range of expertis....

Author: Fox, Leslie Ann; Sheridan, Patty Thierry

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2007

Change is part of life. You lie comfortably in your mother’s womb and suddenly the cozy environment changes. A flood of hormones—then pushing, pulling, and pop! Your senses are instantly assaulted by touch, sound, and light, and you reflexively cry out. That cry is your first emotiona....

Author: Rollins, Gina

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2007

Large healthcare systems centralize HIM functions and share resources in varying degrees. Department managers say there are both benefits and challenges in being one HIM department among many.
A growing number of hospitals, physician practices, and other healthcare services are now....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2007

Electronic systems do more than change processes. They change people, in both the way they conduct and view their HIM work.

That means reimagining roles and, for directors, serving as a sturdy bridge between the past and the future as the department restructures its work an....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2007

Any change brings with it uncertainty, doubt, and fear of the unknown.

These are strong emotions, and it takes strong-willed and confident leaders to combat them. An organization is only as good as its leaders-a statement especially true in the fast-changing world of h....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2007

Times of enormous change require change agents: people with the vision, expertise, and leadership skills necessary to lead transformation.

AHIMA is calling all HIM change agents to create ACE, the Action Community for e-HIM® Excellence. The program launches this month and is desig....

Author: Schulte, Skye K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2007

Understanding how people react to change can help ease staff into quality improvement programs.
Change initiatives, such as quality improvement programs, are major undertakings. Depending on their scope, they can affect an organization’s culture-the collective attitudes, ex....

Author: Helbig, Susan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2006

The HIM profession has evolved over the last several decades, and AHIMA's surveys of focus groups on the HIM profession's image reflects that evolution. February 2000 and 2002 results showed that respondents saw HIM professionals as clerical (44 percent). In 2003, however, nearly half (48 pe....

Author: Rulon, Vera; Valo, Carolyn R.

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 31, 2006

Pushing Beyond Your Comfort Zone: Take Charge and Lead

Vera Rulon, RHIT, CCS, and Carolyn R. Valo, MS, RHIT
Introduction

Katie Couric, after ten years in her prime role as co-host of one of the most watched television morning shows, the NBC Today Show, has done what many of....

Author: Terry, Eugenia

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2006

Change, new opportunities, and new challenges are the reality for HIM-more so than ever before. As we navigate through HIM’s ever-changing environment, many are finding that though the nature of what we manage may be changing, the practice of management continues to be a key skill set for our....

Author: Fenton, Susan H.; Giannangelo, Kathy; Stanfill, Mary H

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2006

This practice brief has been retired. It is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Harker, Kathy

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2006

Northwest Health System followed a smooth launch of a coding product with something a little more ambitious—a beta version of a document management system.
In April 2005 Northwest Health System in Springdale, AR, implemented Web-based coding to boost productivity. The system....