• Make or buy a blanket and drop it in the donation bin at ACE 2012
• Not going to ACE?  Hand-carry a blanket to a local Project Linus office
• Make a monetary donation: visit Project Linus Donations

• Should be hand-made (heartfelt / good vibes)
• Polar fleece works well (doesn’t require sewing)
• 40” x 60” is preferable size (If buying fabric, 1.5 yards – 2 yards works well)
• Must be an unused blanket
• Must be smoke-free
• No strong odors / No pet hair / No pet dander

April Showers bring May Flowers

Call for Volunteers!

Dear Colleagues:

I am putting together a team of volunteers for a short-term project to review the recently released MU2 proposed rules from ONC. Our goal is to identify areas in the proposed rules that directly or indirectly affect our profession and then provide a summary of findings to the Advocacy and Alliance steering committee, the AHDI board and ultimately our members through Membership Matters. The outcome of the project will also help generate an open-comment letter template with plans to have our leadership, component leaders, members and colleagues submit to ONC during the open comment period which ends in early May. The project duration is starting now and will probably run through the end of April.

My phone and email are listed below. Please call me or email me to volunteer and/or inquire about the project.

Karen L. Fox-Acosta, CMT, AHDI-F

619-808-6540

AHDI President Elect 2011-2012

karen.fox@foxtx.net

P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

Spring Has Officially Arrived!

Spring has arrived officially, but here in Louisville where I live it has been more like summer. I finally relented and turned on our air conditioner. The trees and flowers are all abloom as are our allergies. This is a beautiful time here in the bluegrass state. I love spring because it is a reminder to me that there are cycles to life and that there are new beginnings.

It has been quite a busy winter, not only here in my home but across our industry as well. We have several things happen that have and continue to draw attention and discussion. The two main things have been a new name change and the continued shrinkage of MTSO’s across our industry.

As a member of the board, I want to assure you that the issue of the name change has not been one that has been taken lightly, and that is why you saw the topic revisited and voted on a second time. Do we need a name change? Should we have consulted the membership? Could things have been handled differently, and why was this revisited and voted on a second time? My question to each of you is, have you ever made a decision, and it just did not seem right once it was made, so you spent more time in the thought process and arrived at a different decision? I know I have many times throughout my life. These are all valid questions, and for every member in our association there is an opinion. Some opinions mesh well together and some do not. As I said, in my opening paragraph, spring reminds me of a time of new beginnings, but we do not always get to spring without the hazards of summer, fall, and winter. And so, that is part of what we are experiencing here. Spring comes every year and for those who want to embrace its newness and freshness there is a chance to enjoy the new beginning. For some, letting go of the summer, fall, and winter is more difficult and so they miss the new beginning of spring. Where are you in the course of seasons?

Another item of great interest, and one that none of us has control over is the reduction of MTSO’s across our industry. Wow, what a change has occurred! I know this is a source of great concern. I think for me, the biggest thing I struggle with is the feeling of helplessness. I, and most people I know, do not like to feel helpless, we do not like to be dependent on others, and what we see here is an industry that now leaves us with far fewer choices, and we are now dependent on a few major companies as our source of employment. Our choices have been cut drastically, and that makes us feel helpless, which causes anxiety. Having been a business owner in a different industry at one point in my life, and seeing that industry dwindle to a few major competitors, causing me to have to close the doors, I can say that I understand this. I have been there in the not to distant past. Did I like it? No. Could I change it? No. Could I change how I responded and reacted? Yes. And so I closed the business doors, mourned for a time, and then moved on. I noticed that life did not stop for me. I had to move on with life or be left behind. And so, I see that here we have the same thing happening. We have to look for ways to move on. For some that will mean new training and moving into a new role using my past experience, for others that may mean moving to a totally different arena of employment, for some that means staying with our skill set but adjusting within those boundaries. Once again, we see the cycle of the seasons. Is it fun? No. Does it hurt? Immensely. Are there new beginnings? Yes. Does AHDI care? YES!

As a part of your professional organization, we care immensely, and we are committed to doing what we can to help each and every one of you.

Corporate Advantage Program/Webinar Series and ACE 2012 Presentations

There is no doubt the clinical documentation industry is changing. What does that mean for MTs, Documentation Specialists, MTSOs, industry schools or HIM Departments? Explore the critical ways to climb the mountain of success.

The Corporate Advantage Program (CAP) webinar series is designed to meet the needs of current and future business owners to remain relevant and viable in the changing healthcare industry today. The webinar speakers are experts in their field, and will share strategies and best practices covering a range of "mission critical" subjects for every business.

We will peel back the layers of the known and venture below the surface to uncover the unknown. Whether it is RFPs, HIPAA 5010, Tax Rules and Strategies, Marketing, Mergers & Acquisitions, Quality Assurance, Workforce Development or Competitive Strategies, this series will teach you how to invest in change and embrace the uncertainty of the future.

As part of the Corporate Advantage Program (CAP) series, many of our webinar speakers will also present at ACE 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana, offering workshops geared toward business owners and available with your full registration.

There really is a "Corporate Membership" advantage in staying connected to AHDI!

All webinars will be:

* AHDI-approved for 1.5 CECs (Mediolegal, MT Tools, Technology in the Workplace, and Professional Development)

* 90-minute presentation, including Q&A session

* Broadcast time 12 PM PST/3 PM EST

*$15.00 (Pay by credit card or check)

*Recorded Sessions - Unable to attend? Pre-register to receive recording link following live broadcast.

Our first 2 webinars are open for registration!

Monday, February 27

RFPs: What Matters, Who Looks at Them?

Presented by Sherry Doggett and Beth Tribelhorn

AHDI-Approved CEC: 1.5 PD

Friday, March 23

Transforming Your MTSO To Compete In Today's

EHR Healthcare Environment

Presented by Steven Palmisano, President, Emdat, Inc.

AHDI-Approved CEC: 1.5 PD

You may register at www.ahdi-west.org/ahdi-west 2010-events-registration/

AHDI National Leadership Board meeting summaries

In an effort to keep our members informed about issues and decisions made at our meetings, the AHDI National Leadership Board has made available on the AHDI website a place to view these summaries. The page is for members only, so you will need to log in.

We hope you will take a few minutes to review these summaries of activities. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me.

http://www.ahdionline.org/GetConnected/Leadership/AHDIBoardofDirectors/NationalLeadershipBoardCandidacy/AHDIBoardofDirectorsMeetingHighlights/tabid/296/Default.aspx

The AHDI National Leadership Board has three At-Large Director positions open for 2012. The term of office begins September 1, 2012. Here's your chance to make a difference! Outlined below is the timeline for nominations and elections (dates may be subject to change):

Mid-February - Friday, April 6, 2012: Call for candidates

Monday, April 9, 2012: Candidacy packets DUE

April 9 - April 13, 2012: Candidate interviews and selection process

Week of April 16, 2012: Final ballot announced/campaigning begins

May 2012 (date TBD): Candidate debate webinars

Monday, June 4, 2012: POLLS OPEN

Monday, June 18, 2012: POLLS CLOSE

End of June 2012: New directors announced

For more information on the requirements for National Leadership Board candidates, please visit http://www.ahdionline.org/GetConnected/Leadership/AHDIBoardofDirectors/NationalLeadershipBoardCandidacy/tabid/197/Default.aspx

2012 Greeting

Greetings District 3!

I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday season, and I wish you the best in the New Year!

After a busy fall within our District, I had some time to spend with family, get some rest, and think about the upcoming year. I spent quite a bit of time catching up on calendar entries, and the slate already looks full. Some of the things I will be doing immediately are:

*Helping co-chair the ACE 2012 program committee.

*Facilitating 1 session for the New Professionals Alliance RMT study group.

*Attending the Huron River Chapter Ice Breaker Symposium on February 18.

*Attending and presenting at the Mid-Michigan Chapter Spring Fling on March 10.

On a personal level, I am studying to take my CMT exam in early spring, as well as further my education through continuing education classes.

As each year comes to a close and a New Year begins, I try to take some time to reflect on the past and plan for the future. As I make those reflections and plans, I am always reminded that I really have very little control over a lot that happens. I am also reminded that the important thing always is my attitude. Unfortunately, we don’t always have a lot of control over what life and our profession throws our way. The one thing we do have control over is our attitude.

In our industry, we are experiencing continued change, much of which we have no control over; however, we do have a choice over how we think and what we chose to do. I have just experienced a major change, a company buyout and change in employers, and I know that each of you have your own experiences and situations you are facing. With each of these comes an element of fear about that change. I can chose to let fear paralyze me or let fear be a catalyst for embracing change.

I have decided that in the New Year I want to be catalyst for embracing change in a positive way. I want to be a part of a group that says we can help shape our direction and our future, and I want to be a part of helping each of you be a catalyst for change in our industry. I look forward to working with each of you in the New Year and building new and stronger relationships within our region and within AHDI.

If I can be of help any any way, please contact me at mssonger@gmail.com or 502-640-9879.

November Happenings for District 3

November has been a busy month for District 3.

The Northern Illinois Chapter met at the new Elmhurst Hospital in Elmhurst, Illinois on November 5, 2011, for their fall meeting. The symposium hosted an excellent group of speakers beginning with Dr Andrew Blum, Vascular/Interventional Radiologist at Elmhurst Hospital. His presentation covered the evolutional of interventional radiology including the most up-to-date procedures being done today in the field.

We then heard from Saera Arain-Saleem, DPM on “The Top 5 most Common Podiatric Questions” followed by AHDI President Sherry Doggett who gave us and overview of “EHR Future Roles—An AHDI Perspective.” Several attendees were excited to have the information presented by Sherry to share with their employers to help make decisions in their respective work places.

The afternoon sessions consisted of a presentation by Melissa Zolecki, RN, BSN, CEN and President of the Fragile X Families of SW Chicago, LINKS, entitled “Fragile What” Fragile X, the Leading Cause of Inherited Mental Impairment” and a presentation by Phillip Holaway, also affectionately known as “Mr. Cathy Baughman,” on “Putting the Power in PowerPoint” to help us understand some of the many features available for our PowerPoint presentations.

The meeting was a great success and offered a lot of interesting medical information. A big thank you to Leanne Harrington and her board who worked hard to make this day a success.

The Buckeye Area Chapter met at Greene Memorial Hospital in Xenia, Ohio on November 12, 2011, for their fall meeting. There were 19 in attendance. Thank you to the chapter board for all their hard work.

There were 2 CECs we took away from the meeting. The first session was titled “The Future is in Your Hands.” This presentation was given by Ann Marie Biedenharn, RN, BSN and Shannon Drake, MLS(ASCP) CM, CIC. The topics of interest were Influenza and the case for immunization and also microorganisms and the diseases they cause.

The second session was entitled “Transcription Tragedy Terminated.” Jean Farkas, a certified postural alignment specialist acquainted us strategies and simple exercises we can do sitting at our desk or in our home, that will help with stress as well as posture and can help us avoid potential pan. She acquainted us with the “Egoscue Method” of pain relief. More information is available at www.egoscue.com.

AHDI New Webinear Series

Electronic Health Record, we have all heard about it, but do we know about it? Kathy Nichols has partnered with AHDI to present an online course that runs for 7 weeks. This course includes discussion boards, recorded webinars, and hands on experience in the electronic record. To find out more, visit http://www.ahdionline.org/EHR/tabid/644/Default.aspx. There is also a free webinar on December 6, 2011, entitled “Transitioning to the EHR.” Check out these new offerings.

AHDI & CDIA Announce Change in Executive Staff Positions

Upcoming Opportunities for District 3

Webinar – Job Search Skills in the New EHR World

October 18, 2011

3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time

CEC: 1 PD

Presenter:

Sarah Barton

There are many more resources today than in the past for job searches, and the new world of the EHR gives MTs additional opportunities. In this webinar, we will talk about creating that perfect resume, using social networking to your advantage, as well as professional safety in social networking. Learn how to seek out those emerging roles in the EHR and find things that might fit your skills.

http://www.ahdionline.org/OnlineStore/ProductDetail/tabid/55/Default.aspx?ProductId=1752

Huron River Chapter

2011 Student Day: “Stamp of Approval”

October 29, 2011

Schoolcraft College Radcliff Center, Garden City, Michigan

http://hrc-mi.com/hrc-ice-breaker-symposium-2/

Northern Illinois Chapter-AHDI Annual Symposium

Saturday, November 5, 2011

The New Elmhurst Memorial Hospital

Elmhurst IL

7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

CEC topics include Fragile X Syndrome, Podiatry, Interventional Radiology, PowerPoint, AHDI Districts, Medicolegal Puzzle for a total of 3 CM, 2 PD, and 1 ML credits

www.nic.ahdi.org

On September 30, 2011, 64 plus medical transcription/editors, QA personnel, business owners, industry representatives, and a few visitors met in East Lansing, Michigan for the first annual Great Lakes Region Symposium. The Great Lakes Region is comprised of individuals from Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. The weekend was filled with outstanding presentations by a variety of speakers across the health care spectrum, networking, great food, and fun.

We began Friday evening with a presentation from Judy Ravin entitled “Decoding Foreign Accents: An Interactive Exercise.” We spent 2 very short hours reviewing and practicing listening to and translating speaking patterns of other languages. This was a very meaningful experience as many of us daily try to decipher the spoken words of ESL dictators.

Saturday’s Keynote Speaker, Scott Faulkner, CEO, InterFix presented us with a lot of information on how disruptive technology trends and politics influence the electronic patient record content. Other topics for the day included Jennifer Patterson, MSPT speaking on the topic of “Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy”, Rhonda Scanlon, MS, CGC speaking to the topic of “Hereditary Breast Cancer Syndrome”, April Martin, RHIA, CPEHR, CHSS, CMT, AHDI-F speaking on the topic of “Ethical Considerations in Health Information and Transcription”, and Dr Gregory Grady, DDS “ New Innovative Techniques in Dentistry.”

Sunday morning was the annual business meeting and speakers Joyce DeJong, Director of Forensic Pathology “Forensics” and Dr. Mark Jacoby, MD “Peripheral Arterial Disease-Noninvasive Testing and Percutaneous Peripheral Intervention.”

The GLR board did a superb job organizing and obtaining pertinent speakers of all interests. Those in attendance left with a possible 10 CECs.

The Great Lakes Region will be actively involved in helping with ACE 2012, and we look forward to hosting many of you in Indianapolis, Indiana in August 2012.

AHDI New Webinear Series

Reviewing the past, Looking ahead!

Phoenix in August! I had more than one person ask why I wanted to go to Phoenix in August! For some 300 AHDI members, we had good reason, ACE 2011. ACE began for me on Wednesday, as I and the other newly elected district directors joined the current board for our board orientation before beginning our tenure on September 1^st. Wednesday and Thursday were packed with meetings, a leadership breakfast and a session on effective communication by Speaker Sue. We were presented with a wealth of information, great food, and constructive ways to communicate with others.

Thursday evening was the official ACE kickoff in the exhibit hall with an international reception. There were many attendees in international attire, lots of creativity and excitement as we reconnected with old friends and met new friends. Great food was enjoyed by all, and a chance to begin communication with the various vendors present. And instead of being all about what we “could get,” we had the opportunity to give back by making cards for children who are sick in the hospital. AHDI West sponsored a table where we could make cards to help brighten the life of a child who may not have much to smile about. If you were into racing cars, you could get in on a little action at the Great Lakes Region booth racing your car down the track in anticipation of next years ACE in Indianapolis.

There were many highlights ahead for the week, from the opening keynoted by Nancy Dempsey to the final wrap up with the awards luncheon on Sunday. The entire event was well planned and orchestrated by our AHDI staff.

One of the major highlights for me was the chance to get to meet so many AHDI members in District 3. We had quite the representation from Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois.. As we transition to a new governing structure of district representation rather than the House of Delegates I seemed to sense an excitement about out new direction. There is an element of suspense, however, as we define more clearly the rote of district directors among our components and how all this will play out. However, I sensed a willingness among the directors and members to really engage and work within our districts to make this new structure a success.

And as always, the educational sessions, the encouragement received from others, and the networking among vendors, employers, and other members are invaluable assets of attending ACE.

So you might ask, what did I take away from this meeting?

There are so many changes going on in our industry at the moment, the HITECH Act, EHR implementation, speech recognition whether front end or back end. There are so many new avenues to pursue, Scribe, Clinical Documentation Specialist, Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist, training in EHR implementation, the list goes on. Some changes seem good, some not so good. And yes, change makes us uncomfortable. I for one like to know what lies ahead.

I have to ask myself, is this change something we can control? Is AHDI implementing these changes? Are our employers implementing these changes? No of course not! Where are these changes coming from? They are coming from our lawmakers and policy that has been set in place. But AHDI is trying to gather our membership together to make us a more powerful workforce. And just as we are having to change our skill sets to keep our jobs or move into new positions, our employers are having to make changes in their companies to stay viable in the business world.

A favorite quote of mine is, “I am not made nor unmade by the things that happen to me, but by my reaction to them.” (St. John of the Cross) And so I would ask, how are we going to react to the things that are happening to us as an industry? There are some who just don’t want to come along this new path, they don’t want to learn new things, they simply don’t want to change; there are some who are embracing change at a breakneck speed, getting new degrees, enrolling in training for new positions; and there are some who want to look for the negative and find the negative in everything, clinging to the premise that we have to do it that way because it has always been done that way. We all have a choice to make, but remember it is not the thing that happens to us but how we react to it that will make us who we are.

So, we have a new year and a new beginning before us, and we have many opportunities ahead for networking, for growth. Listed are some of the opportunities available for us this fall:

Mid-Michigan Chapter

Fall Chapter Meeting, September 20, 2011

Flint Michigan

3 CECs

http://mmc-ahdionline.org

Buckeye Area Chapter

Face-to-Face Educational/Business Meeting

September 17, 2011

Dublin, Ohio

2 CECs anticipated

www.bac.ahdi.org

West Michigan Chapter

Educational Meeting

September 17, 2011

2 Speakerrs

http://wmc-ahdinline.org

Great Lakes Region AHDI Symposium

“Takin It To The Streets”

September 30 – October 2, 2011

East Lansing, Michigan

10 CECs

www.greatlakesregionahdi.org

Wisconsin-Minnesota Regional Meeting

September 30 – October 2, 2011

Lacrosse, Wisconsin

10.5 CECs

www.wi-mn-ahdi.com

Northern Illinois Chapter

November 5. 2011

Elmhurst, Illinois

6 CECs

AHDI President, Sherry Doggett, Speaker

http://nic-ahdi.org

West Michigan Chapter

Annual Business Meeting and Educational Meeting

November 5, 2011

2 speakers

http://wmc-ahdionline.org

I urge you to connect and get involved.

Martha Songer, RMT

AHDI District 3 Director