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Online Education

The health care industry is currently undergoing monumental changes in the U.S. Transition from utilization-based to outcomes-based payment structures has resulted in declining net revenue for many healthcare organizations. Aggressive predictive analytics and extrapolation techniques are aimed at recouping money. In addition to traditional Medicare’s RA coding audits, the RAs, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and multiple third party payers are ramping up clinical validation audits. Coding and clinical documentation quality directly affects organizational financial performance.

Today, coders and clinical documentation specialists must understand multiple payment methodologies, including Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCCs), APR-DRGs and MS-DRGs. Each of these reimbursement models focus on disease burden. In order to reflect the level of care being provided, coders must to have a deep understanding of disease processes, surgical procedures and coding changes so that ICD-10-CM/PCS codes are applied accurately.

Coding compliance should be considered a top priority to protect net revenue on a continual basis. Benchmarking, monitoring, and continual coder education are crucial steps healthcare organizations can take to protect the bottom line. This presentation is designed to ensure that attendees are prepared to successfully mitigate predatory recoupment activities by all payers by identifying changes in coding and clinical documentation requirements.

Speaker: Lynette Thom, BS, RHIT, CCS, CDIP

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My apologies for being late on this update! February being a “short month” as well as a flurry of activity, I got behind. I started this month off in Chicago as a member of the AHIMA Convention Planning Committee for Los Angeles. That is an amazing experience to be part, and understand what all goes into selecting speakers, tracks, and other educational opportunities. It makes me appreciate all the hard work that our own convention committee does at a state level even more.

Speaking of Convention, you have received e-blasts for registration and hotel accommodations. Early Bird Registration and Hotel Block Rooms due dates will be approaching soon. There is an amazing array of speaker topics being arranged, and of course plenty of networking opportunities including our opening 5K Walk/Jog Race! Topics ranging from compliance, information governance, data analytics, compliance, student topics, audits, and more! I am excited for our vendors reception with special entertainment, past president recognition luncheon, reunion lunch event, and awards banquet! Megan McDougal is preparing her incoming address as she is installed as President, and preparing her committee assignments, so please let her know if you are willing to volunteer. I am sure she would love to hear from you! I am looking forward to seeing everyone, and hope you are planning to attend.

The Board is seeking nominations for the WVHIMA Ballot as well. You can nominate someone, or self-nominate yourself for one of our elected offices. The ballot will be finalized soon, so please go to the website and complete the online nomination form.

It is WVHIMA’s year to submit nominations for the AHIMA Election Ballot as well. If you are interested in submitting your name or someone else for AHIMA Ballot, please let us know or nominate them on AHIMA Volunteer site at AHIMA.org.

The Board is seeking nominations for this year’s WVHIMA Distinguished Member, and the online form is available at our website for nominations. We are continuing to launch our #WVHIMA #BeAHIMHero campaign on social media, and ask that you start practicing it’s use. Ashley Simmons, RHIA, CCS is leading this charge and plans to have a flurry of social media activity with these and other hashtags.

End of March, the Executive Board Members: myself, Nelson, Jamie, and Megan will be attending AHIMA Advocacy and Hill Day in Washington, DC. This is always an exciting time for WVHIMA as we get to meet and talk to WV State senators and congressman about HIM initiatives. The staff in these offices are always very gracious and appreciative to meet with us and become more aware of our needs in HIM with regard to ICD-10 Adoption, Unique Patient Identifiers, and Privacy to name a few. You can help too by reaching out to your local state representatives. More information is available on AHIMA Engage and AHIMA.org.

To close this month, I just want to reiterate that WVHIMA is a very active association, and the board depends of you and your support. Continue to reach out to us via the website wvhima.org, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We appreciate your feedback in how we can best serve you!

And we look forward to seeing you at Oglebay, April 19-21, 2017.

Christine Metheny, RHIA, CHPS, CHTS-IM
WVHIMA President 2016-2017

All,

Our WVHIMA Annual Convention at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, WV (April 19-21) is only 75 days away! Please remember that early registration ends on February 28, 2017. You have a chance to earn 12 CEU’s for attending this years convention and we have an exciting line up of speakers on the agenda.

Please visit https://www.wvhima.org/annualmeeting/agenda to check it out!

Early Registration – November 11, 2016-February 28, 2017
Members $175
Non Members $250
Students $75

Regular Registration – March 1, 2017-April 5, 2017
Members $200
Non-Members $275
Students $100

Late Registration – April 6, 2017-April 10, 2017
Members $225
Non-members $300
Students $125

We hope to see you all there!

WOW! 2017 is here and I can hardly believe I am half-way through my term this year. If you follow me on Facebook, I have been using #WVHIMA and #BeAHIMHero for posts that are to lead and inspire you this year. Recently, Facebook had a “Word Cloud” of the most common used words from your personal post, and to no surprise “WVHIMA” has a bold place on my word cloud.

With that, WVHIMA continues to be BUSY, and now is the time for nominations prior to the Annual Convention in April 19-21, 2017. The WVHIMA Board will have a Conference Call on January 9 to review each committee role and responsibility, as well as update from other committees such as Annual Convention, Education, Technology, and Budget. I am very excited to hear more updates as we prepare for convention at Oglebay. Many great surprises in store for education, networking, and entertainment!

Did you set a goal for yourself to be more involved with WVHIMA? Here is how you can be part of the officer election process, submit nominations for professionals to be recognized as Distinguished Member, and promote our young professionals with scholarships.

The Academic Achievement Award Committee lead by Tina Williams, RHIA will be working with the WV Accredited HIT Programs for eligible award recipients. Academic Achievement Award is to financially assist qualified students who have completed courses in an accredited West Virginia college/university program and are eligible to write the examination for the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) or the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) as administered by the American Health Information Management Association. The applicant acceptable period is January 1 through March 1, with the award determination on March 20. Award Recipients will be recognized at the Convention Award Banquet on Thursday, April 20 at Oglebay Park.

The Distinguished Member Committee lead by Debbie Lupton, RHIT is seeking nominations for recognizing WVHIMA 2017 Distinguished Member Award. Nominations will be accepted now until March 1, with award determination on March 20. The awardee will be awarded based upon four categories: Service to AHIMA and/or WVHIMA; Professional Achievement; Research, Publications, and Mentoring; and Leadership in Education.

The Distinguished Member will be recognized and honored at the Convention Award Banquet on Thursday, April 20 at Oglebay Park.

Nominations for Officers and Directors and Nominating Committee members shall be made by the Nominating Committee at least ninety (90) days prior to each annual convention. The chair of the committee this year is Nelson Liston, RHIT, and the committee is comprised of Tammy Baker and Savithri Kamath. We would appreciate at least two nominees for each elected office. You can submit nominations to nominating@wvhima.org for the following elected offices:

President-Elect shall be an active member in good standing, as elected by the active membership. The President-Elect shall hold office for a term of one year, beginning July 1st and ending June 30th. Serve as an aide to the President and shall assume the duties of the President in his/her absence or inability to act.

Be knowledgeable of WVHIMA Bylaws and Procedures, in addition to WVHIMA activities, in order to assume duties as President, if needed. Serve as an officer member of the WVHIMA Board of Directors, and serve as a member of the Budget Committee. Serve as a delegate for WVHIMA, as a representative of the State of West Virginia in the AHIMA House of Delegates, Attend AHIMA House of Delegates meetings, AHIMA Annual Convention, AHIMA Leadership Symposium, AHIMA Advocacy Hill Day, and WVHIMA Annual Convention.

Secretary shall be an active member in good standing as elected by the active membership, or as appointed by the President. The Secretary shall hold office for a term of one year, beginning July 1st and ending June 30th. Serve as an office member of the Board of Directors and maintain the permanent record of all meetings of WVHIMA and the Board of Directors, as outlined in the WVHIMA Bylaws. Attend Executive Board Meetings and Association Business Meetings, and transcribes minutes within ten (10) days of the meeting, submitting completed minutes to the President for approval prior to distribution to the Board for final approval. Submit completed minutes to the President for approval and provide copies for the Board of Directors Executive Meetings for approval.

Conduct official correspondence as directed by the Bylaws and the President. Serves as Membership Committee Chairperson, updating the membership roster and the Board of Directors of new members. Provide notification of Executive Board of Director Meetings or special meetings at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting date.

Director shall be an active member in good standing as elected by the active membership, or as appointed by the President. The Director shall hold office for a term of three years, beginning July 1st and ending June 30th. Attend meetings of the WVHIMA Board, and become knowledgeable of the WVHIMA bylaws and procedures. First year director observes duties of Second and Third Year Directors, and may assist Second and Third Year directors as needed.

Second year director serves as Bylaws Chairperson, or other duties as appointed by the president. Third year director is responsible for coordinating revision and updating of policy and procedures, or other duties as appointed by the president. Directors are educated and groomed to run for President-Elect. Their progressive participation as a board member will be taken into consideration for nomination by the nominating committee.

Nominating Committee members (two) are elected each year to serve with the second year past president director for one year, and are members in good standing. Seek nominations for elected positions for officers of WVHIMA: President Elect, Secretary, Director, Nominating Committee, Treasurer term every two years. Submit ballot to credentials committee to assure nominee eligibility. Work with Technology and/or webmaster for electronic ballot submission within approved voting poll timeframe.

I hope it is helpful to see these elected positions and nominating opportunities, and that you are inspired to be a HIM Hero and submit some nominations for any and all of these opportunities!

WVHIMA Needs A HERO! #BeAHIMHero

Christine Metheny, RHIA, CHPS, CHTS-IM
WVHIMA President 2016-2017

MERRY CHRISTMAS to All HIM Professionals!

Tis’ the season for being a super holiday hero! Many of us are super busy preparing for our Christmas Holiday festivities as well as year-end projects. And WVHIMA Board of Directors is no exception to that super busy schedule and activity!

The Board met at United Hospital Center on November 18th, and held a very informative and productive meeting. We had a WebEx presentation from our webmaster Andrea Koppelman, Knowledge Connex of some super new features that we are planning to roll out to you over the next year.

The Annual Convention Super Team is continuing preparations for the April 19-21, 2017 convention in Oglebay. Early Registration is open for both members and vendors! There are lots of super speakers and super topics, along with some super surprises all themed around the SUPER HIM Hero Theme! And we anticipate you joining us for the SUPER Hero Event! Stay tuned to WVHIMA.org for more information!

I am serving on the AHIMA 2017 Convention Program Committee this year. The dates for the AHIMA Convention are October 7-11, 2017 in Los Angeles, CA. The Call for Abstracts is available now and the deadline date for submission is 1/2/2017. Submit your presentation entry at this website: https://ahima.confex.com/ahima/89am/cfp.cgi Share your Super Hero Story! Submission formats include Educational Tracks, Clinical Coding Meeting, Pre-Meeting Workshops, and E-Poster Showcase. WVHIMA had representation last year as speakers and poster presentations, and all were very well received. So submit your abstract for consideration! The committee will review all submissions in end of January do design the Convention Program.

Some of you have expressed an interest in becoming more involved at the AHIMA level. I strongly encourage your participation at both the AHIMA and WVHIMA level of volunteering. Check out the website http://engage.ahima.org/volunteeropportunities/opportunities-list-public for the many volunteer opportunities and complete the self-assessment to determine where you’re best fit to volunteer. There are focus groups, task forces, committees, and many other mentoring opportunities to participate. You just need to reach out annually!

As this 2016 comes to an end, I encourage you to do some reflection on all the accomplishments you have made this past year, and look forward to setting new goals for 2017 and I hope that you are able to incorporate an act or two of HIM Heroism into your goals!

Merry Christmas to each of you!

View the latest news here

September is typically the time we think “Back to School”, even with many of the schools returning in mid-late August. Education is very important to WVHIMA and our membership, and we are proud to present several opportunities to further your education, and maintaining those CEUs for your credential. I am very excited! The Education Committee has already been hard at work preparing several offerings for your professional education, and I anticipate there being more opportunities via our website! More details to come.

The first of two Fall Retreats is scheduled for Friday, September 9 at Fairmont State College, Fairmont! Many of you have registered to attend, there will be great speakers, vendors, and lots of networking. There is onsite registration in the event you missed registering online.

The second Fall Retreat will be held Friday, October 7 WVU Auditorium, Charleston! Registration and the agenda is available on WVHIMA.org.

I am very pleased to know that many of you are also “back in school” working towards your Certificates, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, and Credentials! I am very proud of each of you investing in the HIM Profession. I too have begun my journey to attain my Master’s Degree in Strategic Leadership! I am very excited! No! I am not crazy!

I am inspired by many of the folks I consider to be our HIM HEROS!!! There are so many of you to mention! I hope you are just as enthusiastic.
 

I looked at the newly credentialed Professionals* on AHIMA website, and so far this year, the following new certifications have been achieved:

Registered Health Information Administrator – RHIA = 1
Registered Health Information Technician – RHIT = 5
Certified Healthcare Privacy and Security – CHPS = 1
Certified Coding Specialists – CCS = 4
Certified Coding Associate – CCA = 9

Congratulations to each of you for your accomplishments!!
*(names are not printed to protect individual privacy)

How are you contributing to your education? Are you enrolled in a program, certificate, credentialing exams? Let us hear your HERO story!

There are also many offerings online to promote your interest and involvement. The Convention Committee is also very busy securing speakers for the Annual Convention at Oglebay on April 19-21, 2017.

Mark your calendars and plan to attend as many offerings as you can! It is going to be a SUPER HERO Event!

WE NEED MORE HEROES ! ! !

Volunteer opportunities are still available at all of these venues, Grab your mask and cape, and use the website to contact us & join the networking!!

PS: I am still Running!!! Getting my step count ready for the OCTOBER Challenge. This picture of me is when I finished my “Summer Scamper” Virtual 8K this past Labor Day! If I can do it! You can do it! You are MY HERO!

Dear Friends,

My thoughts and prayers are with all West Virginians who have been impacted by the severe flooding throughout our state, especially those who have lost or are missing loved ones.

Today, I visited Greenbrier County, and some of the hardest hit areas in southern West Virginia, to help ensure those affected have the resources they need. I have been in constant contact with Governor Tomblin, local officials, FEMA and other emergency responders about flood response and public safety in the 44 counties under a State of Emergency. My staff and I will continue working throughout the weekend to help those who have been displaced or are in need of assistance.

For the latest emergency response information, or to find a local emergency response office, please visit the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s website here.

To view the West Virginia Department of Transportation’s list of road closures, click here.

If you would like to help those impacted by the flooding, you can register as a volunteer with the Red Cross by clicking here.

The Red Cross is also maintaining a hotline, 1-800-REDCROSS, and a list of shelters is available here for those in need of assistance.

Volunteer West Virginia has offered the following information about how to help:

• INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERS: Volunteers should not self-deploy, please stay safe until contacted by a volunteer coordinator. Please register to volunteer at www.volunteerwv.org.  If you are already volunteering at a local shelter or response operation but are not already registered with another disaster response agency (like the Red Cross), please register using the link on our website and comments with your current volunteer location.

• GROUP VOLUNTEERS: For agencies with groups of volunteers ready to help (including church groups and student organizations), please register your team on the website at www.volunteerwv.org. You only need to register your team once.

• AGENCIES WHO NEED ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEER SUPPORT: If your agency needs additional volunteer support to staff shelters, conduct damage assessments or is anticipating other volunteer needs, please contact Gina.L.Namay@wv.gov or 304-558-0111 to complete a volunteer request.

• FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Financial donations are the best way to support the effort at this time. West Virginia has a statewide disaster relief fund managed in cooperation with a network of West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (WVVOAD) and the United Methodist Church. You can donate to this fund at https://wvvoad.communityos.org/cms/home. Financial donations can be mailed to:

WV Disaster Relief Fund
PO Box 3811
Charleston, WV 25338

• INFORMATION ON THE RESPONSE: Please visit https://wvvoad.communityos.org/cms/home for updates on the West Virginia floods.

I will be regularly updating my Twitter and Facebook pages throughout the weekend with more information.

Please stay safe and keep all of those impacted in your prayers.

Sincerely,

Shelley Moore Capito
United States Senator

Each year, one WVHIMA member is recognized as a Distinguished Member for their outstanding contribution to the profession. This person has made an exceptional impact through volunteerism to WVHIMA, AHIMA, and other health information management organizations; they have made an outstanding achievement in professional practice, through leadership in education, and also made contributions in research or published materials. This prestigious award can be presented only once in a member’s lifetime.

The 2016 recipient of the Distinguished Member award is LaRonica “Ronnie” Decker-Tomlinson, MBA, RHIA, BCTMB, LMT. Ronnie is currently an Adjunct Instructor at both Fairmont State University and Pierpont Community & Technical Center in West Virginia. She has taught courses in Allied Health Administration, Allied Health Careers, and Health Information Management for 16 years. She has also taught courses for Waynesburg College in Pennsylvania.

Pictured Left to Right: Megan McDougal, LaRonica “Ronnie” Decker-Tomlinson, Nelson Liston

Ronnie is a graduate of the Health Information Technology Program at Fairmont State University. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Health Information Management from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri and a Master’s in Business Administration with emphasis in Health Services Management from WVU.

She has been an active member of WVHIMA for 30 years. She has served on various committees including Marketing and Recruitment, Membership, and Education. She chaired several committees including Public Relations, Vendor and Scholarship. She served as 1st, 2nd and 3rd year Director and represented WVHIMA in the House of Delegates for six years. She also served as Vice-President, President-Elect, and President of the Association. In addition, Ronnie had the privilege of being interviewed, pictured and published in the AHIMA Journal on behalf of Information Manufacturing Corporation.

Ronnie’s contributions to Health Information Management do not stop at WVHIMA. She has over 30 years of experience in Health Information Management, both as an educator and in various leadership roles. She has been employed at several institutions including WVU Hospital, University Health Associates, and Preston Memorial Hospital.

She has exhibited leadership in education through several professional presentations and lectures with topics including leadership, continuous improvement, staff development, virtual storage, release of information, transcription, HIPAA, ACA, HIM career development, and overcoming the superwoman syndrome. She has created two 100% online courses for FSU, and was even compensated for professional review of several textbooks.

In addition to many interests, Ronnie has been nationally certified as a massage therapist for 13 years, during which time she has owned and operated a successful practice. She is active in several professional associations including AHIMA and AMTA, and served on the HIT Advisory Board for Fairmont State College for many years.

In her free time, Ronnie enjoys photography, traveling, reading, music, outdoor activities, and spending time with her friends and family. She is especially proud of her husband of 11 years, Jason, and her two daughters, Zoe and Skye.

Ronnie has been not only a great mentor but an asset to the HIM Profession and to WVHIMA. She can be described as enthusiastic, motivational to others, and is truly an inspiration to all. It is with honor to name Ronnie as the 2016 Distinguished Member. Congratulations, Ronnie!

Please join us in congratulating the winners of the 2016-2017 WVHIMA Board Election!

President-Elect
Megan McDougal, MS, RHIA, CHTS-IM

Vice President
Jamie Anderson, RHIT, CHTS-IM

Secretary
Stephanie Newbrough, RHIT

Treasurer
Jennifer Royce, RHIT

1st Year Director
Linda Clagg, RHIT

Nominating Committee
Tammy Baker, RHIT
Savithri Kamath, MS, RHIA, CCS

Thank you for voting! We had an 18% response rate.