ADVANCE Perspective: HIM

FTC Probes CVS

2009-11-06T14:51:00Z

Your friendly neighborhood drug store--OK, more like the corporate colossus that runs it--is under investigation again. CVS Caremark Corp. announced yesterday that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating the company's business practices, according to the Associated Press , but spokespeople did not disclose the details. The probe may be related to complaints made by the Change to Win coalition, which raised questions regarding CVS' privacy practices, among other concerns. "We think there...(read more)

Movies and Medical Records

2009-11-03T17:47:00Z

(Editor's note: The following blog was written by Mark McGraw, an associate editor on staff at ADVANCE .) It's movie night, and you're not interested in subtitles or surrealism. Maybe next week you'll go for the one with the "Winner: Best Foreign Language Film, 2008 Venice Film Festival" sticker on it. But tonight you're in the mood for a poorly acted and painfully predictable slasher film; the one where the band of promising, carefree teens head for a harmless weekend retreat at idyllic Camp Killmore....(read more)

PHRs Go Overseas

2009-10-29T13:26:00Z

If you've been following Jay's blog, " XY Files in and MT World ," recently, you know there have been some frightening reports of medical records being sold overseas. It's enough to make you hunker down in the States and demand your records stay local. On the contrary, some patients are ditching domestic services and seeking medical care abroad. Medical tourism is booming, and the ongoing health care debate has a lot to do with it. Sick of waiting for the public option, uninsured Americans are traveling...(read more)

How Do You Unwind?

2009-10-23T13:43:00Z

October is National Poppin' Popcorn Month, so naturally a few of us at the office decided to celebrate with a culinary nod to those explosive kernels. I went the semi-homemade route, popping a bag and mixing it up with marshmallows, chocolate chips, raisins and sliced almonds to make a sticky trail mix bar. Not my best creation. I like to cook--no, I like to bake. Birthday cakes, cookies, brownies, no problem. Cooking, on the other hand, doesn't come so easy. Regardless, I'll spend hours browsing...(read more)

H1N1: After the Vaccine

2009-10-22T14:13:00Z

Everyone's sick of swine flu (pun not intended, I swear), so apologies in advance for striking up yet another conversation about it, but I couldn't help posting when I heard about post-vaccine monitoring . What? What's that you say? Monitoring? As in data, systems and overall management of what one might call "health information?" Surely this must pique your interest beyond the daily onslaught of who got H1N1, where they live and if you should invest in a surgical mask. Here's the run down: With...(read more)

AHIMA 2009: A Thorough Account

2009-10-07T17:07:00Z

I'm about to head off to the final round of general sessions at the AHIMA Convention and Exhibit, which means it's time for some overall reflections. The general consensus among attendees has been that this year's sessions have been particularly informative. It's no surprise given the abundance of issues that emerged in the past year. The ICD-10 final rule, HITECH Act and launch of the recovery audit contractor program all emerged after the close of last year's convention. It's a lot to juggle, but...(read more)

AHIMA 2009: Board of Directors

2009-10-06T17:27:00Z

During this morning's general sessions, AHIMA CEO Linda Kloss acknowledged the fine work of current AHIMA president Vera Rulon. "Vera has served this organization with grace and spirit while blazing a path for years to come,"said Kloss. Kloss went on to add that Rulon will be moving into a "Past-President" role for 2010. Rulon herself then introduced the 2009 AHIMA Board of Directors before continuing to acknowledge new board members for 2010, including new president-elect Bonnie Cassidy. She finished...(read more)

AHIMA 2009: The Health Information Bill of Rights

2009-10-06T12:41:00Z

At a news conference yesterday, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) unveiled its Health Information Bill of Rights, a set of seven principles designed to protect and promote patient access to personal health information. Craig May, AHIMA public relations, called the Bill of Rights "an extraordinary stride in patient protections." He plugged the provisions at Sunday's Student Academy, mostly saying the association planned to introduce a list that was unprecedented in the...(read more)

AHIMA 2009: Busy Day for All

2009-10-06T03:06:00Z

Well, my feet hurt, my brain hurts and I can barely keep my eyes open at this point, but it was all well worth it. My first day at the AHIMA 2009 conference did not disappoint. Busy is an understatement, and I even got a bit of a cardio workout in-with all the walking to and from the various meetings and sessions. This place is huge! After a brief welcome from AHIMA President Vera Rulon, MS, RHIT, CCS, FAHIMA, and some opening remarks from Grapevine, TX, Mayor William Tate and the Texas HIMA President...(read more)

AHIMA 2009: Hometown Hospitality

2009-10-05T14:08:00Z

They say everything's bigger in Texas, and that even goes for their welcomes. Following yesterday's pre-conference events, attendees at the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Convention and Exhibit were treated to a Welcome Reception at the Glass Cactus, a nightclub at the Gaylord Texan Resort. Set on the shores of Lake Grapevine, the Glass Cactus was a bit of a hike from the Convention Center, also on the Gaylord's grounds, but attendees could hop a trolley instead of hoofing...(read more)

AHIMA 2009: The Next Generation

2009-10-04T17:22:00Z

My first day at the 2009 American Health Information and Management Association (AHIMA) Convention and Exhibit is off to a great start. I attended the Student Academy this morning, where Barbara Black, director of human resources, and Gwen Hughes, director of eHIM, Care Communications, shared the dos and donts of writing cover letters and resumes. "Your resume should reflect your next job, not your current job," Black said. Be concise, factual and positive, she added, and focus on what your skills...(read more)

Texas Bound

2009-10-04T01:42:00Z

I'm headed to Texas tomorrow and looking forward to meeting many of you attending the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) convention. I wasn't able to attend last year's meeting in Seattle, so I'm especially excited to get out there and mingle with so many of our faithful readers. It will definitely be a whirlwind trip for me, as I'm arriving late on Sunday and returning home on Tuesday evening. (Duty calls, and I must get back to the office and start working on the October...(read more)

AHIMA 2009: Off to Grapevine

2009-10-02T14:11:00Z

Anytime someone mentions this year's American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Convention and Exhibit, I immediately think of the song, "I Heard it Through the Grapevine," because, well, the event's being held in Grapevine, TX. Problem is, I only know that single line of lyrics, and as a child of the late ‘80s, I more often associate that tune with the California Raisins than Marvin Gaye. Motown and dried fruit. Probably not the image AHIMA was going for. Fortunately, the convention...(read more)

An Introduction

2009-10-01T13:48:00Z

Greetings! My name is Rob Senior, and I am the newest member of the editorial staff at ADVANCE for Health Information Professionals . For the past eight years, I've worked at ADVANCE in a similar role for the Physical Therapists and PTAs magazine. In my new assignment, I'm learning about the "other" side of health care--the people developing, processing and correcting the medical records of the patients seen by physical therapists and other practitioners. Next week, I'll be attending my first HIM...(read more)

On the Record

2009-09-30T15:24:00Z

With all the prep for next week's American Health Information Management Association Convention and Exhibit and our HIM Team of the Year coverage (Yes, we have a winner!), I've been neglecting my Google Alerts. Well, I found some time this morning to browse the news on electronic health records (EHRs), and there's a whole lot of good, bad and ugly. Boston researchers have identified yet another benefit of EHRs: flagging domestic abuse. According to the Boston Globe , the researchers examined 6 years...(read more)