We are nearing the end of summer, and it is time for kids across the country to go back to school. The retailers have started the full-scale assault on parents to get to the mall and buy their kids clothes, shoes, computers and other items that your kids cannot live without. Oh, how could I forget those back to school supplies. My school district provides an online list of school supplies by grade level. These lists are just ridiculous. Why does an elementary kid need so many supplies?

My kids are obsessed with getting to Staples or some other store to purchase these supplies. They insist that if we don't shop early the store will be sold out of these supplies. I have two kids, so the costs of these supplies can send my budget over the top. My daughter will be a seventh grader this year. I had to purchase a calculator for $125, and I have to pay lab fees this year. It will cost about $300 just for her school supplies.

I remember my back-to-school days. My mother bought basic supplies and had enough money to purchase clothes for the new year. She was never stressed over school supply lists that would amount to the weekly grocery bill. We did not have a list of school supplies. Every kid showed up on the first day with a pencil, eraser, notebook paper and a shiny new notebook. The teachers provided you with everything else. If you couldn't afford these basic supplies, they were provided by the school. I was reminiscing about the good old days and my daughter quickly pointed out that this was how things were done in the age of the dinosaurs. Well, I long for the days of the dinosaur. Life was so simple!

Now that I have reached my goal of becoming a full-time faculty member, I expected to feel different. I am extremely excited about achieving my goal in a short period of time--most adjunct instructors work for years before becoming a full-time instructor. I am extremely fortunate to have this opportunity.

My immediate feelings about the position is to prove that I have what it takes to succeed in the position. I leaped into the position by reviewing the courses and making sure I know every detail of the course. This has proven to be problematic because I am focusing too much on the smallest details. I spent the last week analyzing everything too much, which left me stuck with things that were not really that important. I want to be sure I am prepared to give students the best learning experience possible.

The best approach is to have a clear overview of the course materials and try to anticipate questions that might arise from the students. This has left me with time to focus on what is really important--that is,providing the students with the information they need to ensure course outcomes are achieved.    

For those of you who have been following my blog know that I returned to school to obtain a masters degree in education. My ultimate goal was to switch careers and teach on the college level. I started out almost two years ago with no teaching experience as an adjunct instructor.At times I wasn’t sure if I made the right decision, but now I can say for sure it was the best career decision. I accepted a full time teaching position.The position is at an online university and I will be teaching in the HIT/HIM degree programs.This is a new program and I am excited about coming in at the beginning of the program.The degree programs will include associates and bachelors.I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to do something that I truly love and share my knowledge with students.I will be taking a mini vacation this week before I start my new position.

Over the last several weeks the media has overloaded us with obsessive coverage of the untimely death of Michael Jackson. I have been appalled at the feeding frenzy surrounding the details of his death. I say enough already and let this poor man finally rest in peace.

The thing that truly upsets me was the appearance of Mr. Jackson’s dermatologist who was interview by Larry King. I could not believe this physician revealed facts about Mr. Jackson’s medical diagnoses and treatment. Not only did he discuss this information, but he discussed conversations that he had with Mr. Jackson about his medical history and medications that he received from other physicians.

As I was watching the interview, the first thing that came to mind was the violation of patient privacy under HIPAA. Does the deceased patient have any right to privacy under HIPAA? I did some research and there is a HIPAA standard that refers to the records of deceased patients. Standard: deceased individuals. (HHS regulation 164.502 (f) A covered entity must comply with the requirements of this subpart with respect to the protected health information of a deceased individual. The HHS regulation Section 164.502 (f) Deceased Individuals states the following. We proposed to extend privacy protections to the protected health information of a deceased individual for 2 years following the date of death. During the 2-year time frame, we proposed in the definition of ``individual'' that the right to control the deceased individual's protected health information would be held by an executor or administrator, or other person (e.g., next of kin) authorized under applicable law to act on behalf of the decedent's estate. The only proposed exception to this standard allowed for uses and disclosures of a decedent's protected health information for research purposes without the authorization of a legal representative and without the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or privacy board approval required (in proposed Sec. 164.510(j)) for most other uses and disclosures for research. http://www.hhs.gov/policies/index.html

After reading this section of the standard, I don’t understand how the physician could be allowed to disclose patient information. It seems clear to me that the standard protects the rights to privacy even after death. Am I wrong in my interpretation of the regulation? What is your interpretation of the standard?

The importance of adjunct instructors to students and educational institutions is a topic that I would like to discuss in this week’s blog. Adjunct instructors have always filled a void on campuses across the country. We give much needed relief to full-time instructors who are overwhelmed with the courses they must teach. Most full-time instructors have other duties besides teaching they are expected to carry out. Whenever there is increased demand for a course, adjuncts are called in to teach these courses.

There is no substitute for the experience that adjuncts have working in their professions. They can relay to students the most current practices, regulations and new technology related to their field. As working professionals, they are in the trenches and know firsthand what students will face upon graduation. Students want to know what it is like working in the field and the kind of challenges they will face on the job.

Some adjuncts may feel like stepchildren because they may work for years as adjuncts with no promise of full-time employment.Those adjuncts that work strictly in education on contractual basis may feel a little disconnected from the college or university where they teach.There is a Web site called http://www.adjunctnation.com/, which provides all kinds of information for adjuncts.This online community contains blogs, jobs, forums, teaching tools and articles on various subjects.This site is an excellent way for adjuncts to stay connected to their peers.

I guess this is not surprising since Wal-Mart does have medical clinics in some of its stores. I have no idea how good this system is but Wal-Mart always seems to be on the cutting edge of what's new. You can walk into Wal-Mart and receive a plethora of services from the traditional retail, pharmacy, vision centers, medical clinics, nail salons and fast food restaurants.

"Hi Mrs. Harris." I wondered who in the world could be calling me Mrs. Harris. I turned around and it was one of my students from my first class that I taught at the community college. I was

surprised to see her. I went over and gave her a hug and asked how she was doing. She informed me that she was working in the field and passed the national exam. She has also gotten married and introduced me to her new husband. I congratulated her on her accomplishments.

She informed me that she has stayed in touch with a couple of the students and they are working and also passed the national exam. I told her that I was glad that she was doing so well. She asked me if I was still teaching and I told her that I was invited back for the 2009 fall semester. This student was one of the brightest students in the class and I knew she would be successful. When you are teaching you never know if you are getting through to students. Sometimes you doubt if what you do can make a real difference in someone's life. Well, I can say for sure that in some small way I made a difference in the life of a young person. This encounter will remind me that teaching does have its rewards.

 My kids and husband take all the things I do around the house for granted. They automatically assume that I will take care of every aspect of keeping the house clean. My husband accuses me of being obsessed with cleaning and he sometimes calls me a clean freak. It has crossed my mind to go on strike and just let the house become a complete pigsty.  Now, it appears that I didn't have to go on strike for my hubby to notice that if someone doesn't do the laundry there may not be clean underwear.

I was brought up in a home where everyone was assigned jobs to do around the house. My mother believed in keeping a clean house and the thought of unwashed dishes in the sink overnight or unmade beds was not an option. As an adult, I kept the same cleaning rituals. My kids must make their beds every morning and clean up after themselves.  I cannot stand a chair that is not pushed back under the table and placemats must be free of crumbs and placed in their proper position on the table. I am not sure why I didn't do laundry this week. It wasn't an act of defiance but I just did not care whether the laundry got done. I am not sure whether my husband thinks that I might be exhibiting early signs of Alzheimer's. One thing I know for sure is that the lack of clean underwear can really make your hubby appreciate you more than you know.

As an online instructor, you must compete with so many distractions for a student's time. The need to jazz up the online experience to engage and keep the students interested is a necessity. The use of savvy technology in the course room is a way of keeping students focused during your lecture. Incorporating innovative technology can be beneficial to both the instructor and the student. The student benefits by keeping their focus on the information being presented to help them understand the material. This can translate into better participation on discussion boards and tests or quiz scores. The instructor benefits by challenging themselves to be more creative in the classroom. This helps to think outside of the box.

There are so many new innovative technology ideas that can be incorporated into the classroom. I am making it a point to learn how to use a new technology in my classroom to make the course interesting to my students. I have learned about a new technology this past week called Animoto. Animoto allows you to take your pictures and music and create a cool movie trailer. You can use your own music or use the music library from Animoto. Once you have created your video you can download and email the video to friends, family, etc. Animoto is quick, fun and best of all, free for the 30-second videos. If you create a longer video there is a charge. I will encourage students to make their own videos and share with the class. I plan to use Amimoto to create a better online community with my students by adding their photos and sharing birthday information.

I have been hesitant to join any of the social networking sites because I am concerned about the loss of privacy. I am uncomfortable with my personal information sitting somewhere in cyberspace. Because we are living in an age driven by technology, it is almost impossible to avoid being part of some kind of online network community. There are advantages to being connected to so many in social networking communities. With unemployment still sinking into the abyss, this can be a way of marketing yourself to potential employers. There is a trend in human resources to find out more about potential employees by seeking out their MySpace or Facebook pages. The information you post on your page can reveal the kind of employee you would be. Hiring managers found information on social networking sites to solidify their decision to hire an applicant. Here is some frequently cited positive information:

• Candidates background supported their qualifications
• Candidate had great communication skills
• Candidate good fit for company
• Candidate displayed professional image
• Candidate had great references posted about them

Social networking sites can have a down side. It is amazing that people forget the information and pictures they post can be seen by a potential employer. A number of things can send up a red flag to potential employers. Nude pictures, vulgar language, crude jokes and displaying other unprofessional behavior can have negative results. For the younger generation they are not thinking about the long-term effects of the information they post. A careless decision can cost them admission to college or loss of a job. Recently, in my area a couple of young teachers were fired because of photos and comments they made on a social networking site.

I have set up a profile on a social networking site but it is not very creative. I am still hesitant to share information about myself. My 12-year-old daughter has volunteered to help me set up a creative and professional profile. I have made it a priority this week to get started on my profile and use this to network with other professionals.

In addition to obtaining CPC credits, I have to maintain my RHIA credential. To maintain the RHIA credential, I must have thirty continuing education credits in a two year cycle. My primary concern is the cost associated with maintaining dual CEs. The registration fees and travel costs associated with attending workshops can be expensive. Since I work under contract, I must pay for my own continuing education.

There are options to attending workshops. The AAPC allows you to take quizzes from the Coding Edge magazine to earn continuing education credits. You can also earn CEs by attending local AAPC chapter meetings. The best part is that this is all free. This definitely helps me stretch my dollars. I think the hardest part will be juggling the two different continuing education credits associated with the two credential bodies.

If anyone has any information on other types of free continuing education available, let me know.

There were a couple of coders that work at home as independent coders. I think most of us dream about working from home. These coders pointed out that working from home is not for everyone. If you are a social person and like the interaction with coworkers, working from home may not be right for you. I could relate to this because I am not a social butterfly. When I teach online, I can go days without having to leave my house.

The great thing about being a coder is that the job requires for more than just coding. The skills sets of a coder are woven into so many areas of the physician practice.

Ms. Fawcett received treatment at UCLA Medical Center. Before the actress could inform her family that her cancer her returned the tabloids posted the information on their Web site. Ms. Fawcett was convinced that the breach occurred at their facility. It was later discovered that an employee not involved in Ms. Fawcett's care had viewed her records multiple times. Ms. Fawcett wanted the name of the employee involved in the breach but UCLA would not release the information because of employee privacy. UCLA denies that the employee involved sold or release the information to the tabloids.

I wondered why Ms. Fawcett would make a documentary about her personal struggle with cancer. After watching her documentary and the news accounts of her battle with the tabloids to keep her health information private, I have a better understanding of her decision. It is important for her to tell her story and not let the tabloids distort the truth. It is unthinkable that you could be fighting a terminal illness and have to worry about your health information being made public.

Because UCLA treats high profile individuals, the temptation by employees to snoop into their medical records is greater. It is clear that UCLA needs more rigorous controls in place to avoid this incident from occurring again. Celebrities like all patients deserve the right to privacy.

I left home a half hour early so that I would not be late for the exam. As I was headed down the interstate, my mind was just racing with so many thoughts. I drove myself crazy with the worst case scenarios. What if I couldn't find the testing center? What if my paperwork wasn't in order to take the test? As I was contemplating the next "what if," three deer appeared from out of nowhere. Lucky for me they had made it across the interstate just at the right moment. Was this a bad sign of things to come?

I found the testing center without any problems. I checked in with the proctors and everything was in order for me to take the test. I had 30 minutes before the test began so I used this time to set up my coding books, pencils and erasers. All of a sudden, I started to experience major gastrointestinal issues. I raced to the restroom and prayed that this would be over soon. I cannot believe that I have come this close and I am about to blow my test before I even get started. Finally, my GI issues subsided and I raced in to the testing center.

It was now time for the big moment. As the proctor went over the instructions, I could not hear what she was saying. My physical body was there but I was mentally checked out. It was time to begin the test. I took a deep breath and tried to get my nerves under check. After the first hour, I had answered only 25 questions. I panicked and thought I am not going to make it through the exam.

I needed to calm down my nerves and move through the questions quickly. So, I answered the questions that I knew and skipped others that I was unsure of. When I reached the fourth hour, I still had fifty questions left. I became increasingly anxious and felt that I could not finish the test. I pushed myself to complete the test. When the proctor announced the 15 minute warning, I was going back through the test to be sure that I had answered all questions. There were a few that I had not answered so I answered them as quickly as I could.

I left the testing center mentally and physically exhausted. I was completed drained and felt like I had failed the exam. I don't recall being so unhinged during the RHIA exam I took many years ago.

After months of studying for the exam, it is finally over. I have been very difficult to live with over these few months. I think my husband was more excited than I was that I had passed the exam. I am now a sane person again!

I am definitely looking forward to summer. This is the time of the year when students are preparing for their final exams and submitting projects. The level of anxiety among students is extremely high. Not to mention that they are preparing to go on externships. I will spend my weekend fine tuning the final exams and grading projects. Sometimes, I think it would be better to be a student than the instructor grading all the exams and reading all the research projects.

The light at the end of the tunnel is that the spring semester is just about over and I can look forward to summer. Since I will have a lighter course load during the summer, I plan on focusing my attention on having some summer fun. My kids are also preparing for their end of grade tests and they also have their share of anxiety about testing. My son wakes up every morning and announces how many days are left until the beginning of summer break. We have already planned our summer vacation. The excitement is really building to pack up and head to relaxing place in sun.