(This guest blog was written by Kayla M. Zirbes of The College of Saint Scholastica. Zirbes is an AHIMA student advisory council member and AHIMA Hill Day 2013 participant.)As a member of the American Health Information Management Association's Student Advisory Council (SAC), I have benefited from many unique opportunities to become active within ...

In anticipation of the HIMSS 2013 Annual Conference and Exhibition to be held March 3 to 7 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, ADVANCE interviewed Bonnie Cassidy, MPA, RHIA, FAHIMA, FHIMSS, senior director of HIM Innovation at Nuance and AHIMA approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer. Cassidy spent the majority of her career on the ...

(Editor's Note: This guest blog was written from AHIMA 2012 by Sandra Kersten, MPH, RHIA, who is AHIMA director of HIM Solutions.) Aneesh Chopra, the former first American federal chief technology officer of the U.S., described President Obama's overall vision for innovation, or ''how will this country get its mojo back?'' within the context of ...

(Editor's Note: This guest blog was written from AHIMA 2012 by Karen Kostick, RHIT, CCS, CCS-P.)What happens when a HIM professional and physician share the same clinical documentation improvement (CDI) mission? Results.  Together, Dr. Jon Elion, CEO and founder, ChartWise Medical Systems Inc., and Darice Grzybowski, MA, RHIA, FAHIMA, ...

(Editor's Note: This guest blog was written from AHIMA 2012 by Jill S. Clark, MBA, RHIA, CHDA, who is AHIMA director of HIM solutions.) Who wants to be a data mapping millionaire? This year's AHIMA booth featured a variety of theater presentations for the exhibit hall attendees, and a game based on the popular game show ''Who Wants to be a ...

  (Editor's Note: This guest blog was written from AHIMA 2012 by Harry B. Rhodes, MBA, RHIA, CHPS, CPHIMS, FAHIMA, who is AHIMA director of HIM solutions.) The goal of Meaningful Use Stage 2 is improved data reuse through standardized, structured, and interoperable exchange of discrete and timely patient information designed to improve the ...

  (Editor's Note: This guest blog was written from AHIMA 2012 by Karen Kostick, RHIT, CCS, CCS-P, who is AHIMA director of HIM solutions.) How do you define coding? How do you define the present and future HIM coding professional? These are a few questions presenter Nancy Hirschl, CCS, of Hirschl and Associates, posed at the Clinical ...

  (Editor's Note: This guest blog was written from AHIMA 2012 by Sandra Kersten, MPH, RHIA, who is AHIMA director of HIM solutions.) Major General David Rubenstein, FACHE, stressed the importance of a clear mission, vision, and values in his speech, ''Healthcare Leadership Thoughts From My Foxhole,'' at AHIMA's 84th annual Convention and ...

(Editor’s Note: This guest blog was written from AHIMA 2012 by Julie Dooling, RHIT, who is AHIMA director of HIM solutions.) Walking into AHIMA’s 84th Annual Convention and Exhibit is like walking into a county fair; you just don’t which way to go! With more than 225 exhibitors to choose from, attendees can earn one Continuing Education Unit ...

(Editor's Note: This guest blog was written from AHIMA 2012 by Sandra Kersten, MPH, RHIA, who is AHIMA director of HIM Solutions.) Speaking at AHIMA's 84th Convention and Exhibit on Tuesday morning, Wil Yu, the senior adviser of innovation at City and County of San Francisco, declared that ''as guardians of health data,'' we are in a unique ...