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1. AHIMA Call for
Volunteers
As a part of the e-HIM® initiative, AHIMA is forming a work group of
15 volunteers to develop request for information (RFI) and request for proposal
(RFP) templates for organizations to use as a guide when investigating or
purchasing electronic health record systems. The goal of the group is to produce
a practice brief discussing considerations when using an RFI or RFP with a
sample RFI and RFP included as a reference. The group will gather sample RFIs
and RFPs, develop new samples with the essential elements, and produce an
educational practice. The group’s work will be conducted through a private
Community of Practice and via weekly conference calls. There will be no
face-to-face meetings. The timeline for this group will run from March 5–April
4. Weekly conference calls will be held on Wednesdays at 2–3 p.m. EST (1–2 p.m.
CT, 12–1 p.m. MT, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. MT).
Volunteers
To serve as a volunteer, individuals must:
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Submit a brief
qualifications statement and indicate what they will
contribute to this work effort and the AHIMA body of
knowledge
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Commit to timely
completion of the required deliverables (gathering
samples, development, writing)
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Commit to writing
decision/action formatted minutes
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Be willing and able to
access and use a private AHIMA Community of Practice
(this will be a virtual work group)
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Commit to attend
conference call work sessions
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Contribute to the
project publication results
Volunteer Sign Up:
If you would like to be part of this e-HIM initiative,
please e-mail your qualifications statement to
Crystal Kallem or via the CoP e-mail system. The
qualifications statement should include relevant experience
to the topic. Volunteer submissions must be received by the
close of business March 2.
2. FORE Receives
Contract to Continue State-Level Health Information Exchange
Project
AHIMA’s Foundation of
Research and Education (FORE) announced this week at the
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
Annual Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans that it has
been awarded a contract by the Office of the National
Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to
continue its work on its State Level Health Information
Exchange Consensus project. The work will be guided by an
expanded project steering committee and will include:
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Three best practice
research studies on governance, financial
sustainability, and HIE and information practices, with
research teams to be named
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Identifying criteria for
recognition of state-level HIEs
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Development and hosting
of quarterly Webinar sessions following completion of
research studies to share findings, at no fee, to
interested stakeholders
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Hosting a national
consensus conference to discuss evolving practice and
policy issues
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Broadly disseminating
findings through regularly updated and electronically
published materials
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Dissemination and
dialogue through other media and venues
The new contract builds on
the work produced by FORE and includes subcontracts with
eHealth Initiative (eHI) and HIMSS. eHI and HIMSS will
assist in co-convening the consensus conference and
stakeholder meetings and help broadly disseminate findings.
Content experts from each organization will work with the
research teams, and a representative from each group also
will serve on the project steering committee. The National
Conference of State Legislatures will also continue its role
as an advisor to the steering committee.
For more information, visit:
http://www.ahima.org/press/press_releases/07.0228.asp
3. Study Finds Private
Sector Adopting EHRs at a Faster Pace than the Public Sector
According to a survey
conducted by Citrix Systems, 57 percent of private-sector
healthcare facilities are using electronic health records (EHRs),
while only 19 percent of state healthcare facilities have
adopted them. On the other hand, the public sector is
leading the way in RHIO participation, with 43 percent of
respondents currently involved in RHIOs, compared to 20
percent for the private sector. Barriers to RHIO
participation included a lack of awareness/education
regarding RHIO options, no EHR use, and budget constraints.
Despite their higher level of RHIO participation, few states
have set time frames for achieving statewide EHR use,
according to the survey. Sixteen percent of state health
executives and 6 percent of private-sector health IT
executives said their states had set a timeline. However,
state health executives said they see a strong role for the
states in RHIO development, with 79 percent stating that
states should provide a framework for RHIO development; 73
percent stating states should provide start-up funding; and
72 percent stating that states should provide access to EHR
technology solutions via an ASP model. For more information
regarding this survey, go to
http://www.citrix.com/healthitsurvey/
4. Employment and
Training Administration and Department of Labor Announce
$2.5 Million in Grant Funding
The Employment and Training
Administration (ETA) and the US Department of Labor (DOL)
announced a grant for “demand driven regional approaches to
meeting the workforce challenges of the long-term care
sector of the health care industry under the President’s
High Growth Job Training Initiative (HGJTI)” in the February
16 Federal Register
(72FR7680). HGJTI is a strategic initiative to prepare
workers for new and increasing job opportunities in
high-growth, high-demand, and economically vital industries.
The funds awarded under this grant should be used to
implement industry-driven training solutions that address
the long-term care sector’s critical work force challenges.
Applicants to this grant may be public, private for-profit,
and private nonprofit organizations. It is expected that the
average individual awards will be approximately $500,000.
Applications are due by April 5, and a Webinar for
prospective applicants will be held on March 5. To access
information on the Webinar, go to
www.doleta.gov.
5. State Alliance for
E-Health Reports Variations in Privacy Regulations Could
Halt State Efforts
The recently formed State
Alliance for E-Health met for the first time on Friday,
February 23, to discuss topics such as patient access to
electronic health data. According to a report in
Technology Daily,
members discussed the variations in laws for patients’ right
to access their data, but the laws vary within the states.
State regulations also do not address protections for
personal health records or online genetic testing.
6. CMS Extends Premier
Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration
The Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved a three-year extension
of the Premier Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration (HQID),
a value-based purchasing project involving more than 250
hospitals across the country. The recently released
second-year results of the demonstration show substantial
improvement in quality of care across five clinical focus
areas, with total gains over the first two years of 11.8
percentage points. CMS will use the three-year extension to
test new incentive models and develop new ways to measure
quality. The initial participating hospitals have reported
process and outcome measures in five clinical areas: acute
myocardial infarction, heart failure, coronary artery bypass
graft, pneumonia, and hip and knee replacement. The
hospitals have received incentive payments for providing
high quality care.
For additional information,
visit:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/DemoProjectsEvalRpts/MD/list.asp?listpage=3
7. Timeline for the
2007 Nomination and Election Process
AHIMA’s important election
process has begun. The 2007 ballot of candidates will appear
in a future e-alert,
and details on the AHIMA election process will appear in the
e-alert
by the end of April. After these announcements, members will
have the opportunity to interact with candidates before
voting. Voting is a right of every member, so be sure to
cast your vote. Remember, every vote counts! Here is the
timeline.
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May 28–June 8, Candidate
Community of Practice is open to members for online
discussion with candidates (two weeks)
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June 11–29, polls open
for voting
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Mid-July, announcement
of the 2007 AHIMA election results
Voting is a member
privilege, so be sure to cast your vote!
8. Save the Dates for
Winter Team Talks
Join your peers at the 2007
Winter Team Talks and learn about ongoing plans within the
association, receive comprehensive meeting materials, share
your thoughts on upcoming strategic decisions, and receive
continuing education credits for the day. This is available
to all members free of charge!
The dates and locations for
Winter Team Talks are:
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March 10 at the Hilton
Sacramento Arden West Hotel in Sacramento, CA
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March 15 at the Hilton
New Orleans Riverside Hotel in New Orleans, LA
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March 21 (Hill Day) at
the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center Hotel in Alexandria,
VA (There will be a shuttle bus provided to the Hill
activities.)
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March 22 at the Hilton
Alexandria Mark Center Hotel in Alexandria, VA (in
conjunction with 2007 Hill Day)
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March 29 Virtual Winter
Team Talks
9. FORE Merit
Scholarship Application Deadline April 27
The application deadline for
FORE Merit Scholarships is April 27. FORE grants
scholarships to exceptional students pursing degrees in
health information administration and health information
technology. Graduate students who are seeking a second
degree in the HIM profession are encouraged to apply. For an
application, go to
http://www.ahima.org/fore/student/programs.asp.
10. Privacy and
Security Week Planning Kit Available Now
Health Information Privacy
and Security Week is April 8–14. This annual event is
sponsored by AHIMA to raise awareness among healthcare
professionals, their employers, and the public of the
importance of protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and
security of personal health information. This is your
reminder to participate in this special week. This year’s
theme is “Keeping it Personal—Health Information You Can
Trust,” and we have prepared a kit to help you plan your
week. To access the planning kit online, visit
http://www.ahima.org/hipsweek/
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