November 4th is approaching and it will be time for all of us to cast our ballots. I wouldn't be at all surprised if we see record turnout at the polls and for good reason. This is extremely important with the serious issues facing our nation. The economy, healthcare, the environment and so many others. These are critical issues and we need strong leadership to help us navigate the complexities of making sound decisions to get us back on firmer ground.
Some of the issues important to us nationally are important to us as healthcare documentation professionals. They hit very close to home. I don't know anyone who hasn't had to re-evaluate some of their expenditures in view of the economy. Many folks are trying to make better decisions when it comes to the environment. There are more recycling efforts and people are trying to have less impact on the planet than ever before. Healthcare is in a big mess and we cannot sustain the rate of of increased costs and premiums, so it is time to put a good solution in place.
Since the focus of our work is healthcare documentation, it is incredibly important that we follow the legislation that will shape healthcare in these next few years. Be sure to keep informed as new developments take place. A good way to do that is through the AHDI legislative issues group listserv. Contact me and I will be sure to connect you with the right folks so you can stay informed.
Still the questions to consider are what healthcare solutions do you think will work the best? What do you think the risks and benefits are? How will these decisions affect us as healthcare documentation professionals?
3 comments:
In response to your statement - What are the burning issues that you would like to discuss here? Please let me know. Leave a comment; ask a question; make a suggestion; what challenges are you facing in the workplace? I would like to hear from you. Let's chat!
An article on protecting yourself in a recession on CNN Money states - The number one thing you want to protect right now is your job. So, make sure you're keeping your skills up to date. Work on high profile projects; maintain your contacts by joining professional groups and be visible.
I occasionally see references to volunteering for our professional association; however, I rarely find details. What volunteer opportunities are available? And please be more specific than just saying volunteer for a committee. What committees are active and what do the committees do? Is there another way to volunteer for AHDI? How does a member get involved?
Dear Anon, Very good questions and thanks for posting them. There are opportunities to volunteer at the local component level, the state level and the national level. Here is a list of some of the committees that we have and if you would like more information on any of them, please feel free to email me at slucci@transrs.com and I will be happy to discuss this more with you specifically. Some of the AHDI committees are the Educators Alliance, Managers and Supervisors special interest group, the Student Alliance, Workforce Development Committee, QA special interest group, Military Spouse, Legislative issues group, the EHR special interest group, the PHR Committee, the Membership Advisory Council, Bylaws Committee, Resolutions Committee, Awards Committee and the Ethics Committee. There are a few others as well. All of these are active and of course they have specific duties within the goals set forth by each group. We would love to have your involvement in whatever way you would like to participate. Contact me and we can discuss this more and I look forward to hearing from you. Have a great day and thanks again for your great comments.
Hi Susan -- I agree that politics can become a very heated topic for us all, so I will stay away from that subject here. My only hope is that we all, left and right, learn to come to the middle and work together for the better of our country. Of course, this is easier said than done, but we certainly can do what we can as individuals to make this happen.
With that being said, the same holds true for AHDI. I have been an MT for 15 years, yet never became a member of AHDI (AAMT). To tell you the truth, since I got into this profession by on-the-job training, I really do not remember how I first learned about the association and when I did learn about it, I was one of those that sat on the sidelines as a spectator, waiting for things to happen.
Things changed for me in January of this year, when I visited my local component here in Austin, Texas, The Capital Chapter. I have to tell you, my morale and attitude towards AHDI and this profession has changed ever since. Our President, Kathy Muelker, RMT, is very passionate about this profession and makes it very easy to want to become a member and get involved. Ultimately, I had to make the decision to change, but she certainly provided the encouragement I needed, and for this, I am forever grateful.
I feel as though I have accomplished a lot this year, by joining AHDI, my local chapter, OA-AHDI, as well as TRS-AHDI. Thanks to TRS and the wonderful study group they offer, I earned my CMT in September! I am now the President-Elect for TRS-AHDI, and look forward to contributing to the future of this wonderful profession.
My goal for 2009 is to become more involved with AHDI and try to encourage not only membership but involvement, as well. Although, I still have a lot to learn about the association, I no longer want to be on the sidelines and be, as you put it, Susan, a "blamer," but rather an action-taker. Betty Honkonen also said it best in an article, "Control Your Own Destiny," in the July Plexus. She also refers to the US Army slogan, "Be all that you can be." Since my husband is retired army and I have a son-in-law serving in Iraq right now, it's one of my favorite slogans – I just wish I would have paid more attention to the slogan, 15 years ago!
So, I look forward to being an active member of AHDI, by encouraging new, old, and future members to be all they can be, by becoming more involved and contributing to the success of our profession. We are all in the driver’s seat here and where we go is ultimately up to ALL of us!
Post a Comment