August Employee Newsletter

College Matters

August 2010

Faculty and Staff,

The employee newsletter is now sent out on the first of each month. The deadline will continue to be one week prior, so be sure to mark your calendars if you have news you would like us to include.

Send your submissions to either of the following email addresses, and we'll get the word out! The deadline for the September Newsletter is Wednesday, August 25.

clips@otc.edu
logsdond@otc.edu

HIT student receives national scholarship

Tammy Burrow will receive $1,000 toward her education

Haralson and Burrow with her award certificate.

The Health Information Technology program is proud to announce that one of their current students has received an educational scholarship to assist with current and future educational pursuits.

Tammy Burrow has been notified that she is one of the recipients of the 2010 American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) $1,000 scholarships, developed to aid Health Information Technology students in Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) accredited educational programs.

Tammy is scheduled for graduation with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Health Information Technology in spring of 2011, at which time she will be eligible to take the national certification examination to become a Registered Health Information Management Technician (RHIT).

The professional field of Health Information Technology refers to the technical aspects of processing health data and records, including classification and coding of diseases and procedures, abstracting data, registry development, and data storage, ensuring the availability, accuracy, and protection of clinical information that that is needed to deliver healthcare services and make appropriate healthcare-related decisions.

In the ever-changing healthcare industry, today's health information technicians are actively involved in the implementation of the electronic health record (EHR), ongoing changes to the HIPAA privacy and security rules, and the upcoming transition from ICD-9-CM to the ICD-10-CM/PCS coding classification system in 2013.

Pictured: Burrow with HIT Instructor Bob Haralson.

Dr. Higdon speaks at Chamber of Commerce

Session held on "Outlook for Higher Education in Missouri"

Nietzel and Higdon respond to a question from the audience.

The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Governmental Relations Committee recently hosted a session on the "Outlook for Higher Education in Missouri," featuring OTC President Dr. Hal Higdon and outgoing Missouri State University president Dr. Mike Nietzel (now the gubernatorial advisor on higher education and workforce readiness for Governor Jay Nixon).

In attendance were members of the Governmental Relations Committee and a variety of other community leaders. The session included information shared by Dr. Higdon and Dr. Nietzel, as well as questions from the audience. A variety of topics were discussed, from workforce development opportunities to funding to how colleges and universities are impacted by the economy.

Pictured: Dr. Nietzel and Dr. Higdon respond to a question from the audience.

Business instructor earns Blackboard honor

Catherine King presented with Exemplary Course Award

Business Instructor Catherine King has received a 2010 Blackboard Exemplary Course Award for her BUS 145 class, Principles of Advertising.

Her course was chosen from a pool of submissions which were reviewed by a panel of peers and course design experts. The reviewers determined that the course exemplified best practices in development and delivery of online learning.

King was presented with her award on July 15 at Blackboard World 2010, the annual Blackboard users' conference. Additionally, she had an opportunity to showcase her work during a special session at the conference.

Congratulations to Ms. King on this achievement!

The Same 10 Questions We Always Ask

Mindy Gomez, Assistant Coordinator of Online Instructional Resources

Describe what you do at OTC in 50 words or less. In 2009, I began working in OTC Online and served as the primary point of contact for instructors using Blackboard. Now, as the Assistant Coordinator of Online Instructional Resources, I ensure faculty are provided with the most up-to-date information through management of the online faculty site, as well as researching, promoting, and creating multimedia tools and online resources for course development and delivery. I also provide instructional tools designed to guide students and faculty through processes and procedures indicative to online learning.

How long have you been at OTC, and where were you immediately prior? I began my career at OTC in July 2001 as an Accounts Receivable Clerk and later moved to the Learning Resource Center in July 2004. Then in July 2009, I transferred to OTC Online as the Instructional Technologist.

What do you hope to accomplish in your position or department in the coming year? Since I came onboard with OTC Online, I have been working closely with instructors about their Blackboard sites. I have moved from the instructional technologist's role to that of a course designer. For this year, I would like to take the Faculty Center for OTC Online one step further by spotlighting faculty's accomplishments and innovative teaching tools and methods. I would also like to further my training in Instructional Technology to better serve the faculty here at OTC.

What is your favorite thing about working at OTC? I enjoy working in the friendly, yet professional atmosphere of the college.

What is your favorite thing about living and working in the Ozarks? I love the seasons. Spring is my favorite, when everything is starting to bloom. There is never a dull moment when living in the Ozarks!

Tell us about one person who had a significant impact on your professional life or career choice. My Great Aunt Mary taught school in a one-room schoolhouse. Later in life, when her memory was fading, she could still remember her days in that one-room schoolhouse. I loved listening to her stories and she was one of many who encouraged me to pursue education.

What do you have on the walls of your office? In my office you will find pictures of my family, St. Louis/Springfield Cardinal memorabilia, and my degrees.

If you could have dinner with three famous people, alive or dead, who would they be? That is a tough one. I would like to have dinner with Jesus, Princess Diana, and Abe Lincoln.

If you were to write a book, what would it be about? I have never thought about writing a book, but I would love to sit down and record my family history before it is too late.

What were the last three songs played on your iPod (or what was the last music you listened to)? I listen to a wide variety of music (county, Christian/gospel, and oldies), but the last three songs that I listened to were: "Stand by Me," by Ben E. King, "East Bound and Down," by Jerry Reed, and "Where I'm From," by Jason Michael Carroll. My favorite song is "Amazing Grace."

In This Issue

HIT student receives national scholarship

Dr. Higdon Speaks at Chamber

BUS instructor earns Blackboard honor

The Same 10 Questions We Always Ask

Campus Notes

Local Happenings

Birthdays

Quick Links

Newsletter Archive

OTC In The News

Submit News

Campus Notes

The OTC Café will be closed for renovation Monday, August 2 through Friday, August 13.

The Kansas City Chiefs will offer a limited number of $250 season tickets for all employees of the Junior College District of Central Southwest Missouri. Season tickets beginning at $250 are now available. Contact Derek Schlesinger at (816) 920-4845 or DSchlesinger@chiefs.nfl.com with any questions or to reserve your seats.

Local Happenings

August 6: First Friday ArtWalk, downtown Springfield. Experience the culture and art of Springfield at this free event. Wander the galleries, restaurants, and live music venues of downtown Springfield, visit the farmer's market on Park Central Square and much more! For details, visit www.ffaw.org or call (417) 849-8255.

August 6: Fun Family Fishing Night, Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park, Springfield. Guests can participate in the fishing contest or just relax by the bonfire. Registration is required; call (417) 837-5949 or visit www.parkboard.org for details.

August 6-8: Battlefield Mall Tax Holiday. The Battlefield Mall will participate in the state-wide Tax Holiday - and many retailers will be offering additional discounts! For more information, call (417) 883-4111 or check out www.battlefieldmall.com.

August 20-22: Ozark Antique Auto Club Swap Meet, Ozark Empire Fairgrounds. The largest auto swap meet in the state, this annual event features 1,600 vendor spaces. For details, call (417) 833-2660 or see www.ozarkempirefair.com.

August 21: Discovery Center of Springfield's 7th Annual Moonlight Bike Ride, downtown Springfield. Beginning at the Discovery Center at 9:30 p.m., this leisurely ride in the dark is something fun and different for the whole family. For more information or to register, call (417) 862-9910 or visit www.discoverycenter.org.

Birthdays

New Employees, Transfers and Promotions

New Full-Time Permanent Employees:

Rebecca Caceres, Dental Programs Instructor. Begins August 18.
Kathryn Lawry, Health Information Technology Instructor. Begins August 18.

Transfers and Promotions:

Kimberly Greene, Online Outreach Specialist. Began new position July 26.
Lacey Mattheis, Interim Registrar. Began new position July 12.
Amy Hart, Testing Specialist. Began new position August 2.