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 News from PDN and JEI
Salud and The City Fundraising Event
PDN staff will be attending Salud and The City event sponsored by Erie Family Health Center on February 24, 2011. Proceeds will directly benefit patients of Erie Family Health Center.
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Focus on the First Americans
By Micah Rader, PDN Staff Writer
Native Americans are often misunderstood. Many think that Native Americans are doing just fine and that casino gambling provides for them handsomely. There are many false impressions not borne out by empirical evidence. So what are the facts?
Read More About the Facts | |
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Did You Know...
 It takes 3,500 calories to gain a pound. If your New Year's resolution is to lose weight, reduce your calorie intake by 250 calories and incorporate daily physical activity that will burn 250 calories. You can lose a pound a week.
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WORDS TO LIVE AND WORK BY
"Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better."
-Martin Luther King, Jr. (Civil Rights leader)
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Mark Your Calendar
CAHIMA Educational Meeting
A CAHIMA Educational Meeting will be held on March 25, 2011, at Loyola University Hospital in Maywood, IL.
ILHIMA 58th Annual Meeting
ILHIMA's 58th Annual Meeting will be held from April 14, 2011 to April 16, 2011, in the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Tinley Park, IL. | |
PDN Coding Lab
Do you have a coding backlog? If so, PDN's centralized remote coding lab is the solution!! Please visit us at www.pdnseek.com for more information. | |
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"A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT" |
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Dear Readers,
Since my last communication with you, another year has come and gone. In 2010 we experienced (1) the devastating earth quake in Haiti, (2) the continuous challenges of the economy, (3) Health Care Reform that brought peace of mind to 129 million Americans now covered for pre-existing conditions (according to the Washington Post) and (4) continuous growth in the implementation of the electronic health record. While this list is not exhaustive, these may represent the best of times and the worst of times. In spite of it all, we have persevered and still remain hopeful for better days ahead in 2011.
In HealthWire's first issue of 2011, we offer more comprehensive analysis on our main focus areas of health care, staffing, and education. A frequent contributor to The Jordan Evans Institute's corporate education programs, educator and trainer Russell Nicholson, MBA sheds some light on management strategies and options for promoting cooperation within teams in the workplace. Russell looks at innovative approaches for teamwork even when people are separated by space and are not working simultaneously on the same project.
After you have fully digested the lead article from Russell, next on our itinerary is an offering from PDN staff member Micah Rader, providing unique insights into health disparities among the often overlooked population of Native Americans. Furthermore, Sonya Petty (a coder from PDN's centralized remote coding lab) explores the benefits and shortcomings of various alternative coding work settings.
Finally, Valerie Davis shares with us an extensive interview she conducted recently with Sheryl Reyes, an Health Information Management (HIM) professional who recently started a new and exciting job as House of Delegates Manager at the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). We are confident that Sheryl will flourish in her new position and will enrich the HIM profession at the same time.
Our PDN and JEI family wishes you (our readers) all the best as we welcome year 2011.
Gerri Smothers, MPA, RHIA, CSL, CPHQ, FAHIMA
Founder & President
Professional Dynamic Network/The Jordan Evans Institute
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Managing a Mobile Workforce
By Russell L. Nicholson, MBA
Trends/Considerations in Virtual Teaming
In the book Wisdom of Teams, teams are defined as "a small group of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable." Virtual teams are defined as teams of people who are physically separated by time and/or space, who primarily interact electronically, and who may meet face-to-face occasionally. There are many reasons for teams to be somewhat separated because of the new realities facing companies, such as:
- Organization-wide projects or initiatives such as work-life balance
- Alliances with different entities that may be global or national
- Emerging markets in different geographic locations
Read More About Teams | |
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The Coding Circuit: Exploring The Diversity of Coding Settings | |
By Sonya Petty, CCS
With the increased use of electronic health records, will remote coding become the new norm for coders? Since the majority of healthcare facilities are making the transition to electronic health records, there will be many opportunities for coders to work in diverse settings. One choice would be to work in a remote coding lab. A coding lab is a designated place where coders work and where they:
- are able to provide continuous research and expertise in process improvement
- receive state-of-the-art education and training
- are exposed to industry-best technology
Read More About Coding Settings
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| Recognizing Sheryl Reyes, RHIA
AHIMA House Of Delegates Manager
By Valerie R. Davis, RHIA
 Members of AHIMA and healthcare professionals in general may want an idea of exactly what it is that AHIMA does and who that action benefits. A recent interview with Sheryl Reyes, RHIA, AHIMA House of Delegates Manager, will give you some insight into how AHIMA works in one of its specific areas.
Ms. Reyes graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2007 and subsequently obtained the RHIA credential. She is currently enrolled at Benedictine University working on a dual Masters Degree in Public Health and Management Information Systems.
Read More About Sheryl Reyes | |
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