1. What issue is taking most of your attention? Advancing with our members and Board of Directors an evolved vision for the scope and responsibility of the HIM profession and the HIM professional. Our Board has spent a considerable amount of thought and energy examining and reexamining what we’re calling the “Core Model” for the HIM profession moving forward. As a consequence of this analysis we’ve begun shaping the increasingly sophisticated roles we believe the profession and our members will take on as we move toward an optimized future state. As one might imagine, this is a great deal of work and we have been very careful to engage our members across the country in the development of this re-envisioning of health information management. What that has meant for me, personally, is a lot of time spent traveling and meeting with our members – soliciting both their insight and advice. But it has been more than worth the effort because it has given me an opportunity to begin to get to know our membership; for them to begin to know me and for all of us to initiate our relationship by doing meaningful work that is necessary to the long-term advancement of health information management, AHIMA and HIM professionals.
2. What in your past has most prepared you for this position? Virtually all of my professional experience ranging from working in healthcare organizations to research and teaching to managing complex institutions. This job is an ideal fit for someone who has been fortunate enough to gain a broad base of professional healthcare experience across the spectrum of health information management and technology. It is the kind of background that enables me to support HIM professionals today – and in the future – who will take their place within an increasingly intricate health industry structure.
3. What is AHIMA's greatest challenge over the next five years? Helping to lead the transformation into the global, electronic-based health information management universe that is already evolving. And I say “helping to lead” rather than “adapting to” because HIM practitioners are uniquely and ideally positioned to operationally manage health information from perspectives that are thorough and objective as well as principled and ethical. What this means for AHIMA, of course, is that we have a considerable amount of work yet to do in terms of defining for the industry HIM’s proper professional role and value; while at the same time further preparing our members to play their critical roles within our dramatically advanced environment.
4. What role does information technology play in achieving AHIMA's goals? The same role that it plays in achieving healthcare’s overall goals: health IT is essential as a means of enabling the processes of a fully-integrated electronic health information management system that can support the full range of work being performed by HIM professionals.
5. What has been your biggest surprise (delightful or challenging) since taking the reins at AHIMA? The overwhelming enthusiasm and excitement of our members. We are 60,000 strong and growing and with that growth comes an even greater infusion of ideas, innovation and energy. Our members are ready and able to take on the challenges that come with the professional growth our changing healthcare industry demands. No one is shying away from the hard work we all know is required. Our members appreciate the urgency, understand the difficulties and, frankly, are daunted by neither.
6. What are you reading? At night and on airplanes, I mostly read a variety of professional journals, books and federal regulations. However, more and more I find myself reading university admissions brochures as my son will be heading off to college a year from now.
