The 82nd annual AHIMA convention and exhibition is in full swing today, with education sessions slated on topics that include, electronic health records, ICD-10, employment opportunities in the field of healthcare informatics, and the changing role of health information management.
The conference began Sept. 25 and runs through Sept. 30 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.
Monday's keynote speaker set the tone for aspiration and leadership in any endeavor with her talk "Oxygen Not Included." Alison Levine, team captain of the the first women's Everest expedition, drew parallels between staying alive on the world's most dangerous peaks and succeeding in a fast-paced and rapidly changing industry.
Tuesday's keynote talks are more tightly focused on healthcare IT topics. U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin, MD, will speak about why electronic health records are critical to public health. Paul Tang, MD, vice president and chief medical information officer at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation in California, will talk about the implications of the federal health information initiatives for health information management professionals. Tang is a member of the federal Health IT Policy Committee. He also serves on HHS's National committee on Vital an Health Statistics.
Workforce preparedness will be a key topic at the convention, according to AHIMA officials.
"Probably the biggest thing that's facing the HIM industry right now is the explosive growth and focus on the workforce development relative to the ARRA ONC [workforce] grants," said Lynette Czarkowski, senior vice president, HIM products and services at AHIMA.
AHIMA CEO Alan Dowling says helping to lead the transformation into the global, electronic-based health information management universe that is already evolving is the organization's chief mission.
"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," he said.
Healthcare IT News Managing Editor Mike Miliard will be reporting on the keynote speakers and on critical issues facing AHIMA and HIM professionals.
