December 20, 2017
AHIMA Board Approves Public Policy Principles
Notice provided by Debra Primeau, RHIA, FAHIMA
Member, CHIA Legislation and Advocacy Committee 

In late November, the AHIMA Board approved the AHIMA Public Policy Principles. The purpose of these principles is two-fold. First, the principles will help serve as guardrails to ensure that AHIMA’s policy and advocacy-related activities are aligned with AHIMA’s overall strategic objectives as an organization. Second, the principles will serve as a roadmap for developing topics for AHIMA’s annual Advocacy Summit and the development of future policy related products and activities. These principles are intended to be reviewed and updated on a yearly basis by the Advocacy and Policy Council based on feedback and insight from the House of Delegates and AHIMA’s Board of Directors. 

For several months, your colleagues serving on the Advocacy and Policy Council have worked diligently in drafting these principles. They have not only given their time, but shared their extensive knowledge, expertise, and counsel to ensure that these principles will help advance the HIM profession and prepare our members for the evolving healthcare ecosystem. You are encouraged to review these Policy Principles and become familiar with our advocacy efforts. If you would like to provide additional thoughts, please feel free to contact the CHIA Legislation and Advocacy Committee at News@CaliforniaHIA.org.
Attend AHIMA Advocacy Summit in March - Deadline Approaching
The AHIMA Advocacy Summit is scheduled for March 19-20, 2018 in Washington DC and CHIA is looking for members who want to attend and represent our state association. This annual two-day event consists of one day of seminar type presentations on current health care issues, and a second day visiting Capitol Hill for meetings with members of Congress and/or their staffs. There is no registration fee to attend this AHIMA-sponsored event; travel expenses to attend are estimated to be between $1,000 and $1,500 and are the attendee’s responsibility.

CHIA members interested in participating in the 2018 Advocacy Summit are invited to submit their name to CHIA by completing the AHIMA Advocacy Summit Questionnaire . Submissions due December 27.

The opportunity to join the 2018 California delegation will be on a first-come first-serve basis. The Advocacy Summit is a great way to learn about Washington and to have your voice heard on issues of importance to the HIM profession.
AHIMA18 Convention Abstracts Due December 22
CHIA Recognition Awards - Let's Honor HIM Professionals
Do you know an HIM Superstar? Does a colleague come to mind who has shown exemplary dedication and passion for the HIM profession?

The CHIA Candidates Committee wants your help in recognizing those who make a difference in the HIM profession by submitting a nomination for the CHIA Recognition Awards.

CHIA has a long and cherished tradition of honoring the excellence, dedication, and service of professionals whose steadfast efforts have enriched the HIM field and/or have contributed to the professional development of others. The awards honor exemplary service, reward contributions that build the HIM knowledge base, recognize excellence in preparing future HIM professionals, and encourage new talent and leadership. 

Learn more and nominate a colleague today by completing the online CHIA Recognition Awards Nomination Form by March 1, 2018. 
Apply for CHIA Scholarship Opportunities
CHIA is pleased to be able to assist HIM students and professionals by offering a variety of scholarships and grants. The purpose of these programs is to promote the importance of the HIM professional credentials, strengthen the HIM profession, promote the value of AHIMA and CHIA membership, and to identify and engage future leaders.

CHIA encourages all members, students and HIIM Program Directors to apply for these CHIA Scholarship Opportunities.

  • Exam Fee Reimbursement - Deadline Feb 28. Provides partial reimbursement ($100) of AHIMA's RHIT or RHIA exam fee.
  • Student Scholarships - Deadline Mar 1. Awards $500 to students enrolled in HIA/HIT programs, or members pursuing a specialty or additional credential. 
  • HIIM Program Grant - Deadline Mar 1. Supports improvements in teaching and learning and help meet special needs of HIM programs.
  • Foundation for Active Member Education (FAME) - Submit Anytime. Provides opportunities to attend CHIA programs in instances when member is unable to attend due to financial limitations.
Latest HIM News Updates
CMS Strengthens Federal Support to California Residents Affected by Wildfires
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Dec 15, 2017

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma today announced that the agency has taken immediate steps and is monitoring conditions in support of California residents displaced and recovering from the wildfires ravaging southern portions of the state. On Dec.11, 2017, Acting Health and Human Services Secretary Eric D. Hargan declared a public health emergency (PHE) in the state of California retroactive to Dec. 4, 2017. The PHE allows CMS to waive or modify certain Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) requirements if necessary to provide health services. 

“While the lives and homes of southern Californians remain at risk from dangerous wildfires, CMS is taking the necessary steps to provide flexibilities that help meet the medical needs of the individuals and families affected,” said Administrator Verma. “Our work will continue as long as the people impacted work to recover, rebuild their lives, and access care for themselves and their families.” 

Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Compare Website – New Measures Added
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Dec 12, 2017

This fact sheet contains information about the Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Compare website that was refreshed with new quality measures added on December 12, 2017.

Why is this information being released?

Section 3004(a) of the Affordable Care Act established the LTCH Quality Reporting Program (QRP) and requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish procedures for making quality data submitted by LTCHs available to the public. The Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (IMPACT Act) also requires public reporting of provider performance two years following the specified application date (the date data collection began). Historically, new items are added to the programs in the fall. This Compare refresh release contains data from over 400 LTCHs.

ONC Focuses on Data Governance with Patient Matching Framework
Jennifer Bresnick for HealthIT Analytics; Dec 20, 2017

The Office of the National Coordinator, in conjunction with CMMI institute, has released a new patient identification and patient matching framework to help ensure accurate care across an increasingly interoperable healthcare continuum. The Patient Demographic Data Quality (PDDQ) toolkit aims to address a serious and pervasive problem in health information management: medical errors caused by incorrect patient identification or inaccessible records.

According to the Ponemon Institute’s 2016 National Patient Misidentification Report, a staggering 86 percent of practitioners have experienced or know of a medical error rooted in incorrect patient matching or ID. “Patients and practitioners alike need to have the assurance that medical errors do not occur due to improperly recorded data,” said Kirk Botula, CEO of the CMMI Institute, a subsidiary of ISACA Enterprises.

Email is the Biggest Source of Data Breaches
Rachel Z. Arndt for Modern Healthcare; Dec 12, 2017

Email has been the biggest source of data breaches this year, with 73 breaches between Jan. 1 and the end of November reported to HHS, affecting 573,698 people. Hospital staff seem to understand this, citing email as the most likely medium for a breach, according to a new survey from security firm Mimecast and HIMSS Analytics. They're not wrong: 4 in 5 U.S. physicians have had cyberattacks in their practices, according to an Accenture survey, and about 78% of respondents to the Mimecast survey said they'd had either a malware and/or ransomware attack in the last 12 months.

Nearly a quarter of respondents to the Mimecast survey said they'd had 16 or more malware and/or ransomware attacks in that time. "This study confirms that no healthcare provider is immune to the growing threat of email-related cyberattacks," said Bryan Fiekers, senior director of HIMSS Analytics, in a statement.

FCC Repeals Net Neutrality Regulations Despite Healthcare Industry Concerns
Mary Butler for Journal of AHIMA; Dec 15, 2017

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted on Thursday to repeal Obama-era regulations known as “net neutrality,” which required internet service providers to treat all data on the internet the same, and thus did not allow them to charge differently or prioritize/slow/block internet access based on user, website, application, or other factors. Repealing the regulations effectively lets providers increase broadband speeds for websites they favor (for example, websites that pay for prioritization), and block or slow down the speed for websites they don’t like (for example, those that don’t or are unable to pay extra for better access, or properties owned by other entities). And despite promises from the new FCC Chairman Ajit Pai that this change would benefit telemedicine and other healthcare providers, healthcare stakeholders disagree.

CHIA Events Calendar
What's Up Doc? 2017-18 Health Care Compliance News
Tuesday, January 23 - Live Webinar

Fine Tune Your Coding Productivity Metrics
Wednesday, January 31 - Live Webinar

Advanced ICD-10 Coding Workshop - Day 1 PCS
Friday, February 9 - Garden Grove

Advanced ICD-10 Coding Workshop - Day 2 CM
Saturday, February 10 - Garden Grove

A Respiratory System A&P and Coding Review
Wednesday, February 21 - Live Webinar

HIM Professionals Role in MACRA
Wednesday, March 7 - Live Webinar