Paving the Way for a New Generation
Bringing HIM Skills to the Emerging World of Health Information Exchange
By Bonnie S. Cassidy, MPA, RHIA, FAHIMA, FHIMSS
HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE
continues to evolve as the federal government and states launch initiatives
promoting technology, interoperability,
standards utilization, and harmonization.
One of these, the State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement
Program, is the center of a federal-state
initiative to spur HIE breakthroughs.
Through the HIE Challenge Grant Program, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT awarded $16 million
in grants to encourage HIE innovations
that support nationwide health information exchange. The program provided
funding to 10 State HIE Cooperative
Do you know the status of the HIE implementation plans in your state?
HIM Expertise Critical to HIEs
State HIE initiatives present HIM professionals with tremendous opportunities
to expand the HIM footprint and create
a new awareness of HIM expertise in
maintaining confidentiality and security
of patient information, using and maintaining data and information, and managing terminologies.
I encourage you to introduce yourself
and the HIM profession to the HIE in your
community, attend planning meetings,
and volunteer to serve on a committee.
The advancement of the HIM profession
is up to each one of us, so get out there
and spread the word that HIM profes-
sionals are the subject matter experts.
Embrace the Health IT Movement
The many moving parts and goals of the
health IT transformation remind me of the
beauty of the continually shifting pattern
of shapes and colors in a kaleidoscope.
Take time out to reflect on your accomplishments and enjoy the transformation
process. Appreciate the changes and
recognize the monumental contributions you are making to redefine the HIM
world as we know it. Support each other
in the shifting patterns of our work and
celebrate every HIM success with your
colleagues.
I am very proud of the HIM profession
for embracing new IT knowledge and
managing the many initiatives required
for health IT adoption and HIE interoperability. What you are doing every day has
never been done before. You are paving
the way for the next generation of HIM
professionals.
Thank you for your dedication and positive spirit in a landscape of unknowns
and a world of exciting change, which
will ultimately enable the success of HIEs
and health IT. ¢
Bonnie S. Cassidy ( bonnie.cassidy@ahima.org) is
vice president of HIM product management at
QuadraMed.
