Journal of AHIMA - May 2011

Position Statement Question: What are the opportunities for CCHIIM advancing industry recognition of our credentials?

Donna J. Rugg, RHIT, CCS, is the HIM operations manager at ;ompson Health in Canandaigua, NY. She is the current co-chair of the AHIMA House Team: Volunteer and Leadership Development, chair of the NYHIMA ICD- 10 Task Force, communications director of RRHIMA, and a member of the Monroe Community College HIT Advisory Board. Rugg has held several NYHIMA board positions, including a term as president. She has also been a member of the AHIMA CCS Construction Committee (including one year as chair), CCS Job Analysis Task Force, and CCS Exam Expert Panel. She participated in the ICD-10-CM testing project for AHIMA. She has over 25 years of experience as a coder and recently completed a two-year term as a member of AHA’s Coding Clinic Editorial Advisory Board.

Position Statement Question: Why are you interested in being a commissioner for CCHIIM?

Lou Ann Schraffenberger, MBA, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, FAHIMA, is the manager of clinical data at Advocate Health Care in Oak Brook, IL. She manages system-wide projects related to HIM and coding for the 10 Advocate hospitals. Previously she was an HIA program faculty member, AHIMA division director, and hospital HIM department director. She is an instructor in the HIT/coding certi;cate programs at Moraine Valley Community College. Schra;enberger is the author and editor of three AHIMA publications: Basic ICD-9-CM Coding, E;ective Management of Coding Services, and Basic ICD-9-Coding Exercises. She is an AHIMA-certi;ed ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer and faculty for the ICD-10-CM/PCS Academies. Schra;enberger is a member of the CCA examination construction committee and fellowship review committee. She is an editorial advisory panel member for AHA Coding Clinic for HCPCS. Schra;enberger graduated from the University of Illinois at the Medical Center’s HIM program and from Loyola University Chicago’s MBA program.

Position Statement Question: Why is it important that CCHIIM maintain the credibility of the AHIMA credentials?

Cindy Spann, MIS, RHIA, CHPS, CCS, CCS-P, is the network director of health information management with Community Health Network in Indianapolis, IN. She is the current president of Indiana Health Information Management Association. Spann has served as secretary of the Indiana Health Information Management Association. She is also a member of the Central Indiana and Southeastern Indiana Health Information Management Regional Associations. Spann is also an ACE member (the Action Community for Excellence from AHIMA).

Position Statement Question: What experiences will you bring to CCHIIM, and why will you be an asset as a commissioner?

LaVonne Wieland, RHIA, CHP, is the director of information privacy at HealthEast Care System in St. Paul, MN. She has over 30 years experience in the health information management profession, primarily in privacy, release of information, and coding and reimbursement. Wieland has worked at multiple hospitals and physician o;ces in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and west-central Minnesota. She has also been employed as a national healthcare management consultant. Wieland is active in AHIMA and the Minnesota Health Information Management Association (MHIMA). She is a past president of MHIMA and has served on numerous committees for AHIMA and MHIMA. She has recently served as co-chair of the AHIMA Practice Council: Privacy and Security. Wieland is a frequent speaker on HIM-related topics and a former co-author for AHIMA publications.