In one sense, the future is already here for those who manage health information. The skills HIM professionals need today are not very different from those they’ll need in 10 years, according to a new survey of practitioners, recruiters, and employers conducted by AHIMA.

In addition, while the industries looking for HIM knowledge continues to diversify, the greatest concentration of employment is expected to remain within seven industries that are today’s major employers.

What will change, however, is the breadth and depth of the competencies required to do the work. The fundamental knowledge of health informatics that may serve today, for example, won’t go a long way in 10 years, according to survey respondents.

Following are the top five competencies that respondents believe are required for health information management now and in 10 years, ranked by their current importance.

_______________________________________________________________ 

 _______________________________________________________________  (more…)

“No” is a common word heard by PPE coordinators.

Getting busy HIM professionals to host an HIM student for a professional practice experience can be a challenge. As important as the internships are in giving students real-world experience, PPE coordinators say it takes a mix of professionalism, emotion, and incentives to place students in today’s hectic work world.

Securing sites has become increasingly harder as more HIM departments face major health IT installations and reduced staffing, says Kathy Cliggett, MA, RHIA, an assistant professor and PPE coordinator at Gwynedd-Mercy College in Pennsylvania. HIM directors often feel stretched too thin to host a student, she says.

Other HIM professionals may be hesitant because they don’t know enough about the programs and responsibilities, says Stephanie Donovan, MBA, RHIA, assistant professor of HIM at Gwynedd-Mercy. “I think communicating realistic expectations to our clinical sites is one of the key components of them accepting students,” she says. (more…)

Update, September 2: HHS has posted new and revised program materials online: a transcript of its August 27 technical assistance conference, an FAQ, and a revised preliminary application template.

The first applications from aspiring health IT resource centers are due in two weeks—September 8. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology will award grants in two additional cycles with initial deadlines in December and June. ONC announced the deadlines in a press event last week.

Program details and the full application schedule appears in the funding opportunity announcement on the Health and Human Services health IT Web site. Applications will be screened in two phases. Successful preliminary applicants will be requested to submit a full application for merit review.

  (more…)

The Department of Labor announced $125 million in funding for projects that train workers to pursue careers in healthcare. The department’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has requested proposals to spend it, due October 5.

The funding is part of $220 million appropriated by ARRA, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to train workers for employment in high-growth and emerging industry sectors. The request for grant applications appeared in the July 22, 2009, issue of the Federal Register.

ETA expects to fund 45 to 65 grants ranging from approximately $2 to $5 million. The period of grant performance will be up to 36 months. (more…)

This time last year the Journal surveyed members on their top coding challenges. High on the list were staffing shortages, with respondents citing trouble finding qualified coders. This year the Journal again informally polled a group of members, this time focusing on the state of coder staffing.

The long-standing coding shortages weren’t magically solved in the past year. Only 60 percent of respondents to this year’s poll reported that their departments are completely staffed for all approved positions. About a quarter (23 percent) have coding positions that have been open for more than 3 months. The balance reported positions that have been open 3 months or less. (more…)

ONC published a draft description of the health IT extension program in today’s Federal Register, requesting comments within two weeks—by June 11.

The extension program is called for under the HITECH Act in ARRA, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It authorizes creation of a National Health Information Technology Research Center and affiliated regional extension centers to assist providers in selecting and implementing certified electronic health records.

The program also will assist providers in becoming “meaningful users” of the systems, a prerequisite to receiving bonus Medicare and Medicaid payments under a separate ARRA provision.

The extension program is to give preference to providers serving uninsured, underinsured, underserved, and special-needs populations. (more…)

The stimulus bill includes provisions for education, outreach, and training around healthcare IT. Bonnie S. Cassidy, MPA, RHIA, FAHIMA, FHIMSS, offers a look at the significant career development and employment opportunities this offers HIM professionals. Cassidy is a strategic leader for the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology and a past-director of the AHIMA Board of Directors.

Title XIII of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA, includes $19.2 billion in provisions for healthcare information technology and information management. Much of the money is dedicated to health IT adoption, but a significant amount goes toward training, education, and knowledge-sharing.

This article focuses on the education, outreach, and training opportunities that reside within the section “Incentives for the Use of Health Information Technology.” The provisions recognize that the successful adoption, implementation, and use of health IT require a newly trained work force. (more…)