Association News 1-9-20
Healthcare IT has a wide net of careers and employers. As the industry has evolved so have the supporting membership associations and organizations. From tech support to CIOs, from practice administrators to hospital administrators, from product developers to EHR vendors there is an association for you. Whether you are looking to broaden or renew your specialty certified skills or looking for your next career, an industry association is always a good place to start. Here is the latest news from our industry associations.
CHIME
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is a professional organization for chief information officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders.
Digital Strategy, Cloud Migration and Telemedicine Top Priorities
John Kravitz the 2020 Board Chair of CHIME announces the three platforms that he sees as critical to focus on: digital strategy, moving to cloud-hosted environments and telemedicine. In addition to these topics, there will also be programming on leadership strategies to help senior healthcare executives transform their healthcare organizations.
AHIMA
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is a professional association for health professionals involved in the health information management needed to deliver quality health care to the public. Follow them @AHIMAResources
AHIMA Announces 2020 Board President/Chair, New Board Members
AHIMA members elected Ginna Evans, MBA, RHIA, CPC, CRC, FAHIMA, as president/chair of the 2020 Board of Directors. Her one-year term began Jan. 1.
HFMA
With more than 38,000 members, the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) is the nation’s premier membership organization for healthcare finance leaders. HFMA builds and supports coalitions with other healthcare associations and industry groups to achieve consensus on solutions for the challenges the U.S. healthcare system faces today. Follow them @hfmaorg
Limits on Savings From Bundled Payments Identified in New Research
Two studies published this week in Health Affairs examined savings from Medicare’s bundled payment programs: Acute Care Episode (ACE), Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) and Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR). The BPCI program has been replaced by the similar and ongoing BPCI Advanced (BPCI-A) model, the second cohort for which launched Jan. 1.
AMA
The American Medical Association (AMA), founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of physicians—both MDs and DOs—and medical students in the United States. The AMA’s mission is “to promote the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.” Follow them @AmerMedicalAssn
How Can We Leverage Technology for Better Suicide Prevention?
Technology hasn’t yet played the role many expected it would in helping to prevent suicides. But leveraging digital health and machine learning in three areas believed to contribute to suicide deaths could go far in helping save people’s lives, says a “Viewpoint” column published in JAMA Psychiatry.
ATA
The American Telemedicine Association (ATA), established in 1993, is a non-profit organization whose goal is to promote access to medical care for consumers and health professionals via telecommunications technology. Follow them @AmericanTelemed
Tennessee School to Welcome Telemedicine Service in 2020
Johnson City Schools has partnered with Ballad Health to bring its virtual health or telemedicine health service to all city schools.
HCAA
The Health Care Administrators Association (HCAA) is a prominent nonprofit trade association supporting the education, networking, resource and advocacy needs of benefit administrators (TPAs), stop loss insurance carriers, managing general underwriters, audit firms, medical managers, technology organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, brokers/agents, human resource managers, plan sponsors and health care consultants.
Dan Thompson, CEO, Clinical Wellness Network and Thompson Risk will be speaking at #HCAAExecForum in #Vegas NEXT MONTH! Register belowhttps://t.co/rnxQgbX5uw? pic.twitter.com/0mOIozuFh1
— HCAA (@HCAAinfo) January 7, 2020
AAFP
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) works to solidify family medicine as the cornerstone of a functioning health care system. They lobby government, negotiate with payers, partner with employers, educate patients, and champion family medicine on the national stage. Follow them on Twitter @aafp.
Jack Westfall, MD, MPH, Named Director of Robert Graham Center
The American Academy of Family Physicians is pleased to announce that Jack Westfall, MD, MPH, has joined the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care as director. In this position, he will direct and participate in the Center’s family medicine-focused research portfolio, which focuses on health care demographics, the physician workforce, the impact of policy on access to and quality of health care, the economics of health care and other issues.
AAPC
The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) is the nation’s largest medical coding training and certification association for medical coders and medical coding jobs. Follow them on Twitter @aapcstaff.
New Diagnosis Code Released for Vaping-Related Disorder
As of Dec. 27, 2019, there are been 2,561 reported cases of e-cigarette, or vaping, product-use-associated lung injury (EVALI) in the United States. A new ICD-10-CM code for reporting vaping-related disorders has been created. This new code and updated guidance supersedes previous vaping coding guidance released in October 2019.
MGMA
Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) is a key element in perpetuating success throughout the healthcare industry. MGMA empowers healthcare practices and providers to create meaningful change in healthcare. Follow them on Twitter @mgma.
A Medical Practice Leader’s Guide to 2020
MGMA experts have identified three key topics medical practice leaders will need to monitor and manage in 2020: cost, quality, and convenience. In order to address these three patient concerns, innovation in several areas is needed, including: Review your workplace culture and build a strategy for physician and employee retention. Focus on data and key performance indicators (KPIs).
AHA
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is the national organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities. Nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members come together to form the AHA. Follow them on Twitter @AHAhospitals
New CMS Innovation Center Director Announced
Brad Smith, former chief operating officer for Anthem’s Diversified Business Group, will serve as director of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation and senior advisor to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar for value-based transformation, Azar and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma announced. Before Anthem, Smith was co-founder and CEO of Aspire Health, a company that provides home-based palliative care services. President Trump in July nominated former CMMI Director Adam Boehler to serve as CEO of the United States International Development Finance Corporation.
AMIA
The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) AMIA is a community committed to the vision of a world where informatics transforms people’s care. Over the last 35 years, the use of informatics has grown exponentially to improve health and to make better healthcare decisions. Today, informatics is the key to accelerating the current goals of healthcare reform. AMIA’s 5,600+ members are subject matter experts in the science and practice of informatics as it relates to clinical care, research, education, and policy.
Follow them on Twitter @AMIAinformatics
AMIA Announces Departure of President and CEO, Douglas B. Fridsma
The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) announces the departure of President and CEO Douglas B. Fridsma, MD, PhD, FACP, FACMI, FAMIA, effective January 1, 2020. Fridsma had served in the role since 2014. Karen Greenwood, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, will serve as interim CEO while the Board of Directors begins the search for a replacement.
AHIP
The America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) serves as a strong, unified voice for an industry that is leading the way in transforming health care. Tens of thousands of industry professionals rely on AHIP to provide first-class advocacy, education, and information on our changing health care system, covering topics such as delivery and payment reform, high-cost drugs, Medicare Advantage (MA), Medicaid, and provider networks.
Follow them on Twitter @AHIPcoverage
New Fast PATH Initiative Aims to Improve Prior Authorization for Patients and Doctors AHIP and several prominent health insurance providers – covering over 60 million lives – are launching a new program to automate and speed prior authorization review and approval.
