Association News 3-4-20
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.
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. The AAFP’s largest annual Family Medicine Event will be held October 13 – 17, 2020 in Chicago. Follow them on Twitter @aafp.
USMLE Step 1 Scoring Change Removes a Harmful Barrier to Holistic Specialty Selection
“On behalf of the 37,400 medical student members our organization represents, as well as our members of the graduate and undergraduate medical education communities, we applaud this Step 1 scoring change as the start of a better way forward for medical student wellness, career exploration and specialty selection.” Excerpt from statement made by Gary LeRoy, MD, President, American Academy of Family Physicians.
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.
Unlocking the HIPAA Security Rule’s Stance on Encryption
In an age where digital information is constantly under threat, taking every step possible to protect that information would seem to be paramount for any institution. Which is why you may be surprised to learn that one tool used to protect digital information — encryption — is not a mandatory component of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule.
AEHIS
The Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Security (AEHIS) was launched in 2014 in order to provide an education and networking platform to healthcare’s senior IT security leaders. Follow them @AEHISecurity
CynergisTek Appoints Three New Board Members
CynergisTek, Inc., a leader in cybersecurity, privacy, and compliance, today announced that it has appointed three new individuals to the CynergisTek board of directors: Dana Sellers, a pioneer in electronic health record strategy and healthcare information technology solutions and former CEO of Encore Health Resources; Michael Loria, a seasoned security professional and former vice president of corporate and business development for IBM Security; and Robert McCashin, an experienced public company CEO, strategic advisor for Falls River Group, and former chairman and CEO of Indentix.
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. The 2020 AHA Annual Membership Meeting is April 19-21in Washington DC. Follow them on Twitter @AHAhospitals
FDA warns of cybersecurity vulnerabilities in medical devices
The Food and Drug Administration said cybersecurity vulnerabilities known as “SweynTooth” could pose a risk to some medical devices, such as pacemakers, glucose monitors and ultrasound equipment, that use Bluetooth Low Energy. Manufacturers are assessing and identifying which devices could be at risk, and some microchip manufacturers have released patches. Find a list of affected devices here.
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. Save the Date for the AHIMA20: Health Data and Information Conference taking place from Wednesday, October 14 through Saturday, October 17, 2020, in Atlanta, GA. Follow them @AHIMAResources
The Fight for a Unique Patient Identifier Continues
A mix-up in a New Jersey hospital resulted in an organ transplant patient receiving a kidney intended for someone else. Six days later, the patient who was supposed to receive that kidney received another one. Although both patients reportedly recovered, experts say that it often takes a sentinel patient safety event for some providers to wake up to the dangers of patient misidentification.
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. Institute and Expo 2020 will be held June 17-18 in Miami, Florida. Follow them on Twitter @AHIPcoverage
New Study: Quality Performance Is Up Across the Board for Medicaid Managed Care Plans
Americans with Medicaid deserve high-quality coverage and care. As part of their commitment to serving Medicaid enrollees and ensuring their access to high-quality care, Medicaid managed care plans have continued to consistently improve their performance across a range of quality measures over a 5-year period. Analysis by The Menges Group finds that Medicaid managed care plans improved their performance in 26 of 30 key quality metrics between 2014 and 2018.
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
AMA Playbook to Aid Record-Sharing with Patients
The American Medical Association (AMA) has created a new online resource to direct physician practices through the legal complexities and operational challenges of providing patients with access to their digital health information. The Patient Records Electronic Access Playbook makes it easy and efficient for medical practices to integrate record-sharing fulfillment with day-to-day operations.
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. The AMIA 2020 Annual Symposium will be held November 14-18 in Chicago. Follow them on Twitter @AMIAinformatics
Missed our early bird deadline? You can still register for #IS20 and secure your spot among informatics leaders! Join us at AMIA’s 2020 Informatics Summit: https://t.co/cpXope71s6 pic.twitter.com/DvHiiHavZa
— AMIA (@AMIAinformatics) February 26, 2020
The AMIA 2020 Informatics Summit will focus on cutting edge research around four main areas: Translational Bioinformatics, Clinical Research Informatics, Implementation Informatics and Data Science. The meeting will bring together researchers from these fields and beyond to share their work and promote a vibrant exchange of ideas leading to new collaborations, innovation and discovery. The program will be diverse including research presentations, keynote speakers, panels and short “elevator pitch” presentations highlighting the newest developments in the field of informatics with the goal of enhancing the sharing of methods and approaches across the four areas of focus.
When: March 23-26, 2020
Where: Houston, TX
Register: here
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. ATA2020 Annual Conference and Expo will be held May 3-5 in Phoenix, AZ. Follow them @AmericanTelemed
ATA Supports Expanded Access to Telehealth Services in the COVID-19 Supplemental Appropriation
The ATA, the premier organization working to accelerate the adoption of telehealth, joined other organizations urging Congress to consider Sec. 9 of the CONNECT for Health Act of 2019 in the upcoming COVID-19 supplemental legislation, which would empower the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to waive telehealth restrictions for Medicare beneficiaries during national emergencies. This provision would give health care professionals the support they need to fully address the COVID-9 outbreak in order to provide safe and efficient care to those in need.
CHIME
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is a professional organization for chief information officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders. CHIME20 Fall Forum will take place November 9-12 in San Antonio, TX. Follow them on twitter @CIOCHIME
Don’t miss out on the incredible lineup of presentations at the CHIME Booth during the week of HIMSS! Come see us in West C Lobby. For more details and calendar reminders, visit: https://t.co/gBdjAyekzM@Protenus @LexisNexis @PatientPing #CHIME pic.twitter.com/FIdAfZc13d
— CHIME (@CIOCHIME) March 3, 2020
HBMA
The Healthcare Business Management Association (HBMA), a non-profit professional trade association, is a major voice in the revenue cycle management industry in the United States. HBMA members collectively submit a significant percentage of all initial medical claims to the country’s governmental and commercial payers. Those claims not submitted by HBMA member companies are usually submitted directly by the provider. HBMA2020 Healthcare Revenue Cycle Conference is September 9 – 11 in Dallas, TX. Follow them @HBMABusiness
HBMA Congratulates MedEvolve Inc. On Compliance Accreditation
The Healthcare Business Management Association announced that MedEvolve Inc. is now accredited under the HBMA Compliance Accreditation Program for revenue cycle management (RCM) companies (a.k.a., medical billing and medical practice management companies) and offered its congratulations. The HBMA Compliance Accreditation Program is designed to assess compliance with a range of federal healthcare industry regulations, including provisions to protect patient privacy under HIPAA, promote cybersecurity, and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in medical billing.
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. The 2020 Annual Conference will be June 28 – July 1 in San Antonio, TX. Follow them @hfmaorg
HFMA Gathering Aims to Arm CFOs for Coming Challenges
A new gathering of healthcare finance leaders will inform CFOs about strategies to improve their organization’s finances amid emerging threats to the bottom line. The inaugural HFMA Financial Sustainability Summit, April 16-17 in Denver, will bring together more than 200 hospital and physician practice CFOs to learn and share strategies that can bolster financial strength in the face of new challenges.
HIMSS
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is an American not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health care in quality, safety, cost-effectiveness, and access through the best use of information technology and management systems. HIMSS20 Conference will be March 9 – 13 in Orlando, FL. Follow them @HIMSS
#HIMSS20 Tip: Know your way around and plan for walking time. The convention center is huge, so it’s important to be empowered with information that will help you get around seamlessly. 🗺️ 🚶 pic.twitter.com/OHJWb6Crq6
— HIMSS (@HIMSS) March 3, 2020
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. The MGMA20 Conferences are approaching. Follow them on Twitter @mgma.
MGMA20 | The Financial Conference
As we head to Nashville for MGMA20 | The Financial Conference, we’re saddened to hear about the damage & loss of life the tornadoes have caused & extend our deepest condolences. At this time, #MGMA20FC will still take place. Updates can be found here: https://t.co/n7yiNqk8tr
— MGMA (@MGMA) March 3, 2020
NAHQ
The National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) was founded in 1976 and remains the only organization dedicated to healthcare quality professionals. Our history and successes are attributed to the great members and volunteers who work to further our mission. Follow them @myNAHQ
NAHQ National Healthcare Quality Summit 2020
NAHQ’s National Healthcare Quality Summit will highlight organizations that are reorganizing and retraining their workforce on new industry standard healthcare quality competencies to drive improved business and safety outcomes.
When: May 5-6, 2020
Where: Rosemont, IL
Register: here
SHIEC
The Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative (SHIEC) is the national collaborative representing health information exchanges (HIEs). SHIEC allows HIEs to work together across the country to elevate the conversation about HIEs’ common needs and their collective successes. It provides a forum for HIEs to work together, share best practices and together identify joint solutions to address their needs. 2020 SHIEC Annual Conference will be August 16 – 19 in San Antonio, TX. Follow them @SHIECLive
2020 Priorities for Improving Immunization Interoperability and Information Sharing
Last month, the Immunization Collaborative identified four top priorities for action in 2020 to improve immunization interoperability, information sharing and management. The Immunization Collaborative engages stakeholders and experts to identify common challenges and drive the development and adoption of solutions that enable both clinicians and IISs to have timely access to complete and accurate immunization data.
