Association News 7-17-19
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.
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. Follow them @HIMSS
Nominations Open for HIMSS North America Board of Directors
HIMSS seeks healthcare leaders with a demonstrated aptitude for strategic thinking and experience in governance to serve on the HIMSS North America Board of Directors. In this exclusive role, you will represent HIMSS and help us realize our mission and vision. All applications are due by August 8.
CHIME
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is a professional organization for chief information officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders.
Chime Survey Shows Uptick in CIO Salaries in 2018, with Women Pulling Ahead
Chief information officers and other senior healthcare IT executives made on average a base salary of $235,806 in 2018, according to a survey of CHIME members. Women earned about $30,000 more than their male counterparts, and members with medical degrees commanded salaries well above the average.
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 Supports Multiple Educational Programs to Address the Future of the Cybrsecurity
CynergisTek, Inc., a leader in healthcare cybersecurity, privacy, and compliance, announced its support for two innovative programs that provide cybersecurity education and training to help groom a future workforce of cybersecurity professionals.
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
2019 AHIMA Election Ballot is Now Available
Cast your vote for the 2019 elected officials. Polls close at 5 pm CT on Monday, July 22. All Active members, with the exception of students are eligible to vote.
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. Follow them @SHIECLive
First: Health Information Exchange Earns eMeasure Certification
Nebraska Health Information Initiative (NEHII) is the first Health Information Exchange to face NCQA’s eMeasure testing laboratory. Our lab was just approved by Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). As an ONC-Authorized Testing Lab, NCQA can test quality measures as part of the government’s Health IT Certification program. NCQA is the only approved alternative to this government-based electronic quality measure testing procedure.
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
Mandatory Models Among 6 Newly Proposed Medicare Demos
Mandatory models for kidney care and oncology were among six new Medicare payment models proposed in mid-July. The End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices (ETC) model would be mandatory for certain areas of the country, as would a radiation oncology (RO) bundled payment model. Four other kidney care models would be voluntary.
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. Follow them @HBMABusiness
HBMA Congratulates Med Associates, Inc. on Compliance Accreditation
HBMA announced that Applied Medical Systems 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.
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
2019 AMA Elections
Elections for the newest members of the AMA Board of Trustees and councils for the coming year were held during the 2019 Annual Meeting.
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
Telehealth Services Successful in Expanding Clinical Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Services
Implementation of telehealth services was found to be successful in expanding clinical ambulatory care pharmacy services, according to a report from researchers at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut. The results of the study were recently presented during the 2019 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Summer Meetings in Boston.
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.
Day one keynote: Connecting the dots with @BillStainton! #Hadtobethere #HCAATPASummit #TPA #SelfFunding pic.twitter.com/EjFcGrX4Oo
— HCAA (@HCAAinfo) July 15, 2019
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.
Reaping Benefits (and Avoiding Pitfalls) of Social Media
After new research highlighted the effect a single negative social media post can have on a health care professional’s credibility, we asked our new physician bloggers how — and why — they use social media.
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.
Innovative Obstructive Sleep Apnea Therapy Coverage Expands
UnitedHealthcare, one of nation’s leading health plans, will provide coverage for Inspire, Inc.’s novel obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) therapy starting in August. This determination comes almost one year to the day after Aetna agreed to cover Inspire’s neurostimulation device.
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.
We’re officially THREE MONTHS away from #MGMA19AC. What business lessons can we learn from baseball’s best general manager, Billy Beane? Billy joins us to share his winning approach to management and leadership. Learn more about his session here: https://t.co/zwBA4XqlGC pic.twitter.com/wj5bWu3Jc1
— MGMA (@MGMA) July 13, 2019
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
Webinar to Review Health Care Cyber Threats, Security Practices
The AHA and the Department of Homeland Security July 17 at 1 p.m. ET will host a webinar discussing current cybersecurity threats to the health care sector. Experts from the DHS and the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health will review the threat landscape and recommended practices around medical device security and ransomware. Register here.
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 Urges Detailed Implementation Plan as Part of TEFCA Next Steps
In comments submitted to the ONC, the AMIA largely supported several key changes in the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) Draft 2. However, the group reiterated its initial call for a detailed implementation plan and strongly recommended that ONC develop such a roadmap alongside the eventual Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE) and other stakeholders as part of the policy’s next iteration.
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
AHIP Statement on Proposed Prescription Drug Rebate Rule
Matt Eyles, president and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), issued a statement following the administration’s decision to withdraw the proposed Part D safe harbor rebate rule, which would have eliminated drug pricing rebates from Medicare and Medicaid programs.
