AHDI-FL:Delegates Corner

		Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity - Florida

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Board Partner Message May 2010
Here’s hoping that you all are enjoying MT Week and realizing your value in our profession. The theme for this week is “Why Medical Transcriptionists Matter to Health Care.” There could be no more timely a message than this theme, for our country is undergoing so many changes with technology and healthcare reform issues. It is time to make our voices heard and let others know how important our skills are in moving forward with the changes in the future. Education is key! Staying abreast of changes and working toward goals that have not yet been personally accomplished will make the difference in our careers in the future. I am pleased to be your AHDI Board Partner and would like to personally offer my help to you in any way. It is my desire to answer any questions you may have concerning your state/regional organizations. I can assure you that I will do my best to find the answers you need to move your groups forward through providing information about credentialing, electronic health records, speech recognition and many other technological advances facing us in the coming days. To tell you a little about myself, I became involved in Health Information in 1990, when I began working in a small acute care hospital in Northeast Louisiana as a medical records clerk. I knew nothing of medical terminology, but because of a fast typing speed, I was placed in the transcription area and told to get to work looking up the words. As you can imagine, this was a difficult approach, but one I grew to love and be very proud of. In that department, I found out that I could work toward the RHIT credential from AHIMA and began that journey. In 1995, I became an RHIT and was promoted to Transcription Supervisor. I held that position until 2000 when our transcription was outsourced to a national company. I went to work as an employee of the outsourced company and after two years, I returned back to the hospital scene as Health Information Director of an inpatient rehabilitation hospital, where I presently am employed. My duties there include all aspects of HIM including the coding and transcription processes as well as assisting with the billing of claims. During this time, I also became a CMT and became active in state and national meetings for AHDI (then AAMT). In 2004, I also opened my own business, Bright Consulting, LLC, an HIM consulting service specializing in transcription resources for physicians, clinics and hospitals. I presently work with more than 20 medical transcriptionists to provide services to healthcare facilities in and around Louisiana. My HIM road has opened many doors to further my education, including receiving my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and I am now presently working on my HIM Master's Degree through Louisiana Tech University. As you can see, I am a devoted life-long learner! I found out in this profession, you will never stop learning something new, and in every avenue of education, it has been rewarding and something I never regret doing. This is meant to be an encouragement to all of you who have considered going back to school, but thought it might not be worth it because of age or other factors. Please contact me if you have questions, need a speaker for meetings or just a helping hand in some way! I look forward to serving you! Debbie Bright-Chunn, BS, RHIT, CMT, AHDI-F AHDI Board Member 2009-2011 LA-MS-AL-GA-TN-FL Board Partner Owner, Bright Consulting, LLC 318-282-9908 debbie@brightconsulting.net www.brightconsulting.net Copyright 2009-2010. LA-AHDI. All rights reserved.

Board Partner Message May 2010

Here’s hoping that you all are enjoying MT Week and realizing your value in our profession. The theme for this week is “Why Medical Transcriptionists Matter to Health Care.” There could be no more timely a message than this theme, for our country is undergoing so many changes with technology and healthcare reform issues. It is time to make our voices heard and let others know how important our skills are in moving forward with the changes in the future.

Education is key! Staying abreast of changes and working toward goals that have not yet been personally accomplished will make the difference in our careers in the future.

I am pleased to be your AHDI Board Partner and would like to personally offer my help to you in any way. It is my desire to answer any questions you may have concerning your state/regional organizations. I can assure you that I will do my best to find the answers you need to move your groups forward through providing information about credentialing, electronic health records, speech recognition and many other technological advances facing us in the coming days.

To tell you a little about myself, I became involved in Health Information in 1990, when I began working in a small acute care hospital in Northeast Louisiana as a medical records clerk. I knew nothing of medical terminology, but because of a fast typing speed, I was placed in the transcription area and told to get to work looking up the words. As you can imagine, this was a difficult approach, but one I grew to love and be very proud of. In that department, I found out that I could work toward the RHIT credential from AHIMA and began that journey. In 1995, I became an RHIT and was promoted to Transcription Supervisor. I held that position until 2000 when our transcription was outsourced to a national company. I went to work as an employee of the outsourced company and after two years, I returned back to the hospital scene as Health Information Director of an inpatient rehabilitation hospital, where I presently am employed. My duties there include all aspects of HIM including the coding and transcription processes as well as assisting with the billing of claims. During this time, I also became a CMT and became active in state and national meetings for AHDI (then AAMT). In 2004, I also opened my own business, Bright Consulting, LLC, an HIM consulting service specializing in transcription resources for physicians, clinics and hospitals. I presently work with more than 20 medical transcriptionists to provide services to healthcare facilities in and around Louisiana. My HIM road has opened many doors to further my education, including receiving my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and I am now presently working on my HIM Master's Degree through Louisiana Tech University. As you can see, I am a devoted life-long learner! I found out in this profession, you will never stop learning something new, and in every avenue of education, it has been rewarding and something I never regret doing. This is meant to be an encouragement to all of you who have considered going back to school, but thought it might not be worth it because of age or other factors.

Please contact me if you have questions, need a speaker for meetings or just a helping hand in some way! I look forward to serving you!

Debbie Bright-Chunn, BS, RHIT, CMT, AHDI-F
AHDI Board Member 2009-2011
LA-MS-AL-GA-TN-FL Board Partner
Owner, Bright Consulting, LLC
318-282-9908
debbie@brightconsulting.net
www.brightconsulting.net

Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity - Florida