Interview with AHDI’s NLB Director,
Susan M Lucci, RHIT, CHPS, CMT, AHDI-F

Susan Lucci has been in healthcare documentation for over 25 years. Recently, she launched a new business, Privacy Officer Services, LLC which provides MTSOs with their own credentialed HIM privacy officer. In addition, she has just joined MedScribe Health Information Management as their Chief Operations Officer.

Susan has been a speaker at many state, regional, and national conferences. She has also written many articles for Plexus, Matrix, For the Record, and Journal of AHIMA. She serves on the executive committee for the Health Story Project for AHIMA. Susan was the 2009-2010 president of AHDI and is serving a second term (2011-2013) on the AHDI National Leadership Board.

1. As a newly elected director at large, what will be your main focus for our association for 2012? Because of the consolidation in the industry, it is more important than ever to reach all the healthcare documentation specialists and let them know what AHDI is doing on their behalf. We definitely need to grow this association before more contraction and isolation occurs for the predominately home-based professionals. So my focus will be on outreach and spreading the word about the truth of what is happening and how we can best prepare for the days ahead in the EHR era.

2. What do you think MLS should be doing right now to prepare themselves for this continuing evolution of electronic healthcare? They benefit from learning all they can about the changes that are taking place now. A good way to do that is by belonging to their professional association. Another thing they can do is let their employer know they are knowledgeable and want to be “part of the solution.” Many organizations are working hard to identify those who can help them keep up with changes and be that workforce ready to take on new challenges and new roles. And yes, you knew I was going to say it and it is vitally important – to get additional education and certifications to demonstrate your expertise.

3. Why do you think credentialing is so important for our industry?
Healthcare is probably the most highly regulated profession today. That medical transcription remains unregulated makes it a target for both scrutiny and commoditization. We have seen both happen at an alarming pace. Even though the house of delegates has voted in an overwhelming majority to promote credentialing as a mandatory step, we do not have the power to enforce that. Rather, it is a strong statement about where the profession should be going. Medical language specialists should see how important this will be to the purchasers of our services and flock to get this done; if not for themselves to demonstrate their high level of skill then for the potential requirement of this by clients in a shrinking documentation universe. We should all be mindful that EHRs still “claim” to eliminate transcription costs and many have done that. This is not a fad that will go away. This is a developing trend that is going to continue to grow.

4. How can an medical language specialist become involved in one of the initiatives at the state, local or national level? A great way to get involved is to find your district and then identify a component or state/regional association near you. Then ask yourself where your interests lie. Once you do that, you will be able to choose from helping assist others become credentialed to getting involved in advocacy efforts. Don’t think you can do advocacy? It’s as easy as writing a letter, making a phone call or showing up with others who will do the talking. We have a voice and we must not be left behind in improving our nation’s quality of care. With us, healthcare is better – physicians are more efficient and the patient has an expert set of eyes and ears watching out for quality content.

If you have questions for Susan, contact her at:

Susan M Lucci, RHIT, CHPS, CMT, AHDI-F

Chief Operations Officer, MedScribe HIM

Phone: 201.331.7800 x 1002

slucci128@hotmail.com

AHDI Board of Directors

Director of Curriculum Development

TRSI Corporation

Stakeholder Panelist

Washington-Idaho Regional Extension Center (WIREC)

My journey began as a certified emergency medical technician and sales/marketing professional at a high-technology manufacturing company.  I was interested in learning healthcare documentation and entered the profession as a medical transcriptionist, graduating from an approved school.  I began working for a national company transcribing multispecialty and acute care reports from home; the same vision many of us are attracted to.  I focused on understanding the profession, making sense of the terminology, and developing an appreciation for the impact our career has on patient safety, risk management, and the overall role in healthcare documentation delivery.  I remained committed to learning this position and overcoming the tough challenges we face as new graduates.

In 2005, I started my own Medical Transcription Service Organization (MTSO), seeing the demand for quality alongside the need to offer a complete health records management system to medical providers.  With heartfelt passion and determination, I developed a company name, vision, and mission to build a framework for my new business.

My goal was to offer a complete software system to my clients while streamlining the transcription process.  I completed everything from transcription, to networking, to running the daily business operations.  The business began to grow by the four cornerstones I believe in:  reputation, referral, quality, and service.  Through this growth, I added staff to ensure continuous high-level services.  I solicited and maintained accounts, oversaw business practices, managed day-to-day customer relations, oversaw quality assurance and the educational process, and ensured prompt document delivery through an electronic records system.  The business doubled in size each year.

In 2002, I became a member of AAMT/AHDI. I felt the need to connect with the industry and peers, networking with other members.  Discussion began shortly thereafter to form a state/regional component between Idaho and Utah, which soon became a reality forming the Utah-Idaho regional.  I was elected to the delegate position and then filled other leadership roles, including Lead Team Delegate, Sustainable Structure Task Force Chair, Health Story Project (CDA4CDT) panelist, Quality Best Practices contributor and Ethical Best Practices manual participant.  In 2008, I was elected to serve on the AHDI national Board of Directors as Secretary, 2009-2010, and will fill my term 2012.  I earned the AHDI-Fellowship designation (AHDI-F) in 2008.

My education and involvement in education has steadily continued.  I sought certifications to evolve with the industry.  I became certified as a professional in electronic health records, health information exchange, and health information technology.  I remain engaged at all levels of the community and serve on the Washington-Idaho Regional Extension Center as a stakeholder panelist, developing recommendations for EHR technologies, group purchasing, implementation, and adoption.

July 1, 2010, A Line Above merged with TRSI Corporation to strengthen our forces within the industry.  I am the Director of Curriculum Development and I work to create affordable allied healthcare course curriculum through distance learning education.  Current program offerings are medical transcription editing, medical billing and coding, and medical scribe training programs, industry approved.  Together we leverage our skill sets and talents towards workforce development and industry advancement.  It is our goal to be the educational institution, employer and medical transcription service organization of choice fostering excellent customer/client satisfaction.

I remain committed to quality documentation solutions, ongoing education, and setting industry standards for the benefit of the patient, our developing workforce, and the advancement of healthcare documentation specialists as a whole.

I am married to husband, Troy, and reside in Boise, ID, with our 3 sons.  We enjoy, making family memories, camping, hiking, bicycling, jogging, listening to music, and traveling.

Terri has been a jewel in AHDI-West’s crown. She joined our Board of Governors in January 2010. Her vision and ability to remain calm in the midst of turbulence has been a true gift to all of us. Terri has been instrumental in the direction our association has gone throughout this year. She has served on the AHDI steering committee developing our future structure.

We are sad to say good-bye to this Arizona resident as she and her husband (and dog, Princess) return to Oxford, Maine. Although it’s hard to imagine the transition to this frosty climate, we are certain she will be warmly welcomed by the AHDI members of the Northeast.

Until we meet again…

Revisit her story.

Tracey Roberts, AHDI-West Student Member

Cave Junction, Oregon

As a student MT nearing graduation, I am filled with hope and excitement for my new future!  I am Tracey Roberts, a native of SW Oregon, and anticipate that by the end of October I will be an M-TEC graduate and a proud RMT!

This year, 2010, will forever stand out as one of major changes in my life.  In the spring, we welcomed a new baby boy via a beautiful waterbirth into our family, joining a 2-year-old big sister at home and, of course, Mama and Daddy.  He also has 2 older brothers, 19 and 21, the younger of whom spent the summer in Kampala, Uganda, on a Christian missions trip.  This summer, my husband left his job as a civil construction worker, which meant that for the first time in 6 years we were able to leave the nomadic construction life behind and settle down back in our hometown!   In the fall, not only will I be graduating  and earning my RMT designation, but we will also be closing on our new home.  We like to stay busy!

When I’m not doing schoolwork (I’ll be honest – this time slot doesn’t exist right now and won’t be seen again for another 2 months!), I love to work in the kitchen with my little girl canning and preserving food from our garden.  Now that we’re back home, we will be raising livestock and spending lots of time with our extended family in the area.  We also look forward to homeschooling the little ones, as we did with their older brothers, and enjoying all the outdoor fun that rural living has to offer.

As I near my graduation, I am learning so much more about this new career that I have undertaken.  Thus far, my time has been spent learning terminology, technology, and working on seemingly never-ending practice dictations!  It has been such fun to discover ways to combine my previous experience and passion for other fields, such as homebirth midwifery and information system administration, with the needs and opportunities of medical transcription.  Now I am feeling the push to reach out and learn more about the industry as a whole, where it’s been, and much more detail about where it’s going.  I am so excited to be participating in AHDI through membership in the national group, the various chapters, and participation in the New Professionals Alliance, as well as attendance at the various webinars!  It seems that every day I am learning more and more about how the industry works, who’s who in healthcare documentation, and where I see myself fitting in to all this at.

I am looking forward to getting to know all of the AHDI-West members over the next months and years, and to attending our regional meetings and conferences!

Sacramento, CA

I would like to take a moment to introduce myself to the AHDI-West membership.  I am a student member of AHDI, and I come to the industry from a legal transcription background.  I am proudly completing my medical transcription coursework at TechSkills of Sacramento, California.  As an AHDI member, I have participated in a number of professional development activities, and have greatly benefited from the association’s webinars and other products.  I recently completed Oak Horizons’ RMT Prep Assessment course, and I have successfully passed the RMT Examination.

I had the great privilege of joining other industry professionals at ACE 2010, in Austin, TX.  With many of you, I participated in a number of educational sessions pertaining to the areas of clinical medicine, industry trends and technology, and workforce development.

For me, one of the highlights was this year’s industry update and annual business meeting.  Through the many presentations, I learned of some of the strategic initiatives AHDI has undertaken in the last year, of the challenges the industry faces, and of the contributions medical transcriptionists make in producing quality digital records.  Three topics were especially interesting to me.  First, the issue of preserving the rich narrative of dictated/transcribed reports and the effect of front-end speech recognition in that regard.  I was impressed with Health Story Project and the creation of standardized templates for use in electronic medical record systems.  Second, The Medical Data Exchange and its nationwide network, or “interstate highway,” on which EHRs and PHI may be exchanged in an automated, standards-based format.  The potential to “go green” by eliminating the need for paper copy, while having an ability to reach any physician in the country via a simple internet connection, is very exciting.  Third, having just earned my RMT credential, I was interested to know of the upcoming change in testing providers, webcam-proctored online testing options, and the development of a two-tiered exam with both RMT- and CMT-level questions.

Attending ACE 2010 provided a timely, invaluable opportunity for me to network with other dedicated industry professionals and future colleagues, and to cultivate new friendships.  I returned home even more passionate about this chosen profession, with many questions answered, and with validated direction.

I would like to give special thanks to Carrie Boatman, Sandy Shumaker, and the board of AHDI-West for facilitating my attendance.  You truly opened a door for me.  I embraced the opportunity, I was welcomed by many, and I am so grateful.

In the days ahead, I look forward to becoming involved in my local River Cities satellite group of AHDI-West and collaborating with you as I search for the right fit to grow within this industry.

When  it comes to writing about myself I always seem to have a problem…but I want to introduce myself to all of our members, so I’m going to do my best without under- or over-doing it!

I am originally from Provo, Utah. I came into the world on September 2, 1944.  (Egads!) We lived in Provo and during my tween years we lived in Ontario, Oregon; Nampa, Idaho; and Caldwell, Idaho.  In fact, we moved back and forth between Nampa and Caldwell a couple of times!  Moved back to Orem, Utah when I was in the 9^th grade and it seemed to stick for a while.  Graduated from the original Orem High School in 1962 (home of the Tigers with a brand new school this year), and attended Utah Trade Technical Institute, earning an Associate degree in Business.  I then was employed at  such companies as Geneva Steel (part of U.S. Steel back then), IBM Corporation (worked there when the first PC came out), Northwest Pipeline Corporation, and several smaller companies along the way.

I am the middle of 3 children to Byron and Jean Jensen… my sister, Jeri Dixon, who lives in Blackfoot, Idaho is 7 years older and my brother, Barry Jensen, who lives in Salt Lake is 6 years younger… so when I say middle, I really mean… MIDDLE! :0) Had the same trials and tribulations most middle children have… always getting the blame for everything (not saying I didn’t deserve it :0) but seemed to muddle through okay.  I married in 1966 and had twin girls (quite a surprise).  Decided to stop at that point! I now have an additional 2 stepchildren, 12 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren! That marriage, unfortunately, ended in divorce in 1978. Married again to an Ogden native and it has been almost 25 years. He is an avid golfer and lives for golf.

I quit working outside the home in about 1998 and formed my own company for transcription services, excluding medical as I had not been trained as yet.  In 2000 I decided to “broaden my horizons” and enrolled in an online medical transcription school, the Medical Transcription Education Center, Inc. (better known as M-TEC).  I was fortunate enough to have Susan Francis, a co-founder of the school, as my instructor, and she is still a good friend to this very day!  She steered me in the direction of AHDI (back then it was AAMT), and I have been an MT and an active member in AHDI ever since.  I have been an MT, a QA editor, a VR editor, and an instructor in the Healthcare Documentation profession.  I was fortunate enough to be assigned to a school in Barbados (in the Caribbean), and taught online and inhouse in both Antigua and Barbados as well as being able to live a year in paradise (Barbados).  At the current time, I am working as an independent contractor as an MT, and anticipating continuing my education with a Bachelor’s Degree.

I was the first president of the new concept of the Online Chapter (now the Online Association), and helped introduce AHDI national office to all the wonderful online offerings they embrace today, such as the webinars, online meetings, online forums, online newsletters and websites, etc. I have also been an officer in the Utah State Association, served on the national AHDI board of directors for 3 years (2006-2008), and am now proud to be president-elect of AHDI-West, another ground-breaking concept for AHDI.  I also serve on several national committees.

What do I do in my spare time? Well… could someone define “spare time”?  :0) I started exercising about 3 months ago, doing “walk-at-home” exercise CDs, and am currently training for and hoping to walk in the 3-day Walk for the Cure (breast cancer) in Phoenix in November (a total of 60 miles over 3 days) in honor of my mother who passed away at the age of 93 of this insidious disease.  If you would like to help out and contribute to both my event and to the cure, please visit the donation page at http://tiny.cc/sokuy

If you have someone you would like me to honor by walking for them, I would be happy to do that also.  Even without having this as my goal, I have lost some unwanted fat, gained some needed muscle, and am getting healthier every day, so it is all worth it!  My highest mile walk so far in one day is 10 miles… I’m working up to it!

That’s enough about me… now, let’s hear about YOU!!!! Please send me a short bio of yourself and we’ll be sure to get it published in the “Getting To Know You” section of this great newsletter, and ALSO on the website!  I look forward to hearing from all of you!

I attended the VOTS symposium held in Phoenix, Arizona last fall where I actually met my mentor face-to-face for the first time. I also met many wonderful people in this business. I attended lectures on a variety of topics and learned so much.

I then heard about the Phoenix Rising Convention being held in May. I attended and was totally enthralled and “blown away” by the whole event; by the lectures I attended, by the informational seminars given, by the wonderful fellow medical transcription professionals that I met, by the vendors present, by the positive attitudes of others, and the encouragement I was surrounded by. My roommate was a wealth of information, sharing with me all kinds of information about the transcription business. My mentor introduced me to many wonderful people involved in helping to run AHDI and AHDI-West. I was able to help with this convention in ways that helped me to meet others and establish some relationships. Needless to say, I came away from that convention feeling that I was indeed an important part of the healthcare industry, important to the physicians and medical specialists, and especially important to the patient. I am not just some isolated person out there typing endlessly for hours. I am part of an important medical profession that is coming into the healthcare limelight, and our voices will be united and will be heard!

I also came away from that convention with some personal goals: To keep learning from others, to keep improving my skills, and to aid the public in becoming aware of healthcare as something that they own! I have put together a presentation teaching the public on what your medical record is, why you need to know what is in it, you have a right to your records, what to take with you on national and international trips, how to carry documentation of your blood type and medications, and other valuable medical information necessary in emergencies. I have a speaking engagement set in early fall for the local Soroptimist group and am looking for other groups to speak to. My new slogan: “It’s all about education, personal and public!”

FYI: Susan’s mentor is Kat King and her roommate, believe it or not, was Terry Naleway!! Susan is an amazing artist and is completing the Med-Line School RMT Study Group. We wish her great success when she sits for that exam.

Presentation at PHOENIX RISING! “Sense & Sensibility: Successful Social Networking Strategies”

Jay Vance has been active in the medical transcription and health information technology fields in a variety of capacities since 1999. He is a Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) and works as a technology product specialist for Superior Global Solutions, Inc. He is also President and CEO of Vance Digital, LLC, a digital technology and HIPAA compliance consulting firm to small MTSOs and independent contractors. He has served as a technical consultant for the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and played an integral role in launching a number of technology initiatives for AHDI, including co-founding the association’s first online component, introducing webinar technology for continuing education and web-based meetings, and providing the original design for the Professional Practices Network. He is currently the Administrator/Moderator for the AHDI Lounge blog and chairs the AHDI Outreach Workgroup for News and Networking (OWNN). He also created MedTransition, an innovative school-to-work externship program for new graduates needing additional experience to successfully enter the MT field. Jay is married to Carol, also a medical transcriptionist, and is the father of four children and grandfather of two.

This presentation will focus on combining personal and professional social networking strategies in order to successfully engage association members, other healthcare documentation professionals, and the healthcare community at large. The presentation will provide information on specific popular social networking sites and tools and suggest ways to use them efficiently.

I learned to type in 8th grade because my penmanship was awful. I’m sure turning in typed reports raised my grades all through high school. I began my transcription career while at Butte Community College in Northern California. I was on my third major, and after 7 years, I had finally found the career that fit for me, medical transcription; helping people and blending the science of medicine with my love of language and an ability to work my way around a keyboard. Three years later, I graduated with honors, with a certificate of achievement in medical transcription and an associate’s degree. My favorite classes were anatomy and physiology. I took the practical portion of my CMT exam on February 21, 1998. That same day I left my home of 10 years and moved to San Diego to follow my heart. Guess you could call 1998 the year of change for me. That’s also the year I became an AAMT member.

I was a member at large for almost 4 years before becoming a local San Diego Chapter member. Even that was in a roundabout way. I’ll never forget Marie Mendez of the Orange Empire Chapter. She said to me, “well, if you’re willing to drive all the way up to Riverside to come to one of our meetings, you might as well become an OEC member.” Of course, I was sitting there asking myself, well, heck, why don’t I just join the San Diego Chapter. Many of you know bits and pieces of the rest of that history. Having served my local and state chapter in various capacities and having served national as Co-Chair of the Name Change Task Force and Legislative Issues Group chair, I now serve as a director on the AHDI board.

Medical transcription/healthcare documentation has a greater depth than just being able to type fast, and I’ve found my niche in advocating for our profession in various ways. As an AHDI director, this year I am board partner to Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and the Educational components. I am board liaison to the LIG and education alliance. I am a firm believer that we play a critical role in telling the patient’s health story. We will have to retool ourselves to stay relevant in the electronic health data environment and credentialing is a key component to that success.

In my everyday work environment, I’ve transcribed in-house at a local hospital in Paradise, California, been a transcription/QA manager, had my own business, FoxTx Enterprises, for over 10 years, and am now back to working as an IC from my San Diego office. You might say I’ve come full circle, and on the days that it happens, it feels good to be back in the “zone.” I also teach healthcare documentation at a local community college (well as soon as I get a class that has enough people to meet California’s budget requirements). I’m an advocate for career technical education and building a career path that will place the healthcare documentation specialist at the forefront of risk management and continuity of patient care.

California born and raised, I really could not imagine living anywhere else. Remember I said I followed my heart back in 1998. Well, I’ve known my spouse for over 30 years. We exchanged private vows on a rolling hill overlooking the backside of Mount Tamalpias in Marin County on February 22, 1998, and became legally married in California on July 8, 2008. My advocacy work spills over into securing equal rights for our community nationwide, and I am a member of the political action committee of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) here in San Diego. My spouse is 3rd generation in our San Diego home, and we work hard to create an uncomplicated life. We have 3 dogs, 4 tortoises, and a cat named “kitty-kitty,” can’t get much simpler than that.