by Jacque Taylor, AHDI-F

AHDI-West President

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

We’ve heard that old saying time and time again… but how many of us have really taken it literally? If you haven’t, you should. Laughter reduces pain, increases job performance, connects people emotionally, and improves the flow of oxygen to the heart and brain. In a study by cardiologists at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, indicated that laughter, along with an active sense of humor, may help protect you against a heart attack. The study, which is the first to indicate that laughter may help prevent heart disease, found that people with…

CHANGE… IS EVERYTHING

By Jacque Taylor, AHDI-F

Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C., is quoted to have said “Everything changes, nothing remains without change.” Think about it. Even then, changes were happening all over the universe. If there were no such thing as change, we could all still be walking around earth with clubs fashioned of tree trunks, wearing clothing made of animal hide, surviving on nuts and berries from the land that had not yet been contaminated, and partaking of meat from the hunters and gatherers. If not for change, we would not have some of the many things we take for granted now, such as air conditioning in the summer, furnaces for heating in the winter; automobiles that were once such simple mechanical wonders into computers on wheels with features that even allow the car to park itself and GPS navigational equipment so one does not get lost quite so easily.

Change is something that I look back on with amazement to see how much has changed in my lifetime. When I was young (I’m dating myself, I know…) and in the 3^rd grade at Grandview Elementary in Provo, Utah (standing no more), our family had one of the first large screen television in the city. I still have that television… a grand invention, complete with a “large” 11 inch screen, an AM radio, and a 45 rpm and 78 rpm record player (the vinyl kind, not the CDs of today), along with storage and large speakers built in. My entire 3^rd grade class took a “field trip” to my home in order to

Jacque Taylor, AHDI-F

AHDI-West President, 2011

I know it’s a little late, but I couldn’t be more sincere. This IS a happy new year, and I can see great things happening for AHDI-West, AHDI, and our profession!

We are in the process of proposed changes in the governance structure of our national association, combining the House of Delegates (HOD) and the Board of Directors (BOD) into a National Leadership Board, and electing a District Director from each of the 6 proposed districts to serve alongside 6 “at-large” directors having been elected by the voting membership of AHDI. If you are a member, be sure to cast your vote by February 28 (see below).

A brand new structure, a brand new year, and many BRAND NEW OPPORTUNITIES!! (Read more)

by Carrie Boatman, CMT, AHDI-F

I’ve been watching a new show on TV called The Sing-Off. It’s about a capella groups and how they make it sound like a whole orchestra with just their voices. It’s been wonderful. I think that is how our association, AHDI-West, is formed as well. There are a lot of voices and the harmonies, the pitches, the bass, the sopranos, and the beat drive it all. This past 2 years has been so much fun. It reminded me again of how exciting it is when you throw out the rules and make it up as you go along. I know that’s frightening for a lot of people, but it fills me with anticipation of what…

by Carrie Boatman, CMT, AHDI-F

This phrase took on a whole new meaning when the AHDI-West Board, along with Karen Fox-Acosta, AHDI board partner for AHDI-West and AHDI-WA, attended the AHDI-WA Annual Meeting in Tacoma, WA earlier this month.

What a great day, giving us time to meet and greet old friends and make some new ones. The speakers were nothing short of AWESOME! I especially enjoyed the nurse from Madigan Air Force Base who spoke on Traumatic Brain Injuries. She was full of good information, humor, a love for what she does and a desire to help others understand what is going on in the brain and how amazing the brain is. Lisa Woodley shared her experience with the adoption of an EHR…

By Carrie Boatman, CMT, AHDI-F

Every fall most components begin to plan for the next year, the next meeting, the next Advocacy Day, the next AHDI Conference, the next…..the list is endless. This year is different. We are all patiently waiting (and some of us not so patiently) to hear what the plans will be for changing our association structure and moving to

By Carrie Boatman, CMT, AHDI-F
President, AHDI-West
Don’t you just love that word?? It’s one of those words that sends chills down my spine. As a kid, I could not believe it took 12 months for Christmas to come again. Not to mention my birthday…well, back in those days I looked forward to birthdays. You want to know what I’m looking forward to now? Austin…the Music Capitol of the South! And the city will be even more special because lots of my friends and colleagues will be there. Some of them …

Carrie Boatman,CMT, AHDI-F
President, AHDI-West
Today, I dragged myself out of bed early to attend a webinar presented by AHDI’s Blueprint for Great Governance Task Force. And boy was I glad I did!
As many of you know, I’ve been around AAMT/AHDI for several years. Before we had state or state/regional associations, before we had a House of Delegates, before we had a credentialing exam….and over the years it’s been so exciting and fun to watch and participate in the growth and development of our association. Well, I’m here to tell you, the …

Wow! What a meeting! We came together in Phoenix and shared information about AHDI’s advocacy experience, new technologies, the Health Story Project, social networking and how to make it work for you, abbreviation expanders, tips and tricks for small business owners…..and lots of laughs, hugs, and fun!
As our world turns more digital and technology oriented, it was great to see so many people show up for a face-to-face meeting. In fact, it was a confirmation that we need to find ways to continue to make these meetings happen. The other …

About 5 months ago I adopted a dog from a rescue group. He’s a Pomeranian/American Eskimo mix. And what a handful! So, I asked the vet to recommend a trainer. She gave me several names and I hired one. Sammy, that’s the dog, and I have now been in training for 4 months. Honestly, it is mostly me in training. Sammy appears to be much smarter than I am!
Over and over Laura, my trainer, tells me, you have to be consistent in what you tell him and how you do …