Presented by Troy Hagen, MBA, EMT-P

That’s finally a statement for Emergency Medical Services, not a question, with the release of The National EMS Advisory Council’s white paper: “EMS Makes a Difference-Improved Clinical Outcomes and Downstream Healthcare Saving.” This report has been universally praised as a milestone for EMS.

Troy Hagen, lead author, will provide an overview of the findings and the latest medical advancements in EMS, and how the results can be used to promote healthcare activities and involvement in healthcare reform.

Troy Hagen, MBA, EMT-P is the Director of Ada County Paramedics in Boise, Idaho. Troy has been involved in Emergency Medical Services for 23 years. Troy holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and a Master’s in Business Administration. He is a frequent lecturer on EMS leadership, management, and finance. He also served as Medical Commissioner and Incident Commander for the 2009 Special Olympic World Winter Games.

Troy is President-Elect for the National EMS Management Association (NEMSMA) and the Finance Committee Chair for the National EMS Advisory Council.

Friday, February 3, 2012

10 AM PST

AHDI-Approved CEC: 1 CM (Clinical Medicine)

REGISTER

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

Postponed until Spring 2012

WHEN: Saturday, October 15

Too many scheduling conflicts have prevented us proceeding with this event. We apologize to all those who were planning to attend.  We will reschedule (and expand) our program for Spring 2012.

It is with a mixture of profound humility and great excitement that I officially step into the role of District 1 Director on the National Leadership Board of AHDI as of September 1, 2011. Again I want to thank all the members in District 1 for allowing me the privilege of representing you at the national level, and I’m going to do my very best to conduct myself in a manner that is worthy of your trust. There’s no question that we have a lot of work to do, but I have every confidence that the members of the NLB, our new CEO, and the hard-working AHDI staff will be able to work cooperatively with our component leaders and the membership at large to accomplish great things in the coming months and years.

I’m still savoring the sights and sounds of ACE 2011 at the gorgeous JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix. If you weren’t able to attend and haven’t seen my blog posts from the conference, I hope you’ll check them out at the AHDI Lounge. There’s also a wonderful photo gallery of images of the resort taken by Christine Tyrrell, of Tyrrell Software, Winner of the Technology Innovation Award. For me the entire conference experience was extremely rewarding and worthwhile, especially from a networking perspective, as I had multiple opportunities to sit down and chat with attendees from District 1 throughout the week. Although the tone of many of the sessions was cautionary in light of the uncertain future our profession faces, I came away with a renewed sense of optimism about what lies before us. I highly encourage everyone who possibly can to start planning and saving for ACE 2012 in Indianopolis, as I’m confident you’ll find the experience both fun and rewarding, both personally and professionally.

Of course, after the conference is over, the real work begins, and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves on behalf of District 1 and our association as a whole. I’ll be participating in regular NLB meetings at least monthly as we tackle some tough issues, including our financial concerns, the need to put our Strategic Initiatives into action, and the future of our relationship with CDIA, just to name a few. I’m also eager to visit as many venues within District 1 as possible during the coming year. It’s my goal to work with the local, state and regional components within District 1 to find ways for me to get out and meet as many of our members as I can. I also intend to hold frequent online webinar meetings where District 1 members and I can hang out and talk about what’s on our minds and stay abreast of what’s happening in the association and the industry on a national level. Also as part of my commitment to being accessible to the members of District 1, please note the email address and phone number I’ve provided below, and don’t hesitate to contact me by either method at any time. I also welcome your friend requests on Facebook.

Finally, I want to let you know about a new resource that’s available on the AHDI website. Each of the district directors now have dedicated web pages to be used to stay in touch with their members, and the District 1 page can be found at http://www.ahdionline.org/tabid/633/Default.aspx. While still a work in progress, our district web page already offers a great deal of useful information and links to other relevant sites. I hope you’ll make a habit of dropping in from time to time to stay up to date on what’s happening in our district. You can also check out the other district web pages and clicking on any of the other districts on the map.

Have a great September, and hope to see you–virtually or in person–very soon!

Jay Vance, CMT

Director, District 1

AHDI National Leadership Board

928-275-1535

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 heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.  Amazing, isn’t it?  “The old saying that ‘laughter is the best medicine,’ definitely appears to be true when it comes to protecting your heart,” says Michael Miller, M.D., director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the University Of Maryland Medical Center and a professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.  “We don’t know yet why laughing protects the heart, but we know that mental stress is associated with impairment of the endothelium, the protective barrier lining our blood vessels.  This can cause a series of inflammatory reactions that lead to fat and cholesterol build-up in the coronary arteries and ultimately to a heart attack.  We know that exercising, not smoking and eating foods low in saturated fat will reduce the risk of heart disease.  Perhaps regular, hearty laughter should be added to the list.”

Now, here are some more facts for you.
Laughter consists of two parts — a set of gestures and the production of a sound.  Did you know that when we laugh, the brain pressures us to conduct both those activities simultaneously?  When we laugh heartily, changes occur in MANY parts of the body, even the upper and lower extremities and trunk muscles.  Under certain conditions, our bodies perform what the Encyclopedia Britannica describes as “rhythmic, vocalized, expiratory and involuntary actions” — better known as LAUGHTER!!!  Fifteen facial muscles contract and stimulation of the zygomatic major muscle (the main lifting mechanism of your upper lip) occurs.  Give it a try!  Meanwhile, the epiglottis upsets the respiratory system half-closing the larynx so that air intake occurs irregularly, making you gasp.  In extreme circumstances, the tear ducts are activated, so that while the mouth is opening and closing and the struggle for oxygen intake continues, the face becomes moist and often red (or purple).  The noises that usually accompany this bizarre behavior range from sedate giggles to boisterous guffaws.

Robert Provine, author of “Laughter:A Scientific Investigation,” discovered that all human laughter consists of variations on a basic form that consists of short, vowel-like notes repeated every 210 milliseconds.  Were you aware of that?  I WASN’T!!!  Laughter can be of the “ha-ha-ha” variety or the “ho-ho-ho” type but not a mixture of both, he says.  Provine also suggests that humans have a “detector” that responds to laughter by triggering other neural circuits in the brain, which, in turn, generates more laughter.  This explains why laughter is what???  Yep, CONTAGIOUS!

Some more benefits of laughter:Laughter can bring balance to the immune system, which helps us fight off diseases!  In addition, laughter reduces levels of certain stress hormones.  In doing this, laughter provides a safety valve that shuts off the flow of stress hormones and the fight-or-flight compounds that swing into action in our bodies when we experience stress, anger or hostility.  These stress hormones suppress the immune system, increase the number of blood platelets (which we know can cause obstructions in arteries) and raise blood pressure.  That’s a BAD thing.  When we’re laughing, natural killer cells that destroy tumors and viruses increase, (that’s a GOOD thing) as do Gamma-interferon (a disease-fighting protein), T-cells, which are a major part of the immune response, and B-cells, which make disease-destroying antibodies.

The psychological benefits of humor are quite amazing also.  People often store negative emotions, such as anger, sadness and fear, rather than expressing them.  Laughter provides a way for these emotions to be harmlessly released.

We have had some frightening appearances by our old friend, Mother Nature, in the last couple of weeks.  Earthquakes in Colorado and along the east coast, including Washington, D.C.  The Washington monument has cracked due to some of the stress and it has actually sprung a few leaks inside.  In our professional association, we have experienced many changes in just this one year.  We have a new CEO and have lost some members of our awesome AHDI staff who have moved on to bigger and better opportunities!  Our profession is going through many changes right now, and to some of us, it is a very frightening and unsure time in our professional lives.  We can choose to either take the negative attitude and cause ourselves a lot of unnecessary stress and possible stress-related illnesses, or the positive attitude and embrace the opportunities we have available to us to change and make our own world better.  If I were a physician, I would do as was suggested above and exercise those muscles every day.

PRESCRIPTION: At least 2 daily doses of guffaw per day, lasting 10 minutes each.  Take with water if needed, and call me so I can laugh too!!

AHDI-WEST Accepting Nominations for

2012 Board of Governors

Do you have:

• an interest in leadership?
• a desire to make a difference?
• time to commit on a monthly basis?

Directors will be responsible for overseeing one of the following AHDI Strategic Initiatives:

• Advocacy & Alliances
• Membership
• Education
• Credentialing

All Director positions will be appointed following election. All positions are a 1-year term. New terms begin January, 2012.

All nominees must be an current member of AHDI (Associate members are not eligible). Nominate yourself or a fellow member (with their permission).

Submit your nomination

In Michael Moore’s movie “Sicko” he highlights the plight of many of these heroes who sacrificed their well being for others and suffered without proper healthcare.

We applaud Advance for featuring the following article:

The World Trade Center Clinical Center of Excellence at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York is treating and monitoring emergency responders, recovery workers, residents and area workers who were affected by the terrorist attacks in New York City on September 11, 2001. The Mount Sinai center is the result of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act – named after fallen NYPD detective James Zadroga who died from a 9/11-induced respiratory disease…Watch Video

Did you miss this webinar?

No problem, order a copy of the recording for just $10.00

JUST ADDED!  Bonus Q&A recording with EXTRA AHDI-Approved CEC: 1 PD *

*FREE with purchase of MT Survey recording.

Presented by: Gary David, PhD

Gary David, PhD is the project coordinator for the Bentley University project on the creation and use of healthcare documentation. He has studied the work of medical transcription, the uses of speech recognition technology and EHRs, physician attitudes toward medical records, the work of clinical documentation improvement specialists, and others who routinely make use of healthcare documentation.

Dr. David presented the results from the 2011 Survey of Medical Transcriptionists conducted by the presenter and a team from Bentley University. The 2011 Survey is a follow-up to the previous survey of the profession from 2007. The session will discuss changes to the profession based on the survey results, as well as the broader position of the MT in the changing world of healthcare documentation.

CE Credit: 1 PD – CEC Certificates available with recording.

NEW PRICE!  $10.00

To order a copy of the presentation, contact us at Events@AHDI-West.org

By Kris Porter, AHDI-West Secretary

I was born and raised in Sandy, Utah (which is south of Salt Lake City).  I attended Jordan High School, the University of Utah, and participated in Study Abroad at Cambridge University.  I started out as a nursing major at the University of Utah, finishing all the prerequisite requirements (which included absolutely no general education or liberal education classes) to apply to the nursing college, then at the 11th hour decided to change my major to English (yes, really!).  My declared major remained (remains?) English, but I dabbled in ethnomusicology, linguistics, comparative lit, archeology, and anthropology (yes, all very practical degrees, much to my father’s chagrin).  I put my education “on hold” to have a baby and, four children later, am waiting anxiously for the day I can return to school (once I decide what I truly want to be when I grow up.

I am the youngest of three children.  My mom always wanted to go on to college, but never had the financial resources to do so, and instilled in each of her children a free spirit and a love of learning.  My father taught us all to work hard, take pride in what we do, and to stay grounded (I think he sometimes wishes I had balanced the free spirit and staying grounded a little better, though).

I have been married for 22 years (yes, I was a child bride) and have four children (all named after authors) who are truly the most gifted, amazing, beautiful, talented, and funny children on the planet (Kathryn Anne, 20, Geoffrey, 18, Alex, 13, and Nathaniel, 10.)  Before I had kids, I loved to play the piano and organ, read, knit, and browse used book stores and antique stores with my husband, Tony (major nerd dates, believe me!).  My children have all learned to read relatively early in life and we still try to find time to read together (yes, I still make time to read).  I performed with an Eastern European music/dance troupe for 6 years and met my husband when we were both performing with the choirs at the University of Utah (he has the most incredible baritone voice with a range that allows him to sing tenor, baritone, and bass and I still melt every time he sings).  I’m sure I had other hobbies, but I’ve kind of forgotten what they were—I’m hoping that as my children grow I’ll eventually remember some of those interests as well as find time to explore new hobbies.  Tony currently performs with the Utah Symphony and Opera as a member of the Opera Chorus and has performed in many community theatre productions over the past 18 years.  (My children actually enjoy classical music and at 18 months of age Geoffrey could sing the Pirate King’s song and the police chorus from Pirates of Penzance!)  Kathryn plays the violin and piano, Geoffrey played the clarinet, and Alex and Nathaniel have both taught themselves several songs on the piano, and I’m still holding out hope that at least one child will play the drums and the bagpipes.

I started out as a “candy-striper” at Cottonwood Hospital in Murray, Utah, when I was 14 years old.  I then worked in the dietary department, moved on to be an editor in Health Services Research and Development at the VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, and worked in the benefits office in the personnel department at the University of Utah.  When I had my first baby, I returned to Intermountain Healthcare, working in PBX, the medical staffing office (credentialing physicians), several InstaCares (doing admitting, billing, and transcription), and the emergency department (transcription).  I am currently working as the Quality Assurance and Training Supervisor for the Intermountain Healthcare Transcription Department and I am serving as the secretary for AHDI-West.

Medical transcription always interested me and, to some extent, I feel as though it comes naturally to me.  As I look back at my education experience, I realize that I couldn’t have planned a better education plan for doing what I do.  I love working in the healthcare industry, I love to learn, and I love language (I have been known to read the dictionary for fun) — a great recipe for a “medical language specialist!”  I think transcription is an exciting field and I’m actually excited about some of the changes in our industry and the challenges that will come with those changes.  I think credentialing is important and I am hoping to sit for the CMT examination by the end of the year!

Read the details of this experience:

Carrie Boatman, CMT, AHDI-F

My day started out by attending a Constituent Breakfast with Senator Dianne Feinstein.  She spoke about things she was working on and different bills, as well as the budget crisis.  She took some questions and asked the kids in the group some too.  Very informative.  She then had her staff introduce themselves and what areas they worked in and finally the interns on her staff.  Great way to start the day!

Then it was off to Congressman Michael Honda’s office to meet with his health aide, Ahmed Bhadelia.  We had a great conversation and found out that several of his family members are physicians and he has heard it first hand from them.  We will be sending a draft copy of the letter to support inclusion of narrative dictation to them for consideration.

I tagged along with the Arizona group to one of their meetings and then it was back to Senator Feinstein’s office for a meeting with Nora Connors. Again, very receptive and appreciative of our efforts in keeping the Senator’s office informed.

I felt very good about our day on the hill, well, except for the rain!

Karen Fox-Acosta, CMT, AHDI-F

The offices I visited included Congress members in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Washington states, Joseph Pitts, Tim Walberg, and Norman Dicks, respectively. For California I met with Bob Filner, my congressman in the 51st district in San Diego and I sat in on a meeting (with Noel and Lea) with Wally Herger’s office in the 2nd district or Chico area, which is near where we have property in Northern California. Every office I spoke with agreed to review a draft letter. Upon arriving home I received a thank you letter from Bob Filner’s office and they are interested in providing an op ed. For Norman Dicks office in Washington, he was very pleased I was there to represent Washington members and his aid seemed genuinely interested in our cause. Congressman Dicks focuses on environmental concerns so we had a great chat about how our industry is “green.” We have an excellent champion if we can develop the relationship with Joseph Pitts office in Pennsylvania as he has dedicated some of his interests in medical devices. It may seem like a stretch but I have information for his office based on conversations I have had with Scott Edelstein regarding potential legislation that could require EHR software platforms to be considered medical devices thus regulated by the FDA; finding common interests is how you build champion relationships. We also have active members on the CDIA and AHDI side in Pennsylvania so we are going to get those folks connected. Michigan also will require some relationship building with our members there as Tim Walberg’s office seemed very interested. With Wally Herger’s office, his aid was hesitant to commit the congressman due the position he serves as the chair of the ways and means committee; however, I also suggested to his aide, Larry Charleston, IV, MD, that I would be in the Chico area visiting with MTs at Enloe as well as other professionals at Feather River Hospital, two of the largest hospital enterprises in Mr. Herger’s district. Overall, I left DC feeling like we had the most successful experience thus far in our visits and now the followup is crucial, which will be helped by staff at AHDI, and our 2nd/3rd quarter activities to meet with our legislators while they are home from August to September will be instrumental in adding a solid component to our momentum.

Jacque Taylor, AHDI-F

As always, it was a very exciting time.  There were four representatives there from your AHDI-West BOG to include Carrie Boatman, Maggie Thebeault, Sandy Shumaker, and me (Jacque Taylor).  The AHDI board of directors meeting was held on Tuesday, May 3, where among other things, it was announced again that Sherry Doggett had been voted in by the national BOD to fill the vacancy of President-Elect when Ava Marie George resigned.  Linda Giles will be filling the empty director’s spot to bring the board back up to minimum level as set forth in the bylaws of the association until August 2011.  As Sherry was the current Treasurer, there was a vote held to replace that officer position.  Brett McCutcheon was elected to fill the spot of Treasurer until the end of the current term in August 2011. Sherry Doggett will become President of AHDI effective September 1, 2011.

On Wednesday, May 3, which was designated as our hill visit, I was able to meet with 2 of my legislators face-to-face, Senator Mike Lee (1^st term) and Representative Jim Matheson (aka Congressman Cowboy Boots :0) along with their health legislative aides, and with Senator Hatch’s health legislative aides.  The following sums up my visits with each of them:

Senator Mike Lee (R) Utah: Senator Lee is in his very first term in Washington this year, and made a point to come into the meeting, sat for a while, listened to what we had to say and seemed quite interested.  However, most of the conversation was with Amber Sechrist who was very pleasant and took many notes. I will follow up with him in his Utah office.

Senator Orrin Hatch (R) Utah: Hayden Rhudy was a new legislative aide this year, replacing Patty DeLouche who I had met with the 5 years prior.  She took down the information I presented and seemed quite interested, but I had to go over all the basic fundamentals that Patty had already been familiar with and was of such a great help; however, I was not able to meet with Senator Hatch.  I plan to make an appointment with Senator Hatch himself in his office in Utah.

Congressman Jim Matheson (D) Utah: Representative Matheson has always expressed interest in our message and this year was no exception.  His wife is a physician at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City and is very aware of the pros and cons of the EHR and not really happy with the current format.  Rep. Matheson was very appalled at the fact that they were thinking of leaving the narrative off the patient health record, and said he would definitely follow up.  He is presently a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and would be a very good contact for followup.

A meeting was held after the day on the hill to recap everything that had been done.  I believe in total there were 87 hill visits made by all that attended, and there were many first timers at the event that were eager to get involved and become advocates for our profession.  It was very inspiring to listen to all of their stories.  It was encouraged by AHDI staff for all attendees to be sure to follow up their visits with thank you notes and also set up an appointment at their legislators’ state offices when they are away from DC.

A good time was had by all, and it was fun to be housed at the Georgetown Hotel, right in the middle of Georgetown University campus, surrounded by the academic atmosphere and energy.  Another very successful meeting!

Maggie Thebeault, CMT, AHDI-F

We met the healthcare legislative aide for Senator John Kyl.  We gave our message and left a packet.

We met Kelly Ferguson, aide for Congressman Paul Gosar, DDS of Arizona. The aide indicated the congressman was understanding of the issues with the EHR, meaningful use, and would be interested in the information we shared. Due to his medical background, the aide felt he would likely wish to participate in some way and would like to see an oped article that he could share.

We also met Tara Robertson, aide for David Drier of California with Sandy Shumaker.

We had planned to meet with Alexander from Tennessee, but our first meeting went long. We dropped off a packet with his aide. Later we stopped by a second Tennessee representative’s office, who had no scheduled AHDI appointments, to drop off a leftover packet.

Sandy Shumaker, CMT, AHDI-F

Senator Dianne Feinstein (California):  We were lucky enough to be invited to a constituent breakfast with the Senator and had a front row seat for the event!  The senator’s staff had prepared excellent pamphlets and flyers representing the topics the Senator is presently working on including the budget, housing and foreclosure issues and protecting California’s deserts.  There were several students at our table from the LA area who were traveling with their history teacher and principal and had been sightseeing in DC for the week.  Their impressions of DC were exciting to hear and their enthusiasm was definitely contagious for being at our nation’s capitol.

Rep David Dreier (California): This was my 3^rd year in this office, meeting with the same legislative aide so it was like “old home week.”  We were met with warmth by Tara Ord Robertson who escorted us into Rep Dreier’s office which is beautiful!  Rep Dreier has been in Congress a number of years and longevity definitely has its perks.  Tara listened while we outlined our talking points and definitely was receptive to our presentation.  We also asked if Rep Dreier would sign an op-ed piece and were provided with the name of the aide in charge of communications for Rep Dreier.  We made the point that we had been in touch with the senior legislative aide in Rep Dreier’s office back home and would be sending off the same information we provided to his office in DC.  I felt it was a very productive meeting, and it helped to have made a connection in the 2 previous years.

Senator Dianne Feinstein (California): This year, we met with Nora Connors, a legislative aide for the Senator.  Carrie Boatman was very well prepared with her talking points and I felt, between the 2 of us, we were able to cover a great deal.  Nora was receptive but not having heard from AHDI in previous years, it was necessary to lay the ground work before jumping to our main reasons for being on the hill.  She indicated she would keep the Senator informed and appreciated our handouts.

All in all, it was a great trip!  Being in Georgetown and being right in the middle of Georgetown University was fantastic!