AHIMA Foundation

Did you know the AHIMA Foundation gave out $87,000 in scholarships in 2023? One of these recipients was Nicole Edwards. Every contribution counts towards shaping the next generation of HI professionals. By donating to the AHIMA Foundation scholarship program, you're investing in the future of our industry. Together, we can make a difference.

Give back and make an impact here: https://hubs.la/Q02GnrHQ0

Last Chance!!!

Scholarship applications due May 31st! To learn more and apply, check out our website: https://hubs.la/Q02y_wYb0

It's not too late to apply! To learn more and apply, check out our website: https://hubs.la/Q02w4nXb0

Since 1991, the AHIMA Foundation has provided merit scholarships to students pursuing degrees in health information or health informatics, including Juliene Smith. Your donation to the AHIMA Foundation scholarship program empowers aspiring professionals like Juliene, while supporting and strengthening our industry.

Help shape the future—donate today: https://hubs.la/Q02vLmvH0

Are you an AHIMA member interested in participating in the 2024 Scholarship Reviewer Committee?

To learn more and apply: https://hubs.la/Q02t3w0P0

The 2024 Scholarship and Grant Application now open!

To learn more and apply, check out our website: https://hubs.la/Q02mTkS60

The 2024 Scholarship and Grant Application is opening soon. Don't miss out on exciting opportunities for your future.

Visit our website for details: https://hubs.la/Q02lw2850

It's Patient ID Week. You can advocate for a national strategy on patient ID and matching to standardize information and ensure different hospitals have access to your accurate and complete medical records – a point especially important in the event of an emergency and during travel. Learn more.

What is a Patient ID Number? In general, every hospital system assigns its own unique identifier (known as a medical record number) to each patient whose medical record it maintains. But this makes it difficult to track patients across multiple systems and can even result in duplicate records or overlaid records. Learn more her...

May The 4th Be With You! On World Password Day, don't rely on the force to keep you safe - make sure you have strong passwords!

📣 This week, the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) released its FIRST-EVER strategic plan on public health data through its new Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology. https://www.cdc.gov/ophdst/public-health-data-strategy/Public_Health_Data_Strategy-final-P.pdf

ℹ Since this topic can be new and difficult to understand, AHIMA Foundation's article “What are Public Health Data Systems?” breaks down the following with plenty of resources (and we promise it's much better than asking ChatGPT!)

🔹 What is public health data?

🔹 Where does public health data come from?

🔹 What is the structure of the U.S. public health system?

🔹 What were public health data systems like during COVID-19

🔹 Why was COVID-19 a wake-up call for data problems?

🔹 What is the future of public health data systems?

🔹 How to make data systems equitable?

🔹 How YOU can help

Check it out: https://ahimafoundation.org/understanding-the-issues/what-are-public-health-data-systems/

American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Cahiim American Public Health Association ASTHO (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials) American Hospital Association American Medical Association

What are Public Health Data Systems? Learn the basics of public health data systems, how COVID-19 showed our systems’ strengths and weaknesses, and ways to make them better for the future. Better Health is in Your Hands.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Apply to Review and Score 2023 Scholarship Applications by May 12 https://lnkd.in/g6zcnRwn

Current American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) members are needed to help review and score AHIMA Foundation scholarship applications. This work would kick off in May and continue through July with an expected time commitment of approximately 6 hours for the entire phase of this review. Learn more and apply by May 12. https://lnkd.in/g6zcnRwn

Email [email protected] with any questions. Thank you!

Cahiim

FREE Webinar: Digital Readiness and Building Digital Health Literacy on Tuesday, May 2, at 1:00 PM CST. Register here: https://ucdenver.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIqdu2rpjIoEtIe5Xum7AwnHN5zXIUMmrWu

In this 1-hour interactive webinar, a part of the Patient Navigator Training Collaborative Health Equity Learning Series, AHIMA Foundation Directors Megan McVane, LCSW and Amanda Krupa, MSc will provide an overview of digital health literacy and digital readiness in combating health inequities.

You'll learn about:

◼ Societal factors that influence health

◼ The impact of low health literacy on patient outcomes

◼ The evolution of health literacy definitions

◼ Digital health literacy as a "super" social determinant of health

◼ Background on the digital divide and digital redlining

◼ The concept of digital inclusion

◼ Examples of digital readiness

◼ Accessing health information electronically

◼ Screening tool pros and cons

◼ Resources and programs to bridge the digital divide

If you're interested in the evolving role and impact of digital health navigation in healthcare settings and upskilling yourself, we hope you'll join us.

American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Digital Readiness and Building Digital Health Literacy. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. In this 1-hour interactive webinar, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Foundation will provide an overview of digital health literacy and digital readiness in combating health inequities. Participants will learn how to go beyond basic definitions and examine new tools to....

If you missed it in your inbox, check out AHIMA Foundation's April Update for the latest on our programs, research, and projects!

http://ahima-7932134.hs-sites.com/april-update-2023-ahima-foundation-monthly-newsletter

April Update 2023 - AHIMA Foundation Monthly Newsletter In the U.S., Medicaid covers more than 4 in 10 births and the majority of births in several states. In honor of April’s Medicaid Awareness Month, AHIMA Foundation ─ in partnership with Mother of Fact, a HIPAA-secure digital health platform that connects patients with critical access to registere...

Today’s typical approach to screening for mental illness isn’t working. It's time we comprehensively screen for and appropriately treat both substance use disorder and the underlying mental illnesses that lead to addiction in primary care, but how can this be integrated into clinical care workflows?

In a new for blog, Proem Behavioral Health CEO John Letter writes: "For any screening tools to be effective in improving patient outcomes, their use must become established in routine clinical practice. This challenges ALL clinic staff, individually and collectively, to make some degree of change in their ways of working and interacting with colleagues and patients."

Practices also need to decide:
◼ How often the screening will occur
◼ Where the screening data will be stored
◼ How results will be communicated to all care team members
◼ How the follow-up strategy will be documented

Learn more. https://lnkd.in/gWguRpdg

[Open Graph Image Text: Only after we start integrating comprehensive screening into existing clinical workflows can begin to close one of the biggest gaps in mental health care: more timely identification of a mental illness.]

American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) AHIMA Foundation NAMI American Academy of Pediatrics American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) HIMSS

Mental Health Screening Tools Yield Powerful Data Today’s typical approach to screening for mental illness in primary care isn’t working. Often, patients – especially adolescents with mental illness – lack the insight, judgment, or comfort necessary to openly discuss their problems. This makes comprehensive mental health screening tools imp...

As continues to make headlines, it is worth looking at ways it can be integrated into ongoing initiatives to improve patient access and patient experience writes Equally AI CEO Ran Ronen.

In a new for blog post, he notes one of the most significant barriers that healthcare organizations face in achieving digital accessibility compliance is a company-wide lack of awareness and education and recommends healthcare organizations provide digital accessibility training to their employees, regardless of their role in the organization.

This training, he says, should not only include the finer points of digital accessibility, but also an understanding of the unique needs and experiences of actual patients with disabilities and low digital literacy. Read more.

https://ahimafoundation.org/news/health-literacy-for-health-equity-insights-blog/how-ai-tools-can-support-digital-accessibility-initiatives-in-healthcare/

How AI Tools Can Support Digital Accessibility Initiatives in Healthcare As ChatGPT continues to make headlines, it is worth looking at ways it can be integrated into ongoing initiatives to improve patient access and patient experience. Read insights from Equally AI CEO Ran Ronen on the Health Literacy for Health Equity blog.

Minority populations with low incomes, low health literacy, and obesity have higher rates of gestational diabetes and face barriers to accessing Medicaid-covered care.

In honor of April’s Medicaid Awareness Month, AHIMA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the AHIMA, in partnership with Mother of Fact (NurtureTalk Inc.) and Claris Health, is seeking support for a national initiative to build health literacy and improve access to the evidence-based standard of care for pregnant people at risk for gestational diabetes, a condition that affects 10% to 20% of all U.S. pregnancies and increases the risk for high blood pressure during pregnancy and developing type 2 diabetes after pregnancy.

Official press release below.

https://ahimafoundation.org/news/ahima-foundation-marks-medicaid-awareness-month-by-announcing-maternal-health-literacy-for-nutrition-care-equity-initiative/

AHIMA Foundation Marks Medicaid Awareness Month by Announcing Maternal Health Literacy for Nutrition Care Equity Initiative In the U.S., Medicaid covers more than 4 in 10 births and the majority of births in several states. In honor of April’s Medicaid Awareness Month, AHIMA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), in partnership with Mother of Fact and Cla...

New research out of the University of California, Irvine suggests initiating health literacy skills as a fundamental component of health professional education and training programs – calling it a “non-disruptive method” to improve health literacy and reduce health disparities. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-023-08082-x

Research has also demonstrated that health science students lack considerable proficiency in health literacy themselves, with 30.2% reporting inadequate or problematic health literacy. https://lnkd.in/gDaR6aHV

The IHA Health Literacy Specialist Certificate Program arms health information professionals and students with the skills to apply health literacy principles to patient communications and materials, website design, and advocate for health literacy best practices in their organizations. Enter these American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) promotional codes below at check-out to receive special AHIMA member and supporter pricing!

https://ahimafoundation.org/programs-partnerships/workforce/health-literacy-specialist-certificate-program/

Health Literacy Specialist Certificate │ AHIMA Foundation Earn AHIMA-approved CEUs through the Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA) health literacy courses. The self-paced interactive curriculum includes 50 lessons across 7-course domains: communication, education, ethics, systems and policies, public health, community engagement and culture, and div...

Research calls digital literacy a “super” social determinant of health (SDoH), because it affects many other areas linked to health outcomes— things like access to good schools, jobs, safe neighborhoods, community support, and health care services.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-021-00413-8.pdf

Barriers to digital health literacy can impact people’s ability to use the health technology tools they need to take care of their health. For example, researchers found that almost 4 out of 10 older adults were not ready for telehealth visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2768772

Learn more about digital health literacy as a "super" social determinant of health here and consider ways you and the organization you work for can make an impact in closing the digital divide.
https://ahimafoundation.org/understanding-the-issues/digital-health-literacy-as-a-social-determinant-of-health/

Digital Health Literacy as a SDOH Not everyone has the same opportunity to be “digitally health literate” and many of the barriers people face are outside of their direct control. Learn more.

Spread the Word: Students pursuing a doctoral degree in an area related to health information are encouraged to apply for the AHIMA Foundation Doctoral Grant Program now through May 31, 2023.

Review frequently asked questions and application on AHIMA Foundation’s website: https://ahimafoundation.org/programs-partnerships/education/scholarships/doctoral-grant-program/

Review a list of tips for submitting a successful doctoral grant application: https://ahimafoundation.org/programs-partnerships/education/scholarships/tips-for-doctoral-grant-application/

In our March e-newsletter, we celebrate Women’s History Month and honor the women, past and present, who tell our health stories with data. We also share exciting updates on our programs, research, and projects! Read and share.

March Update 2023 In 1959, a newspaper headline read "Medical Records Tell Life Story of Every Patient." As we recognize the 2023 theme for for Women's History Month, Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories, we honor health information professionals, past and present, who work with medical records and the health data...

Now, at the age of 92, Carol A. Lewis, MPH, RHIA, deserves a place in . She’s had a front-row seat to the evolution of technology and its impact on the way health systems manage and share data.

Credited for the establishment and continuing development of health record practice in more than 30 countries in the Western Hemisphere, Carol devoted nearly 70 years to the profession and the enhancement of health records in the United States – collaborating with hospital systems, research teams, and public health leaders around the world.

Her advice for today’s HI professionals:
“If you’re dealing with information that affects people’s health, it’s critical to ensure the quality of that information. Some skills you learn today may not be useful in the future. But the basic concepts of accurate data remain the same. So, you must find ways to preserve and improve those basic concepts even when the methodology is changing.”

Carol is also a monthly donor to AHIMA Foundation. "I believe one should contribute to those organizations that provide useful guidelines and give more people an opportunity to enter the field.”

Join Carol in supporting our ability to preserve and share great stories like this one. Donate Here: https://ahimafoundation.org/make-a-donation/ #/donate

Online Applications are NOW OPEN for ALL AHIMA Foundation Scholarships & Doctoral Grants. Get application and FAQ tips here: https://lnkd.in/dGz5Fnps

While you’ve probably seen words like “remote patient monitoring” thrown around a lot lately in the digital health world, AHIMA Foundation’s Megan McVane, LCSW says you might not have thought about the steps involved to break down the barriers for something like that to be possible at a micro level with patients. In other words, she writes, “you don’t just give a patient a device at the same time as they get their discharge paperwork. More steps are needed to get from point A to point B.”

Read more on the for blog: https://ahimafoundation.org/news/health-literacy-for-health-equity-insights-blog/how-a-social-worker-breaks-digital-health-information-barriers/

How a Social Worker Breaks Digital Health Information Barriers While you’ve probably seen words like “remote patient monitoring” thrown around a lot lately in the digital health world, you might not have thought about the steps involved to break down the barriers for something like that to be possible at a micro level. Read insights from AHIMA Foundation ...

How can health data literacy improve health information literacy? How do we define the two? Read insights from American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) member, Alvin C. Tanicala, on the AHIMA Foundation Health Literacy for Health Equity blog.

https://ahimafoundation.org/news/health-literacy-for-health-equity-insights-blog/understanding-health-data-will-improve-health-literacy/

Understanding Health Data Will Improve Health Literacy By understanding your health data, Alvin C. Tanicala, MHA, RHIT, explains how you can make informed decisions about your health or that of a loved one. Read insights on the Health Literacy for Health Equity blog.

What steps is your hospital and/or health system taking to build organizational health literacy?

In 2020, Fingerpaint’s Sierra Adler and Laura Wilson set out to build a more health-literate organization and bolster their offerings to clients. This meant formalizing their commitment to health literacy at an organizational level. Read about their experience and the steps they took for sustainability in this new for blog.
https://ahimafoundation.org/news/health-literacy-for-health-equity-insights-blog/how-to-build-a-health-literate-organization/

Healthy People 2030 defines organizational health literacy as “the degree to which organizations equitably enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.” https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/health-literacy-healthy-people-2030/history-health-literacy-definitions

The American Hospital Association Health Equity Roadmap, launched in 2022, includes creating an infrastructure to maintain accountability for sustaining DEI work across departments and service lines – and this includes initiatives that build organizational health literacy. https://equity.aha.org/

How to Build a Health Literate Organization What does building a health-literate organization really mean and entail? If this is a question you ask yourself, read Fingerpaint's Sierra Adler and Laura Wilson's experience and take these steps to help you.

Use this free virtual training in leadership communications to supplement your technical curriculum and on-the-job training.

Target areas include:

- General and organizational best practices

- Information sharing

- Effective communication

- Empathy and sensitivity in communication

- Motivating others

- Conflict management

https://ahimafoundation.org/programs-partnerships/education/common-employability-skills-leadership-communications/

Common Employability Skills: Leadership Communications Build foundational skill sets that are imperative to ensuring a successful health information career. Learn more.

Your work as a health information professional is shaping the digital landscape of healthcare and making a difference.

Thank you to Kelley Morris, one of our 2022 AHIMA Foundation Scholars, for these words of inspiration. Apply for the 2023 AHIMA Foundation Scholarship Program. Learn more here https://ahimafoundation.org/programs-partnerships/education/scholarships/

Check out our February newsletter for updates on our programs, research, and projects!
https://ahima-7932134.hs-sites.com/february-update-2023?ecid=ACsprvvP8TpmSmENETSuiJWWxd1j8FKCYEdKCbtssIaJwfSlUOEEURlIApAPtaWwiyQkrCcInzFG&utm_campaign=AHIMA22&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=248111894&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_nAGjOa6CokKUQnPkEObmHIARJISnIMh8YQ6DOx1AUUgJxczOQtQotUcyzoluDPkmhtyMuVnMKZcX31F-4ZSUrWdfj3A&utm_content=248111894&utm_source=hs_email

Past issues are archived on our website at https://ahimafoundation.org/news/newsletters/

February Update 2023 Love Data Week is an international celebration of data that takes place every year during the week of Valentine’s Day. In celebration of this year’s theme, Data: Agent of Change, we published our 2022 AHIMA Foundation Impact Report.