Industry Insight

AMA Announces New Effort to Train More Future Physicians on Health Systems Science

Furthering its work to ensure future physicians are well equipped to deliver care to patients within modern health systems, the American Medical Association (AMA) recently announced a new effort aimed at training more future physicians in health systems science. The AMA’s new Health Systems Science Scholars Program will provide select medical school and residency program faculty with the resources and coaching they need to design, implement, and evaluate health systems science curricula at their institutions.

“The AMA is committed to ensuring all future physicians are ready to enter practice with a better understanding of how health care is delivered, how health care professionals work together to deliver care, and how they can improve patient care and health care delivery in modern health systems. This is the latest step toward achieving that goal,” says AMA President Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA. “We will continue to work with our community of innovation to develop and share additional resources and best practices to help prepare our future physicians to deliver care that meets the needs of modern patients on their first day in practice. This work will move the US health system to improve patient experiences, improve population health, and reduce health care costs.”

During the 12-month program, faculty members—selected through a competitive application process—representing 38 medical schools and residency programs across the country will receive resources and individual coaching and mentorship from nationally known experts in health systems science. Over the course of the year, each scholar will complete a curriculum project that their institution can use to integrate health systems science into physician training, attend a two-day faculty-development workshop, participate in webinars, and meet with a designated mentor.

The Scholars Program is part of the newly formed AMA Health Systems Science Academy. In addition to providing faculty development and curricular resources to teach health systems science, the academy serves as a community for national medical educators and health care leaders to work together on an ongoing basis to advance the field. Scholars who complete the program will join the academy. The Scholars Program will be held annually and those interested in next year’s program will be able to submit applications beginning in summer 2020.

Health Systems Science emerged in 2016 as one of the major innovations developed through the AMA’s Accelerating Change in Medical Education Consortium, and is now considered the third pillar of medical education that should be integrated with the two historic pillars—basic and clinical sciences. The AMA has developed numerous resources to teach health systems science, including the AMA’s Health Systems Science textbook. The second edition of the textbook is currently in development and is expected to be published in 2020.

Most recently, the AMA published its new Health Systems Science Review book—the first study tool of its kind—to help physicians-in-training and other health professionals, as well as their instructors, evaluate competencies in health systems science and learners’ readiness for navigating modern health systems. This includes competencies in the value of health care, medical economics, and health care policy. The AMA also offers a series of free online education modules—the Health Systems Science Learning Series—for students to help them develop competencies in health systems science.

Additionally, the AMA recently collaborated with the National Board of Medical Examiners to develop a standardized exam aimed at assessing medical student readiness for residency in health systems science. The exam is free for all medical schools through June 30, 2020.

— Source: American Medical Association

AHIMA Announces 2020 Board President/Chair, New Board Members

AHIMA members elected Ginna Evans, MBA, RHIA, CPC, CRC, FAHIMA, as president/chair of the 2020 Board of Directors. Her one-year term began January 1.

Evans is a coding educator with the internal medicine specialties division of Emory Clinic, Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. She has been a committed and active member of AHIMA and an advocate for HIM for more than 30 years.

Evans has served/chaired a variety of AHIMA committee roles including Board Governance, Triumph Awards, Nominating, Fellowship and Bylaws, AHIMA Board of Directors, and the AHIMA Foundation Board of Directors.

Evans is a former president of the Georgia Health Information Management Association. She has served on the HIM Advisory Boards for DeVry University, Augusta University (formerly MCG), and Dalton State College. Prior to her role at Emory Healthcare, Evans was assistant director of medical records at Dekalb Medical Center in Decatur, Georgia.

Evans is the recipient of the Trust HCS Trust Builder Award, the AHIMA Mentor Award, and the Georgia Health Information Management Association’s Distinguished Member Award, Mentor Award, and Clinical Site Award.

In addition to Evan’s appointment, members selected a president/chair-elect, speaker of the house, and three members of the board of directors (who each will serve a three-year term):

• President/Chair-Elect: Katherine G. Lusk, MHSM, RHIA, FAHIMA, serves as the chief health information management and exchange officer for Children’s Health in Dallas. Her focus is on patient identity, interoperability, clinical documentation improvement (CDI), standards development, and innovative uses of technology. She has served as the president of the Texas Health Information Management Association, as a member of the AHIMA House of Delegates, and on multiple workgroups. Lusk received the Texas Health Information Management Association’s Legacy Award in 2018 and AHIMA’s Pioneer Triumph Award in 2012. Her organization has received the AHIMA Grace Award, Most Wired, and the HIMSS Level 7 Analytics and Davies Awards. She is a recognized HIM subject matter expert and speaker.

• Speaker of House: Christine Williams, RHIA, is the document integrity manager for UW Health in Madison, Wisconsin. She serves as a multistate leader for the Illinois and Wisconsin UW Health hospitals in the expertise of documentation completion, documentation solutions, and oversight of compliance auditing the record of care. She has made an investment in the HIM profession through her volunteerism within the Wisconsin Health Information Management Association, serving as president, director, delegate, nominating committee member, team leader, and interim executive director.

• Director: Brenda K. Beckham, RHIA, is executive director of HIM at Baptist Health in Louisville, Kentucky. In the last 10 years, she has standardized the HIM and coding departments in a total of eight facilities and more than 300 physician practices, which includes the implementation of a systemwide EMR. With Beckham’s oversight, her team is currently creating an ambulatory CDI department. Beckham has served as president and treasurer of the Kentucky Health Information Management Association, where she received the Distinguished Member Award. She has presented locally and nationally on CDI, change management, HIM operations, and IT collaboration.

• Director: Terri Eichelmann, MBA, RHIA, has more than 30 years of experience as a leader in HIM. She is currently a director at BJC HealthCare in St. Louis. Eichelmann has responsibility for coding and HIM application support. She has held HIM leadership roles in academic, community, and rural hospitals. Eichelmann is an adjunct faculty member in the HIM program at Saint Louis University. She has served as a volunteer on the AHIMA Triumph Awards Committee. She has collaborated on articles, served on the Southern Illinois HIM Association Planning Committee, and spoken at various events.

• Director: Jami Woebkenberg, MHIM, RHIA, CPHI, FAHIMA, is senior director of HIM operations at Banner Health in Phoenix. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Health Information Management Association in various volunteer capacities, including two terms as president and a term as director. Woebkenberg is currently the cochair for AHIMA’s EHR Documentation Integrity Practice Council and a member of the LGBT Workgroup. She previously served as the colead for the Informatics Practice Council and was a member of the Information Governance Practice Council. She is currently the chair of the advisory council for the HIM program at Phoenix College. Woebkenberg has contributed to articles, toolkits, and practice briefs through AHIMA.

— Source: AHIMA

AMIA Announces Departure of President and CEO Douglas B. Fridsma

AMIA announces the departure of President and CEO Douglas B. Fridsma, MD, PhD, FACP, FACMI, FAMIA, effective January 1, 2020. Fridsma had served in the role since 2014.

“Doug’s leadership as AMIA’s longest serving CEO over the past five years has resulted in significant positive impacts to the association, our members, and the profession,” according to outgoing AMIA Board Chair, Peter J. Embi, MD, MS, FACP, FACMI, FAMIA, and incoming AMIA Board Chair, Patricia C. Dykes, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, in a joint statement. “As we begin our strategic planning process that will anchor AMIA’s critical role advancing informatics over the next decade, we will build upon the strong foundation that has been expanded under Doug’s leadership. In particular, we look forward to continuing important work across AMIA’s educational offerings, impacts on policy, advancements in applied informatics, and focus on AMIA’s diversity and inclusion initiatives. On behalf of the board, we extend our appreciation to Doug for his years of service and wish him well in his future endeavors.”

“Serving as CEO of AMIA has been a highlight of my career,” Fridsma says, “and I am thankful for the support the AMIA Board and staff have shown me during my time at AMIA. I respect the board’s decision to go in a different direction as they begin their strategic planning process, and I am proud of what we all have achieved together in the past five years. The organization is in a strong position financially and programmatically.”

As president and CEO of AMIA, Fridsma worked with leading AMIA members to introduce a new philanthropic mission for AMIA through the Leadership and Education Award Donation fund. This fund was put forth to strengthen the upcoming leaders of the field. The fund was able to provide travel stipends for eight students to AMIA’s Annual Symposium this year.

Fridsma has raised the visibility and importance of AMIA nationally and internationally through policy engagement and workforce development activities. He has worked to support the development of digital education, the applied informatics community, and the health informatics certification program, set to launch in 2021. Fridsma joined the organization from a post as chief scientist in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. He has not decided on what is next after AMIA.

Karen Greenwood, executive vice president and chief operating officer, will serve as interim CEO while the Board of Directors begins the search for a replacement.

— Source: AMIA