Fall 2022

Editor’s Note: Trading Places … Again
By Kate Jackson
For The Record
Vol. 34 No. 4 P. 4

More than two decades ago, I stepped down as editor of For the Record. Not long after, Lee DeOrio took on that role and performed it expertly all these years since, putting his unique stamp on the magazine. I couldn’t have imagined then that a fast forward would find Lee stepping down in favor of a well-deserved retirement and my name once again on the masthead. I also couldn’t have imagined how the profession would evolve to meet the needs of a new century. Back then—when HIM professionals and Americans at large were consumed by the specter of Y2K—much of the technology discussed in these pages today was in a nascent state or didn’t yet exist at all. The field’s vocabulary was composed of fewer words. The range of job descriptions was significantly narrower and the number of vendors much smaller than they are today. From this vantage point, it appears as nothing less than a metamorphosis, an entirely new field—the old one reconfigured to meet the challenges faced by today’s health care industry.

I’m excited to be back and looking forward to sharing all the news you need to navigate the ongoing changes in the field.

Meanwhile, in this last issue, curated and edited by Lee, contributor Susan Chapman, in “Referential Treatment,” explores the growing challenge of accurately linking patients to their medical records, examining the shortcomings of referential patient matching. And in “Prompt Response Required,” she also sheds light on the latest update to the 21st Century Cures Act. In “Coding Spinal Procedures,” Selena Chavis makes the case that coding spinal procedures needn’t be intimidating. And, citing the boom in demand for experienced professionals in the field, Deshae Redden shows that “The Possibilities Abound.” She looks at the many ways a degree in health informatics is a passport to a range of career opportunities in health care leadership, data analytics, and applied informatics.

I look forward to hearing from you about the HIM issues you most want to read about. Please get in touch at kjackson@gvpub.com.

— Kate Jackson
kjackson@gvpub.com