The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently revised and updated their Issue Brief regarding "Maximum Charges for Copies of Patient Records" for 2011. This September 2011 version supersedes all previous versions. The issue brief clarifies that determinations of whether fees may be charged for patient health records, and the amount of any fees, may vary based on the individual situation. To download a copy of the September 2011 document, click here. The MHIMA Legislative Advocacy Team was selected as a 2011 AHIMA Triumph Award Winner in the category of Champion Advocacy and Public Policy Advocacy. Triumph Award's are AHIMA's highest honors and recognize excellence and innovation in HIM practice professionals. Minnesota’s Advocacy efforts have been recognized by AHIMA and the State Advocacy Workgroup. In 2009 and 2010, Minnesota was recognized as first place in the CSA Core Service Achievement Advocacy awards. The strategies for both legislative years were presented at Summer Team Talks in Chicago. MHIMA’s copy fee whitepaper has been shared with other component state associations and is posted on AHIMA’s Advocacy website. Diane Larson also presented the whitepaper and advocacy process at a special “Advocacy” class for the HIM senior symposium at the College of St. Scholastica. The MHIMA Board plans to introduce “advocacy orientation” for new Board members as part of their governance orientation and to support future leader growth. MHIMA’s efforts with collaborating with local and state policy leaders, AHIMA’s State Advocacy Workgroup, utilizing AHIMA advocacy tools in combination with engaged leaders has resulted in an effective advocacy strategy for the future. MHIMA's Legislative Advocacy team was led by Diane Larson, Cathy French and Steph Luthi-Terry. The development of the copy fee whitepaper and the collaborative approach to defeat that legislation involved other MHIMA members, including Bonnie Coffey, President/CEO of CM Information Specialists, and Elaine Yaggie, Regional VP of IOD. Their assistance from the ROI perspective was helpful in formulating MHIMA's response. MHIMA's Legislative Advocacy Team will receive their award at the 2011 AHIMA national convention in October. Congratulations to everyone involved! MHIMA will also receive an AHIMA CSA Core Service Achievement Award at the July 2011 Summer Team Talks and Leadership Conference in Chicago: Third Place in Member Communications. This award recognized the work of our Marketing/Communications Committee during this past year to enhance our member communications including website updates, a coordinated look to our MHIMA exhibitor table, and most importantly, the development of a volunteer recruitment tool using the "Cup of Excellence" coffee Theme. MnHIT Training Program at Normandale Community College Normandale Community College in Bloomington, MN, is now accepting applications for HIT training related to ARRA HITECH Grant-Funded Short Term Certificate Programs in Health Information Technology and Electronic Health Records. NCC will train 300 students in four designated health information technology roles over the next 18 months, beginning in September 2010: Practice Workflow and Information Management Redesign Specialist Clinician/Practitioner Consultant Implementation Support Specialist EHR Trainer For more information, download the FAQ Document. Additional information is also available on the MHIMA Job Bank. e-Prescribing Update: In July, 2010, MDH published an update of the e-Prescribing Guidance document to answer questions as pharmacies and providers prepare to comply with this mandate. The updated guidance document is available by Clicking Here. A Practical Guide to Electronic Prescribing was released by the Minnesota e-Health Initiative in June, 2009. For a copy of the document, Clicking Here. Information from the MN Department of Health: New Minnesota HIE Oversight Law goes into effect on July 1, 2010 On May 13, 2010, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signed into law Chapter 336 (SF 2974) which establishes new certification requirements and state agency oversight for businesses conducting Health Information Exchange (HIE) in Minnesota. The law went into effect on July 1, 2010 and creates a new formal oversight process to ensure that entities involved in HIE in Minnesota are adhering to nationally recognized standards that will allow Minnesota providers and hospitals the opportunity to receive incentives for achieving “meaningful use” of electronic health records under federal law. The Minnesota Department of Health has published a fact sheet on the MN HIE Oversight Law which is available for download. During the 2010 Minnesota e-Health Summit in June, Dr. James Golden, the State Government HIT Coordinator for Minnesota, presented Minnesota’s approach for HIE and discussed the oversight process. Slides for Dr. Golden’s talk are available by Clicking Here Key Health Aliance has been named MN/ND's Regional Extension Center for HIT. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced on February 16, 2010 that Key Health Alliance, a MN based partnership of Stratis Health, the Rural Health Resource Center, and The College of St. Scholastica, was awarded a $19 million grant to serve as the new federally designated Regional Extension Assistance Center for Health Information Technology (REACH) for Minnesota and North Dakota. These efforts will assist the adoption of EHR in rural clinics and hospitals. To download the read the full announcement, Click Here Looking for information on the MN eHealth Initiative? You'll find lots of excellent information related to the MN mandates 2011 and 2015 as well as updates on national initiatives with a Minnesota perspective by Clicking Here. Changes in Fees Charged for Copies of Patient HC Records in WI For those of you involved with health care facilities in Wisconsin, please be aware that legislative action signed into law on June 30, 2009, removes the authority of the Department of Health Services to establish maximum fees for copies of health care records. The maximum fees for copies of health care records are now set in statute. Act 28 also modified the fees you may charge for medical record submisssions for WI Disability Determinations. Click Here for information from the WI Health Information Management Association on these changes CCHIIM Announces ICD-10 Requirements for AHIMA-certified professionalsThis affects all of us with any AHIMA credential, and is a MUST-READ! Click Here to Download Here are direct links to other AHIMA resources for items getting our attention: ARRA RAC EMERGING ISSUES Minnesota Rural Health Resource Center Click Here ICD-9-CM Official Guidelines for Coding & Reporting, effective 10-0-09 Click Here DHHS Privacy Breach Notification Information & Forms Click Here Sample Notice of Privacy Practices for Minnesota is available by Clicking Here