I understand that it has been a while since I updated my career blog. Much has happened since my previous post and I am inundated with many responsibilities both in and out of my profession.
I must say that there were major events in my education and career in 2010. First and foremost, I graduated with an Associate's Degree in Health Information Technology as well graduated with a Health Information Coding Certificate from Cypress College last May. Second, I obtained my Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) credential in the last semester of my program (last April). And lastly and most importantly, I obtained a job position at LAC + USC Medical Center in their Health Information Management Department. I currently work in their Release of Information (ROI) area. This is my first job at an acute care facility, which is definitely a different experience from working in a smaller, specialized facility. There is much that I am learning in regard to their ROI workflow and a lot is expected of me.
I am definitely putting my RHIT credential to use. One of my supervisors asked me what a court judge and District Attorney (DA) would need to fax to our department (other than a court order) in regard to requesting a plaintiff's medical record (and ensuring that faxing the plaintiff's records is HIPAA compliant)-- I erred on the policies of California Health Information Privacy and the Code Federal Regulations regarding this case since California Privacy laws are more stringent than those of HIPAA. I also consulted a book I obtained at a California Health Information Association (CHIA) seminar (about ROI in California held annually). It turned out that in order to compel the court order for the plaintiff's records the judge and the DA would have to also fax a release authorization/consent. It brought me much satisfaction in knowing that I was able to use the resources I had to help my supervisor. As an HIM professional, the plethora of ever-changing regulations is daunting and it is difficult to keep up. It is not expected of us to know every one of them, but it is expected of us to know where we can find them (what reputable resources we can use to find them). Being very involved in my profession in and out of work (since I started my college program) definitely paid off and it continues to do so.
I do not know what 2011 has in store for me, but I am hoping that it will be a year that I will excel in my career and to take it to the next level. It will not happen overnight, but with perseverance, a thirst for knowledge, and a will to continue weaving my networking web I am sure that I will reap the fruits of my labor.
