Expectations

As we swing into this new year -- and it always astonishes me how quickly these months fly by! -- I have to wonder what our expectations are: for the year, for our family, for our friends and certainly for our profession.
I know that Christmas this season past wasn't what I expected. Here in the Portland, Oregon, area we broke 40-year records for how much snow we had. We couldn't get out easily to shop. I know, many people shop over the Internet. But I do not comprehend how I could pick just the right new wool jacket for one of my daughters without seeing it in person. Getting together with friends for the holidays was cancelled or postponed. My Christmas cards went out late because by the third time my husband had to dig his truck out of the snow drifts and the driveway, he didn't go into town to mail them. Our Christmas morning expectations for time with the grandkids simply didn't happen -- too much snow to risk the roads and travel.
Even though the holidays are behind us for 2008, what are our expections for 2009? As president-elect for AHDI this year, what do I expect?
I know what I want to happen: I want to gain an even greater understanding of all the various facets of AHDI. Our puzzle is not an easy one: if you look at all that is involved in striving for quality healthcare documentation, there is education, workforce development, continuing education and, not the least of the list, public and industry understanding of what our knowledge base brings to the legal medical record. For those who say we try to do too much, what would you have us put on the back burner? Which of these pieces is not as important as the others?
I want to work to help others understand the larger picture. As entrenched as we become in our day to day operations and work flow, we simply have to realize that we cannot exist in a vacuum with only immediate issues at the forefront. We must continue to speak up for our profession and understand that it is evolving all around us, while some of us are digging our heels in and insisting that we don't want to be expected to change.
AHDI continues to speak to vendors, to the Dept of Labor, to the Justice Dept, to those involved in healthcare documentation, to the Dept of Defense, to the AMA, to everyone and anyone who will listen that OUR workforce understands what needs to go into medical records, and furthermore what ends up in those records without our attention and care.
If you are one of those who find yourself in a room of 500, with only a couple of people there who understand what it is you contribute to their medical records, my question to you is this: What are you doing about it?
Yes, I expect every one of us to look for opportunities to speak up this year, and AHDI and I will help you gather the words if you are having any problem getting your thoughts in order. And I expect we will work together on public understanding of why we are an important part of the work force and the quality everyone expects in their medical records.
What are your professional expectations for this year?