IT'S HOLIDAY TIME ONCE MORE

Well, the Holidays are just around the corner and so is the end of my term as the AHDI President. I remember how I was feeling last year at this time when looking forward to my term with great anticipation, excitement, and a little trepidation. Now, looking back, it feels that most everything went as planned. The association increased its footprint in the marketplace with its partnership with MTIA, who are now looking at a rebranding for 2009. We made great strides recruiting military spouses into our approved schools, with some 600 about to graduate and go to work for our MTIA member companies. We also had a very successful Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida featuring The Disney Institute, Linda Kloss, CEO of AHIMA, and Dr. G: Medical Examiner. [BTW, her book, "How Not To Die" should be available].

There were a great many more achievements by the AHDI Board and House of
Delegates including new BOD and HOD Blasts sent monthly to all members and a successful election of three new directors Debbie Bright-Chunn, Karen Fox-Acosta, and Kristen Hagen [as we say goodbye to Cathy Baughman, immediate past president, and Jacque Taylor, secretary] and a new Speaker-Elect in Bonnie Monico.

AHDI and MTIA went to Capitol Hill and advocated for our industry together and in just six months, we'll do it again -- even louder and stronger than before! This stuff just gets better and better. It's my goal to get a meeting with Michelle Obama, our new First Lady, as one of her interests is Military Families -- I'll keep you posted on how that goes.

It was my privilege to make many trips this year to components all over the country and I am very appreciative of the support I received from those components individually and from Expert Medical Transcription, my employer, who sent money to AHDI every month to underwrite my expenses. Every chance possible this fact was mentioned as I traveled from place to place but I wanted to mention it here as well. I am fortunate to have worked for EMT for over 10 years now and wouldn't have it any other way. I'm looking forward to "earning my keep" now that my term as President is nearly over.

Next year will bring additional time for me to do even more Military Spouse Informationals, NextGen Informationals, and PHR Informationals while also working on the Workforce Development SIG. Next year will also bring more opportunity for each of us to recruit new members into our association and strengthen those already here. At this time of uncertainty with regard to our economy, it's comforting to know that we have a virtually recession-proof profession and, I'd don't know about all of you, but I intend to share that message with as many folks as possible. After all, I'm one of those Baby Boomers who hopes to retire in a couple of years and we need new documentation professionals to take our place so we can sail off into the sunset of our golden years......

To everyone reading this blog, thank you for your support and thank you all for the opportunity to serve you as President of AHDI for 2008 -- it was indeed my honor to have done so and I will remember each and every experience for the rest of my life.