Published Gulf Coast Members

High and Dry — Are Apprenticeships the Answer to the Coder Shortage?

By Martin Smith, MEd, RHIT, CCA
For The Record
Vol. 19 No. 3 P. 20

To combat the dearth of medical coders, a college professor proposes that hospitals invest the time and money to tutor new coders—before it’s too late.

In 1998, the leaders of the Metropolitan Police Service at London’s New Scotland Yard knew they were in trouble. For centuries, they had been successful at policing one of the largest cities in the world. However, they knew they needed to improve the force’s corporate image and its service quality.

So, under much scrutiny and a large investment of time and money, it launched the Plus Program. This action went against the core beliefs and values that had existed for centuries and significantly altered attitudes within the police service.

Today, the Metropolitan Police Service employs more than 45,000 people and has managed to progress into the 21st century, dealing with numerous challenges while maintaining the public’s trust and building on its historic roots.  Continued >>

Growing Future of HIM Careers

Medicine's New Pulse
By CAROL GENTRY The Tampa Tribune Published: Jul 30, 2007

TAMPA - A decade ago, Cynthia Smith had five children and a high school diploma but no skills, scraping by on welfare and food stamps in Okeechobee.

Today, she's a systems analyst for Tampa General Hospital, having worked her way up from a clerical job there in 1998. She was promoted a year ago from database specialist, she said, winning a pay boost to $43,000 from $29,000.

"I've been blessed," she says modestly. But, she adds, "I was willing to learn anything and everything to get to where I am."  Continued >>