President's Message: About Best Practices

By Beverly Rhodes, MSHP, RHIA

Something funny happened on the way to publishing this journal. I had originally intended the theme of this journal to be, “Best Practices in HIM”. I solicited several of my HIM friends, who are exceedingly talented HIM professionals, and asked them if they would like to contribute to the TxHIMA Journal on their best practices. I can testify to you that each of them could not only write one article on one thing that they are doing well, but each could conduct a week long seminar on several things that they are doing exceptionally well. Yet, I had no takers to my offer. As the deadline for the journal grew near, I resorted to tactics similar to “arm twisting” to procure my authors for this journal.

One director, who initially readily agreed to write a best practice article for me, changed her mind mid-stream, because “everything was going wrong and not working well”. This director has management and oversight responsibility of both HIM and Privacy at multiple sites, and because of her expertise, other HIM professionals in the city use her as a resource for questions. Another director asked me in surprise, “What do you want me to write about?” Equally surprised, I gave her a topic on which she had spent a half an hour recently telling me with great passion her level of success with this venture in her busy HIM department. She did not write the article. Another professional, a chief privacy officer in a large hospital, told me that she most certainly was NOT an expert on the topic that I asked her to write about and also elected not to write an article.

Reluctantly, I surrendered my idea of focusing on best practices for this journal. But I am left with a great concern for the members of our profession. Who do we think the experts are? Do we not perceive ourselves as being successful in our jobs? Are we all convinced that there is someone “out there” somewhere doing everything better than we are? Although we can all learn from others, are we not also compelled to teach as well? Do we not each have our own experiences of success? None of us have the answers to all the tough dilemmas in handling management issues, tackling new regulations, transitioning into an electronic environment, etc., but each of us has at least one thing to contribute to a generalizable knowledge-base for the profession. Individual successes laced with struggle, hardship, and moments of defeat are the best learning tools for the rest of us.

In this journal, Dana Choate's article advises students and new managers on survival methods in the working world. As you read her article, I believe you will find concepts applicable to all of us, no matter our number of years in the field. Dana states, “It's our professional responsibility to share experiences with one another and learn from one another.” I add my emphasis to this statement, and I implore you as a member of this profession to search your individual skill and experience reservoir and determine what you can share with your profession to help your colleagues improve and grow our collective skill set. Well educated, multi-talented HIM professionals assist the profession in its drive to become better recognized for its expertise among others in the healthcare industry.

I leave you with a few thoughts on this topic. Don't let the label “best practice” scare you into retreating because you think “best” means you have mastered something to the point of not requiring improvement or change. Always think of your “best practices” as works in progress. Even the smoothest and most effective process can be improved and fine tuned. And, of course, as changes, both internal and external, occur, your processes must be re-evaluated to remain effective. If you can think of your “best practice” as the best possible practice at a given time with the given resources, talent, and other factors, perhaps you will be more willing to share these successes with others. Others may take your ideas and use them as a starting place for their own facility operations, perhaps simply to inspire brainstorming. Many of us have used this concept in policy development over the years. You gather up several of your peers' policies on a given subject, and you re-work them to create a policy that works for your own organization.

Time and time again when I visit with our members at a district meeting, or I meet one on one with individuals in our profession, I am overwhelmed with the amount of dedication, talent, creativity, initiative, and drive the members of this organization possess. I am very proud to call you colleagues, mentors, teachers, peers, and friends. I urge you to volunteer to share your experiences with others in our profession, and when I call or email you with a request to write an article for the journal, say “yes”!