For This Assignment You Are The New Regional Him Director

For This Assignment You Are The New Regional Him Director For A Heal

For this assignment, you are the new regional HIM director for a healthcare system that includes a community hospital, a long-term care facility, a hospice center, a home health agency, and a physician clinic. Part 1 involves creating an organizational chart with the departments and a list of staff types in each department, such as RN, radiology tech, lab tech, coder, etc., without specifying numbers or titles. Part 2 requires writing a detailed description of the interrelationships across the healthcare delivery system, illustrating how departments and staff interact to support patient care. You should discuss whether some departments or staff positions would function better in a shared services environment supporting all facilities, and explain how healthcare policymaking impacts the healthcare delivery system. Additionally, evaluate how to assess the effects of new state, local, federal, and global policies on the system.

Paper For Above instruction

The role of a Regional Health Information Management (HIM) Director is critical in ensuring the seamless integration of health information processes across diverse healthcare facilities within a system. As the newly appointed HIM director overseeing a community hospital, long-term care facility, hospice center, home health agency, and a physician clinic, my primary focus would be to establish a cohesive organizational structure and foster effective interdepartmental relationships that enhance patient care and operational efficiency.

Organizational Structure and Departmental Overview

The organizational chart for this healthcare system would encompass several core departments, each staffed with professionals essential to their functions. The central HIM department would include roles such as medical coders, health information technicians, systems analysts, and privacy officers. Supporting departments include Medical Records, Billing and Coding, Clinical Documentation Improvement, IT support, and Compliance.

Across the clinical facilities, departments such as Nursing, Radiology, Laboratory, Pharmacy, Social Services, and Case Management exist. Each department employs staff such as registered nurses (RNs), radiology technologists, lab technicians, social workers, and case managers. Additionally, administrative and support staff such as receptionists, administrative assistants, and quality assurance personnel support the overall system operations.

Interrelationships Across the Healthcare Delivery System

Effective healthcare delivery depends on the robust interaction between various departments and facilities. For example, the hospital laboratory services are foundational and support not only inpatient diagnostics but also outpatient and community-based facilities like home health agencies and outpatient clinics. Laboratory results from the hospital laboratory are transmitted electronically to primary care physicians, hospice staff, and home health providers, enabling coordinated patient care.

Similarly, the Medical Records department acts as a hub for patient information, ensuring data consistency across facilities. When a patient transitions from hospital to long-term care or home health services, seamless sharing of accurate health information is vital. Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems integrate data from labs, radiology, pharmacy, and clinical documentation, enabling informed clinical decision-making.

Shared services entities can optimize resource utilization and reduce redundancy. For example, centralized coding and billing departments can serve all facilities, ensuring consistency, compliance, and efficiency. These shared services reduce costs while allowing specialized staff to support multiple locations, fostering a unified administrative approach.

Healthcare Policy and Its Impact on Delivery Systems

Healthcare policymaking profoundly influences operational protocols, reimbursement models, privacy standards, and quality measures within the delivery system. Federal policies such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) emphasize patient privacy and data security, shaping how health information is stored and shared across facilities. State initiatives may introduce regulations related to Medicaid reimbursements or data reporting requirements.

Global health policies, such as those related to infectious disease control or telehealth expansion, also impact operational strategies. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted rapid adaptation of telehealth services, requiring policy adjustments for reimbursement and licensing which affected delivery models system-wide.

Evaluating the impacts of these policies involves assessing compliance costs, quality improvement metrics, patient safety outcomes, and operational efficiencies. Metrics such as readmission rates, patient satisfaction scores, and data security incidents serve as indicators of policy effectiveness.

Evaluating Policy Impacts and Global Considerations

To gauge the influence of new policies, I would implement a systematic assessment framework that includes monitoring key performance indicators before and after policy implementation. Engaging stakeholders across clinical, administrative, and policy domains fosters comprehensive evaluation. Additionally, benchmarking against national standards allows benchmarking of performance and identification of areas needing improvement.

Global health considerations, such as the interoperability of health information systems and participation in international health data sharing, are increasingly relevant. Ensuring systems adhere to global standards like HL7 and FHIR can improve interoperability and data exchange, aligning local practices with international health informatics advancements.

In conclusion, effective interdepartmental collaboration supported by shared services and informed by responsive policies is essential to delivering high-quality, efficient healthcare. As HIM director, fostering communication and adaptability within this framework will enable the health system to meet current and future challenges effectively.

References

• American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). (2020). Guidelines for Managing Health Information. AHIMA Press.
• Hiser, S. (2019). The role of health information management in healthcare. Journal of Healthcare Management, 64(5), 321-330.
• Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). (2021). Interoperability Standards. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
• HealthIT.gov. (2022). How electronic health records improve patient care. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• World Health Organization (WHO). (2016). Global Strategy on Digital Health.
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). (2020). Updates on Medicaid and Medicare Policies.
• Institute of Medicine. (2001). Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. The National Academies Press.
• Stvilia, B., et al. (2011). Data Quality in Healthcare: A Literature Review. Information Processing & Management, 47(4), 607–623.
• Bradshaw, C., et al. (2018). The impact of healthcare policies on health system performance: A review. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 7(4), 301-311.
• Salleh, N. A., & Hassan, N. H. (2017). Healthcare policy and its impact on health outcomes. Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 17(1), 45-50.