I’m so excited that the registration for the 2022 HIMAA National Conference is now open! The anticipated program is full, we will be making the draft program available soon with a number of distinguished speakers already confirmed including The Honourable Christopher Picton, Mark Brommeyer, Melissa Bond, Kate Quirke and Sabine Bennett. Please visit our conference page for update on speakers and events.
The Early Bird registration closes on 4 August 2022. We have a special conference registration offer for new members of up to further 12% discount. If you are a lapsed member or someone who has been considering Membership for a while, this is the time to join! There are a variety of sponsorship/exhibition options as well so please feel free to check our prospectus (available at request from the conference page).
Incidentally, we are sending out renewal membership notices in June. This is not the time to hesitate about renewing your membership! We are in the process of improving our operational efficiency with the implementation of new membership software which will bring several benefits:
- Access to an internal member directory
- Ability to track your CPD points online
- Use of an online forum to communicate with your chosen/nominated groups.
We are also proud to announce the launch of HIMAA Community of Practice (CoP) groups. Previously referred to as Special Interest Groups, these groups have been re-invigorated with an updated Terms of Reference (ToR) and governance structure. They are designed to bring members together to share and advocate for their common interest.
A meeting is convened quarterly, or as needed, where the Convenors of the CoPs can discuss updates and collaborate. There will be an opportunity for members to meet during the Conference, we encourage any members who are interested to join these groups.
The new ToR provide a scope for non-members to join the CoP discussions if the CoP members agree that this is appropriate. For more information please direct your enquiry to executiveoffice@himaa.org.au and we will direct your enquiry to the appropriate CoP Convenor.
We are seeking a Convenor for the Clinical Documentation Improvement and the National Private Hospital CoPs. I will formally release an EOI, but in the meantime please feel free to register your interest or direct your enquiries to me.
Prior to the Conference we will be holding HIM Week from
22-26 August 2022. We are working on several activities for that week including:
- 3 FREE webinars for members
- A panel with recent and not-so-recent graduates sharing their post-graduation journey, hosted by Kara Pollard
- Information on courses from HIMAA Education Services, and HIMAA membership benefits
- Leading health workplace people and practice with a focus on resilience/self-care
- A letter will be sent from the national office to the district health offices to support the HIM Week. If you have a contact for this letter, please forward to me
- Support #himweek2022 on LinkedIn and Facebook – there will be a prize for the most “liked” post at the end of the week
- A student poster for Keeping Health Information Human which will be judged at the Conference.
We will update further information when confirmed. Please register your interest in receiving a HIM Week promotional package for display to executiveoffice@himaa.org.au.
Please note we have an EOI opportunity with the Education Committee which seeking members to join the new Clinical Documentation Integrity (Competency Standards) Working Group (CDIWG). The deadline is extended to 4 July 2022. This will be an integral work to contribute to the standards for the CDI.
Please note that the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA) published its Consultation Paper on the Pricing Framework for Australian Public Hospital Services 2023–24 on 8 June 2022 and is seeking a consultation from interested members.
This consultation is a key mechanism for providing input on the approach adopted by IHPA to determine the national efficient price and national efficient cost, which play a crucial role in calculating the Commonwealth funding contribution to Australian public hospitals for the 2023–24 financial year.
The public consultation is open for comment for 30 days, until 8 July 2022. Specifically, IHPA is seeking feedback from health professionals on items including:
- accounting for the impact of COVID-19 on hospital service delivery and costs
- the continued investigation of innovative funding models of care and services that support payment for patient outcomes over the volume of services, with a particular focus on virtual care
- the investigation of national pricing model refinements and adjustments, such as classifying unqualified newborns, price harmonisation, pricing private patients in public hospitals, and patient transport in rural areas
- pricing and funding approaches for safety and quality, including progressing avoidable and preventable hospitalisations, and the evaluation of reforms.
I remain keen to work with you in leading HIMAA to serve the health information management profession. Please feel free to reach out to me to chat.
Jae Redden
Chief Executive Officer
ceo@himaa.org.au