Bittersweet Goodbyes and New Beginnings: A Note from Your OHIMA Past President

I hope everyone enjoyed OHIMA 2025! I know this year brought some changes, especially with the new venue, but I couldn’t be prouder of how everything came together. And believe me—it’s only going to get better next year.

Before I fully transition into my role as Past President, I wanted to take a moment to reflect and encourage each of you to not only mark your calendars for OHIMA 2026 but also consider volunteering or even joining the board.

I started volunteering with OHIMA back in 2011 as a fresh graduate, with absolutely no clue how much it would transform both my career and my life. What began as simply wanting to stay connected to the field turned into something I never expected. I've been part of plenty of professional groups over the years, but there's just something different about OHIMA. Our state consistently shows up as one of the most engaged, vocal, and supportive component associations out there. Just look at our conference numbers—we're regularly among the largest, if not THE largest, in the country. And that's not because of some magical board or volunteer formula—it's because of YOU. All of you who show up year after year, ready to learn, connect, and share what you know.

I can't talk about OHIMA without giving a massive shoutout to Lauren Manson. I swear I could write an entire blog just about how crucial she is to everything we do. She's truly the backbone holding us all together. No matter how outlandish or ambitious our board ideas get, Lauren somehow makes it happen. We are all so lucky to have her.

Here's what I really want you to know—serving on the board isn't some exclusive club for a certain "type" of person. The real strength of our board comes from the mix of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. When I first joined, I was barely out of college, working as an Epic analyst and completely green. But the board welcomed me with open arms. Throughout my time, I've grown tremendously—learning about leadership, project management, and collaboration.

I know the idea of stepping into the President role can look scary from the outside—and yes, it is a significant commitment—but you're never flying solo. The support from the board is unwavering. This past year threw a lot at me personally: working full-time at Nationwide Children's, teaching at OSU, plus welcoming my first baby. Yet I never felt like I was drowning because of how flexible and understanding our executive board has been. Most of our work happens through email or during quarterly meetings that end up being both productive and genuinely fun.

If I’m being honest, the scariest part for me wasn’t the workload—it was the morning address at the annual conference. Public speaking isn’t exactly my comfort zone, but there’s a script, plenty of practice, and by the end of it, you realize how fun and rewarding it is. I even found myself wearing a robe on stage this year—definitely a memorable moment! It was an icebreaker that led to so many wonderful conversations with members I hadn’t met before.

As I step down, it’s definitely bittersweet. I'll still be around as Past President, supporting Kristi (who is going to absolutely crush it, by the way). I'm excited to help keep our momentum going with some of the new initiatives we've started. Sometimes in leadership, you feel like you've just gotten the ball rolling when your term wraps up. Thankfully, I'll still be involved to help see some of these changes through.

The heart of what I'm trying to say is this: please don't be intimidated to get involved. Whether it's joining a committee or stepping onto the board, there's room for you here. It's one of the best feelings to return to the conference each year, catch up with familiar faces, and welcome new ones. I especially love seeing my former students now thriving in their careers and joining the board—it fills my heart with joy.

OHIMA has given me so much more than I ever expected, both professionally and personally. I'm endlessly grateful for the growth, the friendships, and the opportunities. I hope you'll consider taking that step to volunteer or join the board—you never know where it might lead you.

See you all at OHIMA 2026!

Sincerely,

Manjusri (MJ) Nguyen, MBA, RHIA
OHIMA Board President 2024-2025
Manjusri.Nguyen@nationwidechildrens.org

Parenthetical Abbreviations Used in CPT

What’s the meaning of this installment of “Spotlight on CPT”? Well, if you have ever wondered exactly how to interpret the abbreviations e.g. and i.e. often seen in parenthetical notes within a CPT code definition, then this blog is for you.

In an August 2023 CPT Assistant, coding conventions for the CPT classification system were reviewed and included the abbreviations e.g. and i.e. Both abbreviations are for Latin phrases. The e.g. abbreviation stands for exempli gratia which means “for example”. Whereas the i.e. abbreviation stands for id est meaning “that is”. Let’s look at how they translate in CPT.

We begin with code 15731-forehead flap with preservation of vascular pedicle (eg, axial pattern flap, paramedian forehead flap). Since e.g. means “for example”, the two types of flaps mentioned in the parenthetical note are simply some examples of the types of forehead flaps that are covered, but they are not the only ones. Usage of the e.g. abbreviation does not prevent a coding professional from applying this code to other forehead flaps that preserve a vascular pedicle.

The very next code in the CPT manual, 15733-muscle, myocutaneous, or fasciocutaneous flap; head and neck with named vascular pedicle (ie, buccinators, genioglossus, temporalis, masseter, sternocleidomastoid, levator scapulae) provides clarity on the meaning of the i.e. abbreviation. Recall that i.e. means “that is”, and here, what that parenthetical note is telling us is that only the terms or phrases enclosed in the parentheses are included in the code.

Sometimes, a code description will have more than one abbreviation within its description. For example, code 47541-placement of access through the biliary tree and into small bowel to assist with an endoscopic biliary procedure (eg, rendezvous procedure), percutaneous, including diagnostic cholangiography when performed, imaging guidance (eg, ultrasound and/or fluoroscopy), and all associated radiological supervision and interpretation, new access-actually tells us that the procedure may be called rendezvous or some other term, along with saying that imaging guidance performed would include ultrasound, fluoroscopy, or some other methodology.

In this next example, we see both abbreviations used in the same code description. CPT code 62327-Injection(s), including indwelling catheter placement, continuous or intermittent bolus, of diagnostic or therapeutic substance(s) (eg, anesthetic, antispasmodic, opioid, steroid, other solution), not including neurolytic substances, interlaminar epidural or subarachnoid, lumbar or sacral (caudal); with imaging guidance (ie, fluoroscopy or CT).  Here, the e.g. abbreviation says that these are some of the different substances that could be administered but it is not an all-inclusive list; while the i.e. abbreviation is saying that the injections must be administered with imaging guidance which could only be fluoroscopy or CT.

Understanding the true intent of the abbreviations will help all coding professionals assign the appropriate CPT code.

Now, light has been shed on parenthetical abbreviations used in CPT.

 

 

About the Author

Dianna Foley, RHIA, CCS, CDIP, CHPS, has 25 years of HIM experience. She’s an AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, an AHIMA-published author, a participant in AHIMA credential item writing and exam development, and served on the AHIMA Nominating Committee. She presents on coding topics at the national, state, and regional levels and serves as OHIMA’s Education Coordinator.