OHIMA FY20-21 Board President's Message

Greetings to the membership! I am both honored and excited to serve as President of the Ohio Health Information Management Association (OHIMA) for the 2020-2021 year. As we enter a year of many uncertainties, difficult decisions and new normals, I am confident in the adaptability of our board and members.

As you know, the association implemented a new website in December with only a few months notice. Our new website features the ability to log into your OHIMA profile to register for events and online education at discounted member prices, access "Member Only" content and resources, view OHIMA CEUs, and much more!  Without this new website, we would not have been able to deliver the annual virtual meeting the way we did. Because of our success and agility in turning the 2020 Annual Meeting into a virtual conference, OHIMA applied for an AHIMA Triumph Award. We are proud that the hard work and dedication of our executive director and board was indeed recognized nationally. OHIMA was awarded the Triumph Award in the Innovation category!

Last week, I along with several new Board members attended the virtual AHIMA Leadership Symposium and heard more about crisis management, situational leadership and AHIMA’s strategic direction. In the upcoming year, OHIMA will re-evaluate its strategic plan to align with AHIMA’s, and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, OHIMA will be diving deeper into additional website features as well as offering members only content for the benefit of our valued members.

In closing, I must state, that as health information management professionals, we are uniquely positioned to be change agents in society.  We can take action as individuals and work to advance equitable healthcare for vulnerable populations and serve as role models for human connection in healthcare. OHIMA will commit to delivering strong and consistent leadership and ensure we have an understanding of the different types of resources our membership needs during this unique time.

I am looking forward to this upcoming year, and invite you to reach out to me at the email address below with any thoughts, specifically, ideas that foster inclusion and diversity within OHIMA. 

I wish everyone a safe and happy year!

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other”.-Walter Elliot

Sincerely,

Kristin Nelson, M.S., RHIA
OHIMA Board President FY 2020-21
Kristin.nelson@osumc.edu