Wednesday, April 21, 2021

AHIMA PEC PART 1: What is AHIMA’s Professional Enhancement Campaign?

Over the next few weeks, we are going to introduce you to AHIMA’s Professional Enhancement Campaign also known as the PEC. It was unveiled at the AHIMA’s Leadership Conference and President-elect Stephanie Donovan introduced it in the Leadership Conference recap.  The PEC is a research-founded approach designed to clearly articulate the value of health information professionals within the contemporary healthcare landscape, and the role of AHIMA throughout it. The decision to embark on this campaign is to elevate the health information profession and skills to the broader healthcare ecosystem. Think of it as a branding tool with new elevator pitches and talking points, covering topics from what is health information and who are health information professionals to what is health care.

This is the most simple, easy to understand branding that has been presented in quite some time. Part of the reason is that it builds on three core principles with a lexicon to help with the talking points.   

  1. We are Empathetic:  We communicate through conversations with authenticity and compassion.  Some of the lexicon include words like accessible, care, compassion, human, integrity.  
  2.  We are Optimistic:  We speak with energy, focusing on positive outcomes rather than challenges.  Some of the optimistic lexicon includes words like: empower, extraordinary,  forward-thinking and opportunity.    
  3. And last but not least:  We Demonstrate Fortitude:  Our communications are active, not passive.  We thrive in our space of change, demonstrating confidence, openness, and adaptability.  The lexicon includes words such as agile, dedicated, stability, strength and transformation.  

One of the talking points that has already been used in several areas is:  Health information is human information.  

Stay tuned for part two of this three-part series. What are the PEC talking points?  

This article was originally printed in PHIMA’s September 18, 2020 E-Alert. Article reprinted with permission.


About the Authors

Denise French, MS, RHIA, FAHIMA is Board President of the Pennsylvania HIM Association (PHIMA) and Senior Manager of Solutions Marketing at nThrive. Stephanie Donovan, EdD, RHIA is Board President-Elect of the Pennsylvania HIM Association (PHIMA) and Faculty Chair & Professor of Health Programs at Peirce College.