30th anniversary celebration

Follow your instincts

by Patty T. Sheridan, MBA, RHIA, FAHIMA

When I look back on 30 years of involvement with HIM, it’s hard to believe that I was also passionate about another profession at one time. But I actually came to my career as a coder by way of my associate’s degree in veterinary science. As I explored my options to pursue a bachelor’s degree, my veterinary colleagues suggested I speak with a career counselor at a nearby college, and the counselor helped me to connect the dots between my personal strengths and aptitudes. My love of medicine, science, and information became evident.

I weighed out the pros and cons of a career in veterinary science and one in medical records. This is how I came to realize that I wanted a career that built upon my professional interests in healthcare and information management. My love of animals has translated to my personal life, so I have realized the best of both worlds!

A trifecta of HIM advantages

When I began pursuing my degree back in the mid-80s, we didn’t have a choice to join AHIMA. It was expected. We were expected to join, volunteer, and be fully engaged in our profession, even as students. As I became exposed to more aspects of the profession, I realized there were three critical advantages provided by AHIMA.

First, building a network of professionals would help me advance my career and provide mentors for the road ahead. Second, I had access to just-in-time information regarding my profession as part of working on committees addressing HIM practice issues. But more than anything, being actively involved in HIM helped me grow and evolve as a professional, as I was constantly pushed beyond my comfort zone in many areas related to management and leadership.

HIM, like the healthcare industry as a whole, has had to adapt to changes and trends in the world around us. I love that HIM is constantly evolving to respond to the needs of healthcare. There are specific points in our history when change has been particularly marked, and the current environment ranks among the most exciting and dynamic time of change.

A foundation of relationships

The value of networking was evident to me early on. However, I wish I had realized the value of forming deeper professional relationships when I was younger. A strong relationship foundation in the workplace leads to good things. Collaborating and asking for help gives you the skills needed for managing anxious situations, getting past conflicts, doing meaningful work with others, and improving your own outcomes. Not only are peer-to-peer relationships vital, but so are cross-departmental relationships, as well as an ability to work closely with managers at all levels.

The foundation of a good relationship is built on honest conversations, even when difficult, because that is how you create mutual respect and get things done. I do wish I had learned earlier on the importance of collaboration, rather than trying to solve problems on my own. The power of a group of experts, all giving their very best ideas to resolve a problem, can change the trajectory of a healthcare system in an environment where change can be difficult.

Getting ahead of the curve

One accomplishment I can say I’m most proud of is my work as an early adopter of technology in the late 80s and early 90s, which resulted in solving problems related to health information access and exchange. As an early pioneer working on document imaging solutions, I was in a unique position to make meaningful contributions to my workplace and to healthcare reform activities. To this day, I look for innovative ways to apply technology in my role?it can be incredibly powerful.

I’ve also experienced great satisfaction from my work as a coding supervisor in a large healthcare system. DRGs were just being implemented when I took on a supervisory role in my late 20s. I had the opportunity at a young age to build a collaborative effort among coders, physicians, and C-suite executives to ensure successful DRG implementation. This experience led me to appreciate leadership on a deeper level and realize that leadership is more than just a line on an organizational chart. I have come to think of leadership as something anyone can exercise regardless of their title. We are all responsible for exercising leadership and doing our job to the best of our abilities, no matter what our title is.

Adaptive change

As HIMB celebrates 30 years of HIM, it’s obvious that much about HIM has changed. But the guiding principles of information management and the importance of following my instincts and adapting have remained constant. Given how quickly change is happening, it has become less important to try and predict what will happen in the future and instead remain flexible when change occurs.

As HIM professionals, we can model what it looks like to break through silos, improve data quality, innovate HIM processes, encourage patient engagement, and remove barriers to accessing and sharing information. Every day, I ask myself, what do I need to do today to be a responsible leader? It’s a question that always helps me to stay focused and keep moving forward.

Editor’s note

Patty Thierry Sheridan, MBA, RHIA, FAHIMA, is the senior vice president of HIM services for CIOX Health in Alpharetta, Georgia. She is a trailblazer who is passionate about health information management (HIM), leadership, and volunteerism. She has a track record of leveraging HIM, business, and leadership experiences to create innovative HIM solutions and develop successful leaders. Prior to joining CIOX Health, she was the president of Care Communications, Inc., and has also held senior roles at the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and HIM roles in acute care teaching facilities.

She is the recipient of AHIMA’s Distinguished Member Award and the Illinois Health Information Management Association’s Professional Achievement award. She has published research articles and authors the column "Hands-on Help" in the online magazine, Advance for Health Information Professionals and Executive Insight. She is a frequent speaker on the topics of health information management and leadership. She is the Chair of the Resurrection University Board of Directors for the College of Nursing and College of Allied Health, and a member of the AHIMA Foundation Research Network.

Leading through fear

It is often said that people fear public speaking even more than they fear death. I am one of those people. When I was asked to speak early in my career, even just at a meeting, I would literally get sick to my stomach. My heart would race and I would get nauseated. I understood, though, that if I failed to conquer this fear, it would limit my career growth. I wanted to make a difference, and that’s hard to do if you’re silent!

Over the years, my fear got worse, not better. I enjoyed hearing others and learning from them, and I know my colleagues wanted to hear my ideas as well. So, to overcome my fear, I looked for opportunities to speak at workplace meetings and at conferences. Throughout this journey, many people encouraged and coached me, including professional presenters. I learned how to regulate my breathing and speak without notes. I realized the importance of not hiding behind a podium so I could connect with my audience.

Over time, I trained myself to speak confidently. I still get nervous to this day before getting up in front of a group. However, once I begin talking, my fears dissipate. This has proven to be a valuable leadership lesson for me. I overcome obstacles by pushing through them rather than avoiding them, and look for help from strangers and mentors when I need it.

HCPro.com – HIM Briefings