Idaho State University Health Information Technology Program

🐾 Happy & Faculty Takeover Wrap-Up! 🐾

It feels incredible to be back home in Idaho after an empowering two days at the AHIMA 2026 Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC! As I officially wrap up this takeover, I’m reflecting on my journey wearing three hats: as a Clinical Assistant Professor for our AAS in HIT and ITC in Medical Coding programs, as the IdHIMA President-elect, and as a health information consultant.

My mission this week was to show our lawmakers that health information (HI) is the most powerful currency for change in healthcare. I had the honor of taking the concerns of Idaho’s students, professionals, and patients directly to Senator Mike Crapo and Senator Jim Risch.

Why Does This Advocacy Matter to Idaho?

✅ For our Students: I am fighting for the federal funding and scholarships you need to enter this high-impact field. Your education in our AAS and ITC programs is the first step toward having a seat at the national table.

✅ For our Professionals: A recent study found that 66% of HI professionals reported understaffing, leading to burnout and turnover. By presenting H.R. 2002, the MATCH IT Act, I advocated for a national strategy to reduce the manual burden of correcting duplicate records, allowing you to focus on high-level data governance.

✅ For our Patients: We are all patients eventually. I advocated for the Advancing Non-Clinical Artificial Intelligence in Health Care Act of 2026 to ensure that as 52% of organizations increase AI use, there is always a "human in the loop" to protect the accuracy and privacy of your health story.

Graduating from our program doesn't just get you a job — it can get you involved in the very heart of healthcare policy by volunteering with your health information state association, such as IdHIMA, as well as nationally with AHIMA. Whether it’s solving the patient identification crisis or leading the AI revolution, our students are trained to be the leaders healthcare needs.

💬 Our Fall 2026 cohort is waiting for healthcare professionals like you! What part of the HI profession excites you the most — the technology, the advocacy, or the patient safety? If you’re ready to start your journey, contact us at 208-282-2622 or [email protected]! 🐾📊

Thank you for following along with me in D.C.! It has been an honor to represent the Bengal spirit and the Idaho HI profession on the national stage. 🏛️🥔

Signing off from this Faculty Takeover,

Mona P. Doan, MS, RHIA, CCS-P

I hope to see YOU in the classroom! 🐅

🍀 Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🍀

Today’s the day to wear green, follow the rainbow, and maybe even find a pot of gold! But what about some fun medical codes to go along with your celebrations? If medical coders documented some of these St. Patrick’s Day scenarios, here are the codes you might see:

🍀 R11.0 – Nausea from too many green beverages ("I swear, it’s just the shamrock shake…")

🍀 T63.431A – Acute exposure to leprechaun magic (Warning: May cause sudden luck and mischief!)

🍀 F41.9 – Generalized anxiety from the fear of finding the end of the rainbow ("Wait, do I get to keep the gold?")

🍀 Z63.5 – Disruption due to excessive St. Patrick’s Day fun ("Too much Irish dancing... can’t walk straight!")

🍀 Z72.0 – Problems with overindulgence in St. Patrick’s Day treats ("I think I’ve eaten enough green food to turn into a leprechaun!")

So today, as you celebrate with friends, family, and a bit of St. Patrick's Day magic, remember that health information helps keep all that data safe, accurate, and accessible!

🍀 Interested in making your mark in this essential field? Our online Health Information Technology program can guide you to a career full of opportunities. No luck needed! Start your journey today! Contact us at 208-282-2622 or [email protected] to learn more.

Our first stop was with Senator Mike Crapo's office!

The Advocacy:

🚨 The MATCH IT Act: We discussed how accurate patient matching is foundational to Value-Based Care. Without it, we see increased claims denials and operational inefficiencies.

🚨 The Non-Clinical AI Act: I spoke as an educator, emphasizing that 75% of our workforce needs upskilling to succeed with AI. We asked for federal support for programs like our AAS and ITC to ensure our students can oversee these tools rather than being replaced by them.

The Impact:

⚠ For Professionals: This legislation addresses the technical burden and oversight needs reported by professionals using AI tools today.

⚠ For Patients: We are advocating for AI that is free from bias and pursues objective truth.

💬 AI is changing healthcare. Do you think we need more human oversight of technology? Tell us your thoughts (🧐 or 🛡️) in the comments!

One of the most critical sessions of the day: Patient Identification and Matching.

The Facts:

⚠ For Professionals: Two-thirds of HI professionals report understaffing, and manual record matching is one of the most time-consuming tasks we face.

⚠ As IdHIMA President-elect: We are specifically asking our Idaho lawmakers to support HR 2002, the MATCH IT Act, to create a national strategy for accurate patient identification.

⚠ For Patients: Inaccurate matching leads to duplicate records and overlays (where your data is mixed with someone else’s). This is a major safety risk.

💬 Safety starts with knowing who the patient is! Comment "MATCH IT" if you support a national strategy to stop medical record mix-ups! 🛡️📑