Summer 2008 Quarterly Reports...
President Report: Summer 2008
Since the last journal, I have attended the 50th Annual Conference of the Oregon Society of Medical Assistants. It was an educational and informative meeting. Lane Chapter members did a fine job hosting this conference. There was a birthday celebration for fun night and on Saturday evening a new board was installed. I left the conference excited for the upcoming year.
I also attended the MOAA Conference in New Westminster, Canada, as a guest, along with 3 other members of OSMA. It was very interesting to see how our Canadian friends conduct their conference. They have a general session for their business meeting and very limited education, although the speakers were wonderful.
I also attended the WSSMA Conference in Silverdale, WA and was able to see how the Washington delegation conducts their meetings. They had many educational choices and fun for all at their fun night banquet. Patricia Hightower, CMA (AAMA) was installed as President for the Washington Society.
It has been quite a learning experience for me to observe how different societies conduct their meetings and I have to say, Oregon offers a wider variety of educational choices with many quality speakers, as compared to other organizations. The Oregon members should commend themselves on the quality of education that we offer to our members.
There will be no educational offerings during the summer months with OSMA, but there is still a summer board meeting. The summer board meeting will be on Saturday, 7-19-08, beginning at 10:00 a.m. The details of the meeting location are still being worked out. Email notification will be sent to all board members, so if you are interested in attending, contact your Chapter President or myself for details.
I hope to see many of you at the summer board meeting. We would like to see as much participation as possible at our meetings this year and your opinion does count. Please feel free to attend to the meeting and voice your opinions and give us your suggestions.
Kathy Puckett, CMA (AAMA)
OSMA President 2008-2009
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Immediate Past President Report
Greetings,
As Immediate Past President I am the chair of the Advisory Board. This Board was given the task of redesigning the OSMA awards submission process. The process has been revised and the new awards system is being used for this year’s selection of our Betty Hill Award, Medical Assistant of the Year and Outstanding Educator of the Year Award recipients.
To date, no other business has been requested of the Advisory Board or to this Immediate Past President.
It has been a pleasure to serve the Oregon Society of Medical Assistants in this regard.
Candy Miller, CMA(AAMA)
OSMA Immediate Past President
Advisory Board Chair
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President Elect
Since the OSMA Conference in April, the President-elect traveled to New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, with the OSMA President, and two members of Lane Chapter, to attend the 2008 Conference of the Medical Office Assistants Association of BC. Three weeks later, the same foursome traveled to Silverdale, Washington to attend the Washington State Society Medical Assistants (WSSMA) 2008 Conference. Both conferences offered an interesting variety of continuing education topics. It was enlightening to visit the WSSMA House of Delegates to see how their processes differ from OSMA’s. Both the Canadian and the Washington State colleagues welcomed our entourage with warm hospitality.
As expected of the OSMA President Elect, I submitted a volunteer application and resume to serve on an AAMA committee or task force. Although I named a couple of preferences, I also indicated a willingness to serve wherever assigned.
Additionally, the President Elect has been compiling the resumes, letters of commendation, and nomination statements for the national Excel Awards. OSMA is submitting one name for each of the three awards: the Spirit of Medical Assisting, the Leadership and Mentoring and the Golden Apple awards.
As your President Elect, I stand at the ready to assist President Puckett however I am needed. Thank you for your confidence in me.
Joyce Garibay, CMA(AAMA)
OSMA President Elect 2008-2009
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OSMA Bylaws Team: March 18, 2008
The OSMA Bylaws Team has submitted to the Chapters Delegates the proposed changes to be voted on at the 2008 OSMA House of Delegates.
The Bylaws were reviewed and discussed at the 2008 Leadership Retreat at Camp Cascade in an attempt to promoted discussion among the Chapter’s Delegates at their own scheduled Delegate meeting. The goal is to have all Delegates be well informed and prepared discuss the proposed changes at the Reference Committee Meeting and not so much at the 2nd Session of the House of Delegates.
The Bylaws Team Leader has enjoyed the work done on the Bylaws during the 2007-2008 term and looks forward to working with the 2008-2009 Board of Trustees.
Kelly A. Fanning, CMA, (AAMA)
OSMA Bylaws Team Leader
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Mentoring Team Report
I really enjoy seeing new people at our events and meetings. It was such a joy to hear from our newer members at the Leadership Retreat and to hear their take on things. OSMA is your professional society and it is what helps to elevate the job you do everyday to a profession. By providing you with education, networking and support it allows you to go out and be the best that you can be.
As we get ready for our annual conference in Eugene I want everyone to think about the opportunities to mentor someone. I will once again be going around distributing “Apple Award Stickers” to those I see mentoring to another member. Sometimes we do it without being aware. I heard someone quote former president John Kennedy the other day using the phrase “Ripples of Promise”. Like the pebble that is thrown into the water and the ripples that just go on and on, your simple act of welcome, explanation and support will do the same.
In River Cities Chapter Donna Morris and myself are going to become greeters making sure all new attendees learn about the chapter, the organization and then to find out how we can better serve them. Most of all we want them to feel welcome. I hope all of you are doing the same.
Submitted by
Molly Bilyeu, CMA (AAMA)
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Publicity Team News: Website Progress
OSMA Website Update
How do you like the new look? Most of the basic formatting is now complete. We will be adding in some other pages and improving others in our second phase. The biggest change is this: There will not be a separate "OSMA Journal" anymore. This website is now our revolving journal. It will be updated on a quarterly basis with reports from the OSMA officers, team leaders and chapter presidents. The schedule for the updating is:
- January, April, July, and October. All reports are due 15 days in advance of each of these months. Please mark your 2008 calendars now.
- The next upgrade will be our Chapter pages. Each chapter will have a profile, and then the quarterly report will be posted on that page.
- We will have a welcome statement on our front page. This states who and what we are so that those who find us on the WWW can know what we are all about.
- We will have a Resource Center. This area will contain any forms that you might need: membership, registration, Bylaws, Board Manual, etc. Kelly Fanning, CMA(AAMA) will be our contact for this area.
- And finally: a Highlights Page. This where you find condensed information that is on the website for that quarter. This is a printer friendly page. It would be easy to print it off for your planner or calendar or to put into your OSMA notebook if you are involved on that level. Christy Oldenstadt, CMA(AAMA) will be the Highlights Editor.
Please feel free to contact Christy or me with suggestions or questions.
Joce Willis, CMA(AAMA)
Web Coordinator
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Marketing and Membership
Quarterly Report: June 13, 2008
I continue to represent OSMA in every venue I can find. The following are events and situations that have occurred since the Annual Conference in April 2008:
MARKETING:
- Helped acquire CEUs for Legacy Skills Day. I have a contact that develops skills refresher classes for the medical assistants at the Legacy clinics. I have obtained approval for CEUs for 4 classes. Legacy is willing to develop continuing education classes in conjunction with River Cities Chapter of Medical Assistants. More information to come.
- I have a meeting with Legacy managers to talk about credentials, scope of practice and more on July 19th. I’ll have about 20 minutes to provide this information.
- I am the coordinator for the River Cities Chapter of Medical Assistants, 2nd Annual Job Fair. The event will take place November 1st at the Oregon Medical Association on Haines Road in Tigard. The event will be from 8am to 1pm (approximate). We have a risk management consultant speaking on the scope of practice and the legal aspect. We hope to have someone speak on Dress for Success and what HR representatives look for in new employees. More information to come.
- I’ve received several calls and emails concerning the Scope of Practice for medical assistants. I have information regarding this topic for anyone who is interested. I also have a letter where the content was provided by Don Balasa, JD, CAE, legal counsel and executive director of the American Association of Medical Assistants.
- I continue to education the public on the proper use of credentials held by medical assistants. The three (3) credentials that are available in Oregon are the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA), the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) and the National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA). For example, a graduate of Pioneer Pacific College is eligible to sit for the National Center for Competency Testing, National Certified Medical Assistant or NCMA exam. The medical assistant will carry the NCMA credential. A NCMA medical assistant cannot use the credentials CMA (AAMA) as the credentials are awarded by separate organizations. For more information, please contact me or Don Balasa, JD, CAE, legal counsel and executive director of the American Association of Medical Assistants.
- River Cities Chapter was a sponsor for a recent seminar held by the Portland Medical Community Managers organization. This was an all day event and RCCMA donated $50 as a door prize. When the door prize was given away, the PMCM officer mentioned that “these are the medical assistants in our offices helping us. They are a big support....” It was an excellent mention of RCCMA and CMAs (AAMA).
- I was contacted by a local hospital representative who had a concern about Scope of Practice for medical assistants. The concern was a medical assistant signing orders for the physician. The medical assistants signed the physicians name and then signed his/her initials. Don Balasa, JD, CAE, legal counsel and executive director of the American Association of Medical Assistants responded with this; “I cannot condone this practice. The CMA (AAMA) is taking on the responsibility of the delegating physician. It is permissible for a medical assistant to prepare a document for the physician’s signature, but I would not feel comfortable going beyond this”.
I also received emails from two other clinics requesting information about the Scope of Practice for medical assistants as it pertains to the State of Oregon. This information was going to be part of the job descriptions developed by the clinic managers.
MEMBERSHIP:
- I have done three presentations at local colleges since the Annual Conference. I collected approximately 6 membership applications at the conclusion of the presentation.
- I am currently involved in a large project verifying the zip codes that belong to specific chapters. This project will ensure that members are assigned to a specific chapter if the member lives in that zip code range. It is imperative that our members receive as much information as possible.
- I spoke with a specific clinic that wants information on membership to provide to the clinical staff. The clinical supervisor felt it was imperative that the medical assistants received and maintained membership information and education.
If you know someone who is interested in becoming a member, please contact me or go to the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) website,
www.aama-ntl.org, and download the membership application. You can also call AAMA, 1-800-228-2262, and become a member over the telephone.
We welcome all medical assistants as members. Oregon Society of Medical Assistants (OSMA) is all about education and all medical assistants need continuing education.
If you need more information about the Scope of Practice, developed by the AAMA, please contact me.
Submitted by:
Paula Purdy, CMA (AAMA)
OSMA Membership & Marketing Team Chair
paula@msmp.org
(503) 944-1128
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Strategic Planning Team
This team has had a busy and successful year. Many items on the OSMA 2007-08 Strategic Plan have been accomplished and some are still in process.
Some of the accomplishments to date are:
- A successful membership drive
- Excellent education throughout the state
- Promoting AAMA at all OSMA functions
- Updating and improving the Website
- Reinstating an traditional leadership retreat
- Improved chapter mentoring, training and support
- Physician Advisor job description
- Generic OSMA business cards
- Higher OSMA profile within the healthcare community
- Better promotion of the CMA (AAMA) credential
OSMA will be continuing to focus on a Strategic Plan. A planning meeting was held at the leadership retreat in March. New areas of focus were determined by open discussion with all in attendance. If you have suggestions and/or comments in regards to the OSMA 2008-09 Strategic Plan, please contact a member of the Board of Trustees or me.
Thank you, President Purdy, for the opportunity to serve OSMA.
Candy Miller, CMA (AAMA)
OSMA Strategic Planning Team Chair
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Central Oregon News: Quarterly Report, 2008
After attending the 2007 OSMA State conference, a few CMA’s got together and decided to try to breathe life into the Central Oregon chapter. We all had the same desire, to get the central Oregon chapter reinstated.
There are many talented CMA’s in the Central Oregon area that are in need of continuing education at an affordable price. In the past it has been too difficult for the Central Oregon members to drive over the mountain due to time restrictions and finances. After several meetings and brainstorming we were able to revive the central Oregon chapter. We had our first continuing education meeting January 19, 2008. There were 3 speakers and a catered lunch. Our first class had 8 attendees and each one of them left satisfied and educated. We also had 3 speakers and a catered lunch at our March 15, 2008 meeting and 7 people attended. This was also a success.
Lee Knapp,CMA (AAMA) won the drawing for the free registration to the OSMA State Convention. Congratulations Lee!!! We will see you at State!! This was paid for with the “Charm Bucks” from the OSMA.
The Central Oregon Chapter will be meeting the third Saturday of every month from 9:45 to 2:00 at Bend Memorial Clinic Physicians lounge. We already have speakers lined up for the rest of 2008. We will be offering 3 CEUs on a variety of different topics at each continuing education meeting.
This would have not been possible without the support of the OSMA board members and the support of Bend Memorial Clinic. BMC donates a meeting place and lets us make our photocopies for free; all we do is supply our own paper.
We have overcome many obstacles this past year, there is still a lot of work to be done, but we are off to an amazing start. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Kimberley A. Rutherford CMA AAMA
President COCMA
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Klamath Chapter News: April 2008
Klamath Chapter wishes everyone a wonderful Golden conference!
It has been a terrible winter here with snow, and more snow, which has resulted in cancellations with our speakers. Our obstacles have been many, but we will continue to strive and encourage our CMA’s to continue their education, and participate whenever possible. Our communications in the previous months have been by phone or fax, and kind of reminds you of years gone by. But spring is around the corner and a little sunshine now and then lets us know that things are on the move again.
Our future topics for education are: CPR, Botox, and Acupuncture.
Sincerely,
Paula Pool, CMA(AAMA)
President KCMA
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Lane Chapter Happenings
This is my last opportunity as Lane Chapter president to report all that has happened during the last year and all that will happen in the coming few weeks. The year has gone very quickly by. I have enjoyed my year as president. It has been a fulfilling year!
This March, eight members from our chapter attended the Leadership Retreat. Everyone I spoke to had a great time and found the retreat very beneficial personally and professionally.
I am looking forward to seeing you at the 2008 Conference in April at the Red Lion Hotel in Eugene. Many exciting and informative things are planned for our 50th birthday bash. I think you will gain many new skills and knowledge. We have a great conference planned.
Our chapter hosted the summer quarterly meeting in August 2007. In recent months our regular evening meetings were spent learning about thermography breast cancer scanning, water safety, 2008 coding updates and some very helpful information about pesky modifiers and when it is appropriate to use them. Another time, the subject was MRSA, the super bug...(not a Volks Wagon). Oh, perhaps you are too young to remember Super Beatles, perhaps not.
Paula Purdy, CMA(AAMA), current OSMA president was a special guest recently. She always has something very special to contribute to our meetings.
I want to thank our education team for working so hard to bring up-to-date education for one Thursday evening a month. They have done a great job.
Adele Glover, CMA(AAMA) will be leading us into the next year. This is her second trip to the president’s podium.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve Lane Chapter this past year.
Katrina Bowser, CMA(AAMA)
President, Lane Chapter Medical Assistants, 2007-08
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Linn/Benton Chapter News
I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday with your loved ones. Now it is back to work, as usual. I hope 2008 is a happy and healthy one for all.
We had our Christmas Party in December at Wyatt's Restaurant in Albany. We had a pretty good turnout and it was fun.
January 10th will be our first regular meeting at Samaritan Albany General Hospital, 4th floor conference room at 6:00 PM. Our guest speaker will be Scott Babe, and the topic is Bi-polar Disorder.
The February meeting day has been changed to Wednesday, February 13th, due to Valentines Day. We will be at the same location, Samaritan Albany General Hospital at 6:00 PM. Our topic is: Urinary Incontinence.
The March 13th meeting will be at the same time and location. Our topic is Acupuncture, with Pam Chapin as our guest speaker.
In April, on the 10th, our topic will be Allergic Rhinitis, with Dr. Roland Solensky as our speaker.
I hope that part of your New Year's resolutions are to come to more of our meetings. They are educational and you can network with other members. I hope to see you there.
Wendy Jeffers, CMA(AAMA)President
Linn-benton Chapter
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River Cities Chapter News
Greetings, to all River Cities Chapter members. I hope everyone it enjoying spring so far. Here are some high-lights on upcoming education:
- March 29th
NW Physicians Mutual
Dieter Zimmer speaker at 9am
Providence Portland (downstairs) - June 14th
Speaker TBA
Job Fair on Hold for now - September 13th
Electronic Medical Records
Speaker TBA - November 8th
RCCMA will be hosting Fall Quarterly
Marriott Courtyard in Clackamas
We will be doing voting and instillation of our new officers on the 29th.
They are as follows;
- President Diana Hughes, CMA (AAMA)
- President Elect Molly Bilyeu, CMA (AAMA)
- Treasurer Donna Morris, CMA (AAMA)
- Secretary Joce Willis, CMA (AAMA)
- Delegates Johnny Adamson, CMA-AC (AAMA), Gail Benton, CMA (AAMA), Kathy Brink, CMA (AAMA), Karen Forseth, CMA (AAMA), Peggy Haller, CMA (AAMA), Christy Oldenstadt, CMA (AAMA), Paula Purdy, CMA (AAMA) and your officers above.
RCCMA has nominated Jose Willis, CMA (AAMA) for the Betty Hill Award And Diana Hughes, CMA (AAMA) for CMA of the year. Congratulations to you both.
I look forward to seeing everyone on the 29th and at State Conference in April.
Kathy Brink, CMA (AAMA)
RCCMA President