eMHIMA Update

Dear eMHIMA Members,

AHIMA has released new requirements that are part of the affiliation agreement that MoHIMA must sign with AHIMA. Because of these changes, the MoHIMA Board is meeting with all Regional Associations boards to discuss the various options related to this. The eMHIMA Board met with MOHIMA on November 13th to gain additional information on the options eMHIMA has as an organization moving forward. Diana Suzuki-Tyrey our current eMHIMA President, has requested that the eMHIMA Board notify members of these changes.

Per the eMHIMA bylaws, it is a decision that will be made by the eMHIMA Board, however, we as a board wanted to present the information to the members of eMHIMA and provide full transparency.

The options include:

1) A regional association in Missouri may incorporate, become a not-for-profit in Missouri, and sign a new Affiliation Agreement with MoHIMA. This allows the regional association to “stay connected” to MoHIMA/AHIMA. It can continue to appear on the MoHIMA website, MoHIMA can approve continuing education hours for no additional fee, etc. (This would also mean eMHIMA would no longer be able to charge a membership fee, which would limit the amount of programming and opportunities eMHIMA could provide within budget over time as funds dwindle. It is imperative that everyone understands starting the January 1st, 2024 cycle, 40% of all CEs per year need to come directly from AHIMA.)

2) A regional association in Missouri may dissolve and not function as an “association.” The MoHIMA Board could then have a Board or Committee Chair position that ensures educational opportunities are provided in that area of the state.

3) A regional association in Missouri may decide not to incorporate or become a not-for-profit but would need to disassociate from MoHIMA / AHIMA. This includes changing logo, having its own website, and paying to have continuing education hours approved through the AHIMA ACEP program.

The board has had many discussions and is carefully considering all options. Over the last few years, eMHIMA as an organization has struggled with member engagement and retention, filling board positions and member participation in scheduled programming both live and on-demand webinars. As an example, out of our approximate 80 members, a live webinar we hosted in July 2023, we only had 7 members in attendance. Another example, an in-person event we held in partnership with ARMA, we had only 4 participants.

The eMHIMA board is planning to meet on Wednesday, December 13th to vote on the issue and how to proceed as a decision needs to be made by the end of the year 2023. If it is decided that eMHIMA will be dissolved as an organization, the existing eMHIMA funds will be transferred to MOHIMA for educational purposes and for the benefit of our members. It is the board’s current opinion that it might serve best under the supervision of MOHIMA where they can provide a greater variety of educational opportunities. As a board, we wanted to provide this information to our members prior to our vote and a decision being made. If there are any questions or concerns, please reach out to the eMHIMA board at emhimaboard@gmail.com.

Thank you,
The eMHIMA Board