ACE 2009 - Nashville, Tennessee

This year's ACE proved to be an exciting and challenging venture with speakers such as Dr. Jonathan Perlin and Bruce Mast. They each presented dynamic topics regarding healthcare reform and how to navigate through the changes we all will be experiencing in the near future. Other topics such as the evolving roles of MTs were discussed and much brainstorming took place on what we may be asked to achieve with skillbuilding tools to further enhance our value to this healthcare profession.

I must say the location was absolutely wonderful at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville. It seemed once you entered that there was not an outside world! The conservatories were absolutely beautiful with a controlled climate that was so much cooler than Louisiana! The food was delicious and there were always things to do for fun (although our schedules were very busy with all the great meetings and planned activities). I even learned to line dance and though I'm not very coordinated, it was a lot of fun. We spent several evenings watching the cowboys and cowgirls dancing in the "streets" of the hotel while eating ice cream cones!

One of the most exciting things our association is experiencing right now is the work that the Dewey Square Group is doing in Washington. This lobbying firm is helping to pave the way for our future, bringing talking points to congressmen about our profession and making our voices heard. However, we all need to take an active role in making our voices heard when it comes to issues with the HITECH Act and the role that EHR will be bringing to our industry. The terms "meaningful use" and "value add" are terms heard frequently and the importance of keeping the Health Story or narrative report in the EHR is of utmost importance. If you haven't heard about the Health Story Project, please see the website at www.healthstory.com and learn about the importance of the documentation in the electronic health records.

I hope to see you at the next ACE which will be held in Austin, Texas in 2010! I should be able to take those cowboy boots and my hat back to this location as well. I just hope I can remember all the dance steps in a year!