|
Week of May 15-21, 2006 Welcome to the Tower Topics E-newsletter for faculty, staff and students at Western. |
|||||
|
Missouri Western State University, 4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph, MO 64507, 816-271- 4200 |
|||||
|
Click any link for these stories: Faculty Member and Alumna Visit Washington, D.C. Apply Now for the Alumni Family Scholarship Lost & Found: If you have lost any items, please come to SU 228 to claim them. You may be required to describe the item. Click on
Guidelines for Tower Topics: Tower Topics submissions should state time, date, place, sponsor, title of event, name of speaker's and admission fees. Send complete information to the Public Relations and Marketing office (Leah Spratt Hall, Room 106). The deadline for all entries is 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, for the next week's issue. Tower Topics will be online weekly during the fall and spring semester. For more information call 271-5651. Student Editor:
|
|
||||
|
Faculty Member and Alumna Visit Washington, D.C. Marsha Dolan, RHIA, associate professor of nursing and coordinator of the health information technology program at Western, and Lucy Sweiger, RHIT and 2002 alumnus of Western, met with legislative staffers in the offices of Rep. Sam Graves and Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond and James Talent in Washington, D.C., in March to discuss the need to upgrade the system healthcare organizations used to code and classify patient diagnosis and procedures. While visiting with members of Missouri’s Congressional delegation, Dolan, who also serves as the president of the Missouri Health Information Management Association (MHIMA), and Sweiger discussed the importance of more accurate and complete coded patient information and health data in order to improve healthcare delivery, quality monitoring and patient safety, research, analysis, and reimbursement. The United States is currently the only developed country not using this updated system, called ICD-10, making it difficult for the United States to share disease and mortality data with other countries. As a result, the ability to track and respond to international public health threats and bioterrorism events in real time is limited by the reliance on an outdated system. In addition to upgrading the United States classification system, Dolan and Sweiger discussed other issues related to improving the quality of health information for better patient care. These include education and training for a skilled workforce to manage electronic health information systems, genetic nondiscrimination laws needed to protect health information, and the development of the nationwide health information network.
“2006 is a crucial year for health information issues. MHIMA and its members have a professional obligation to play an active role in initiatives that can improve healthcare through quality information,” Dolan said. “I was pleased to have the opportunity to talk to our representatives in Congress and appreciate their interest in these issues. I feel strongly that we made our voices heard.”
Dolan and Sweiger joined more than 150 health information management (HIM) leaders who made visits on Capitol Hill as part of the 2006 Capitol Hill Day, an annual event sponsored by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
MHIMA is an affiliate of the AHIMA, the premier association of health information management (HIM) professionals. AHIMA’s 50,000 members are dedicated to the effective management of personal health information needed to deliver quality healthcare to the public. Founded in 1928 to improve the quality of medical records, AHIMA is committed to advancing the HIM profession in an increasingly electronic and global environment through leadership in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning. |
|||||
|
|||||
|
Apply Now for the Alumni Family Scholarship It is time to apply for the Western Alumni Association Family Scholarship. Deadline to apply is June 15. Established in 2000, the scholarship is for incoming freshmen who have at least one parent who is a Western alumnus. Additional criteria include a 3.0 grade point average out of high school, involvement in four extra-curricular activities in high school and demonstrated financial need. The applicant must also provide two reference letters and an official transcript. Applications may be picked up in the Alumni Services Office, Spratt Hall, room 108, or call 5676 to have an application mailed to you. You may also print it off the website at www.missouriwestern.edu, click on “Alumni,” then “Alumni Scholarships,” then “Alumni Family Scholarship.” |
|||||
|
|||||
|
Twenty-nine Western students were honored with outstanding graduate awards at the 22nd annual Honors Convocation for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and 16 students were named outstanding graduates at the College of Professional Studies Honors Convocation. Both ceremonies were held in April.
The criteria, selected by each academic department, include academic achievement, potential contributions to the discipline, contributions to departmental and college activities, leadership and service. The students are nominated by faculty members.
The following students were recognized at the Liberal Arts and Sciences Convocation:
Nathan Martinez, art; Jennifer Bruckshaw, art; Shannon Kay Swanson, art; Steven Hart, biology; Lisa Miller, biology; Justin B. Tone-Pah-Hote, chemistry; William Wright, chemistry; Kristina Nelson, chemistry; Noah Daniel Haahr, communication studies and theatre; Casey Johnston, communication studies and theatre; Genevieve Echeverria, communication studies and theatre; Robert Eugene Smith, computer science, mathematics and physics; Therese Maria Hand, computer science, mathematics and physics; Brian Free, computer science, mathematics and physics; Jeremy Simmons, economics; Melanie Fisher, English, foreign languages and journalism; John Grogan, English, foreign languages and journalism; Nicholas Draper, English, foreign languages and journalism; Jenny Olson, English, foreign languages and journalism; Amy Frances Miller, English, foreign languages and journalism; Victor N.K. Onkoba, English, foreign languages and journalism; Margaret M. Howards, government, social work and sociology; Christina Ann Hammond, government, social work and sociology; Adam David Brown, government, social work and sociology, and history, philosophy and geography; Chris Muehlich, music; Kelsey Reid, music; Erica Hidritch, music; Alyssa Myers, psychology, and Erin Wilson, psychology.
The following students were honored at the Professional Studies Convocation:
Shannon Benash, legal studies, Andrew Ewing, criminal justice; Shannon Bush, elementary education; Charles Bruscato, marketing; Faitamai Leota, construction engineering technology; Marcus Shobe, accounting; Erin Hardesty, health and exercise science; Adam Kling, finance; Cody Campbell, electronics and computer engineering technology; Kathrin Carpenter, management; Tamara Davis, recreation sports management; Corey Farnsworth, nursing; Janice Johnson, health information technology; Heidi Kennedy, physical education, teaching; Amy Long, nursing; Amy Miller, secondary education.
The students graduated at ceremonies held May 13. |
|||||
|
Baseball May 12-14 - Western 1, Washburn 6 at MIAA Tournament
Softball May 11-13 - Western 2, Concordia 3 at NCAA national tournament Western head volleyball coach Cindy Brauck has announced her retirement. She will not return to Western for the 2006 season. The Griffons won 20 or more matches in three of Brauck’s first seven seasons. While at Western, Brauck coached over 20 All-MIAA selections, one MIAA Player-of-the-Year (Lindsey Palaia - 2002) and two all-Region selections. The Western volleyball team is currently under the direction of acting head coach Kyp Harasymowycz. Harasymowycz was the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Western last season The Western softball team qualified for its second NCAA national tournament. Western was the No. 6 seed in the 2006 NCAA Division II North Central Regional Softball Tournament held May 11-13 at the Trusler Sports Complex at Emporia State University. The Griffons played No. 3 seed Nebraska-Omaha in a first-round game on May 11. |
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
Wednesday, May 17
Thursday, May 18
Friday, May 19
Saturday, May 20
Sunday, May 21
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
Wanted: Your want ads! You
are welcome to submit ads to the Western ADvantage each week.
|
|||||
