2007 PHIMA  Scholarship Winners
Award - $500

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iod Incorporated and CBIZ KA Consulting Services, LLC

Osayimwense Osar-Emokpae

Osayimwense Osar-Emokpae is currently enrolled full-time in Temple University – College of Health Profession program, with plans to graduate in the Spring of 2007.

Osayimwense has maintained a GPA of 3.81 while working as a student worker at Temple University Medical Records.  Osayimwense is currently the Vice President of the Health Information Management Association.  In the past, she has been actively involved in The Temple University Parliamentary Debate Team, Temples’ Student Government – Health Sciences Campus Representative and the Temple University Freshman Seminar Peer Teacher.

According to Osayimwense, the biggest upcoming challenges to the HIM field are the legal aspect of the Electronic Health Record because the Health Record is going through technological advancements.  Osayimwense feels there is a need for the Laws to protect not only the intellectual property but the confidential information of the individual.

Osayimwense’s long term professional goal is to attend Law School and focus on Health Law.  With a Health Law degree, Osayimwense plans to become a risk/security management professional in a health establishment and work on improving the health care system as a whole.

Stephanie R. Hackett

Stephanie R. Hackett is currently enrolled full-time at the University of Pittsburgh, in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Science’s Health Information Management Department and Graduate Program, with plans to graduate in the Summer of 2007.

Stephanie has maintained a GPA of 3.80 while working as the Clinical Education Coordinator and Graduate Student Assistant in the HIM Department.  Stephanie has written publications and conducted conference presentations based on her research, as well as written a chapter for a book.

According to Stephanie, the biggest challenge to the HIM field is system interoperability.  In August 2006, an executive order from President Bush called for federal agencies to provide consumers with easy-to-use information about the quality and price of their health care.  While there are many health care systems in use, very few of these systems are able to communicate with each other.  This leads to islands of information and vital patient information not available where and when it is needed.  The lack of communication between systems results in tests being repeated unnecessarily and patients prescribed medications that could result in potentially dangerous interactions.  By working to improve health information system interoperability, HIM professionals will be ensuring that caregivers have the information they need when they need it.

Stephanie’s long-term goal is to grow into an expert in the area of system interoperability, where she can share this information with other HIM professionals through educational venues provided by PHIMA and AHIMA.