The acting HIM Director at ABC Hospital is currently on maternity leave. You have been hired as a HIM consultant to assist with managing the department during her absence. Your first day at the facility the CFO phones and says the budget for Release of Information is due next week.

To complete this assignment:

1. Review the AHIMA article, “Release of Information Strategies to Maximize Customer Service”
2. Analyze current state of your Release of Information function. example:
   1. Is the service outsourced or provided by your staff?
   2. If the service is outsourced do you need other staff to act as a receptionist, pull charts, handle walk-ins?
   3. What is the volume of requests?
   4. Do you have the correct amount of staff to meet the turnaround time?
   5. Is Release of Information completed with paper records or is your facility utilizing an electronic health record?
3. Create a Word document explaining your current state of the Release of Information function.
4. Create a Word document table that identifies the revenue and expenses that would be required in the Release of Information function within a hospital