The Missouri Health Information Management Association (MoHIMA) has awarded two Health Information Management graduates with prestigious state awards.
Makenzie Martin Hon was awarded the MoHIMA 2020 Outstanding Student Award. She is a 2020 HIM graduate and is an EMR Consultant for Three Rivers Hospice, Inc., in Platte City, MO.
Makenzie joined the HIM program at Missouri Western as a transfer student in the summer of 2018. She served in 2019 as a student representative on the Missouri Western HIM Advisory Board and was nominated for her award by Kelly Fast, MS, RHIA, program coordinator of HIM at Missouri Western.
The MoHIMA Outstanding Student Award award recognizes the best of the new talent being trained in their six HIT/HIA programs in the state. Criteria includes student activities involvement (e.g. holds class office, participation in or initiation of student HIM projects), proven leader in their current class (e.g. demonstrated by volunteering, attendance at MoHIMA or local association events, etc.) and attendance at one or more MoHIMA events. This award is based upon the above qualifications as well as three professional reference letters requested on behalf of the nominee by the nominator.
Courtney Simmons, RHIA, CCS, COC, CPC was presented with the MoHIMA 2020 Rising Star Award. She is a 2015 HIM graduate and a Denials Coding Analyst with Mosaic Life Care, St. Joseph, MO.
Courtney joined the HIM program at Missouri Western as a transfer student in the spring of 2011. She is president-elect for the regional Pony Express Health Information Management Association and also teaches coding for Metropolitan Community College. She was nominated by Kelly Fast, MS, RHIA, program coordinator of HIM at Missouri Western.
The MoHIMA Rising Star Award honors a gifted new professional (practicing in the HIM field for less than five-years) who embodies great hope as we look to the future of the HIM profession.
Recipients must have less than 5 years in the field, have MoHIMA and/or AHIMA professional association involvement (committees, attendance at meetings, etc.), be currently working in the field and be a proven role model to peers (e.g. demonstrated through work project involvement, professional association involvement, volunteering to assist association, etc.). This award is based upon the above qualifications as well as three professional reference letters requested on behalf of the nominee by the nominator.
Congratulations to these remarkable professionals who Missouri Western has been honored to have as graduates from the HIM program!