Introduction to the Academy of Health Information Professionals

1. Introduction to the Academy of Health Information Professionals PRESENTED BY Jan Rice, MLS, AHIP MCMLA Credentialing liaison MCMLA Webinar April 1, 2014 ADAPTED FROM PRESENTATIONS CREATED BY ANNA BETH CRABTREE, AHIP, 2003 and JOLENE MILLER, MLS, AHIP, 2013

2. What is AHIP? • Academy of Health Information Professionals • Medical Library Association’s professional development and career recognition program

3. Why join AHIP? • A structure for professional development • Mentoring and support • Encouragement and recognition of peer-reviewed professional activities • “Visible” sign to employers

4. Who can be a member of AHIP? • MLA members • Librarians and other information professionals who are not members of MLA 2014: 1002 information professionals in AHIP, representing the full range of work experience and accomplishments found among health information professionals.

5. Who can be a member of AHIP? • Academic health science librarian • Hospital/medical center librarian • Nursing librarian • Consumer health public librarian • Medical/health science indexer • Librarian with no health science experience but would like to obtain a position in the health sciences • New library school graduates who would like to obtain a position in the health sciences Do you need to be a member of MLA? No!

6. Am I Eligible to Apply? Academic Preparation • Do you have an ALA-accredited master’s degree in library and information science? • If Yes, Academy level is based on years of experience following receipt of a master’s degree • If you have another master’s degree (not ALA-accredited), you must document coursework in all of MLA’s seven Professional Competencies, regardless of the number of years of professional work experience • Fulfilled by documenting minimum of 8 contact hours of instruction in each competency

7. 7 Professional Competencies(from MLA’s Competencies for Lifelong Learning and Professional Success) 1 Health Sciences and Health Care Environment and Information Policies 2 Leadership and Management Theory and Techniques 3 Health Sciences Information Services 4 Health Sciences Resource Management 5 Information Systems and Technology 6 Curricula Design and Instruction  7 Research, Analysis, and Interpretation

8. Am I Eligible to Apply? Professional Experience The number of years you have worked in an information-related professional position after attaining your master’s degree helps determine which level of AHIP membership you may achieve.

9. Is Health Sciences Work Required?? • In May 2012, the MLA Board approved a change to the Academy which allows us to consider all professional information work, whether or not it is in the health sciences. • Pointswill still need to be health sciences library or health information-related, not just library activities or courses, with the rationale that applicants will be improving their health sciences medical librarianship knowledgebase and skills in the profession.

10. Eligibility of Part-Time Employment • Part-time employment is eligible • MLA documentation explanation: • Part time = 24 hours per week • Based on 11 months full time work each year • Equivalent of 5 full time years • Include these details on your CV 11 months x 4 wks/mo x 24 hrs = 1056 hrs/year 1056 hrs x 5 years = 5280 hours

11. Am I Eligible to Apply? Professional Accomplishments You may earn points for AHIP membership by participating in a wide variety of professional accomplishments, publishing, editing, serving in professional associations, etc. Note: Activities which are part of your job are not awarded points.

12. The AHIP Levels • Provisional • Member • Senior • Distinguished • Emeritus Members at each level are full members of the Academy!

13. Provisional Level • Holds an ALA-accredited MLS or a non-ALA-accredited master’s degree with documented coursework in the 7 Professional Competencies. • Currently employed in an information professional position with less than 5 years of experience, OR • Currently seeking employment with less than 5 years of experience. • For the Provisional level, a mentor is assigned to work with you.

14. Provisional Level • Must document 8 hours of continuing education each year; these hours will then count toward moving you to the next level at the end of your provisional membership. • Beginning January 2014, must document 5 points of professional accomplishments per year; these too will count toward moving you to a higher level. • Provisional fee is paid at the beginning the provisional period (a maximum of five years) although provisional membership must be renewed annually.

15. Member Level • Holds an ALA-accredited MLS or a non-ALA-accredited master’s degree with documented coursework in the 7 Professional Competencies. • Has worked in an information professional position for five or more years after attainment of the master’s degree. • Fifty (50) points of professional accomplishments completed in the past 5 years.

16. Senior Level • Holds an ALA-accredited MLS or a non-ALA-accredited master’s degree with documented coursework in the 7 Professional Competencies. • Has worked in an information professional position for five or more years after attainment of the master’s degree.

17. Senior Level • Eighty (80) points of professional accomplishments completed in the past 5 years. • No more than 50 points may come from sponsored instruction. • At least 5 of the 80 points must be from professional association activities, not necessarily in MLA

18. Distinguished Level • Holds an ALA-accredited MLS or a non-ALA-accredited master’s degree with documented coursework in the 7 Professional Competencies. • Has worked in an information professional position for ten or more years after attainment of the master’s degree.

19. Distinguished Level • One hundred and twenty (120) points of professional accomplishments completed in the past 5 years. • No more than 50 points may be sponsored instruction. • At least 10 of the 120 points must be professional association activities. At least 5 of 120 must be MLA activities.

20. What counts as “MLA points”?(at least 5 pts required for Distinguished level) • Serving as an officer, a committee chair or committee member of MLA, an MLA chapter, an MLA section, or an active MLA SIG • Serving as a mentor for a Provisional Member in the academy • Developing an MLA continuing education course • Serving as a site coordinator for an MLA teleconference • Conducting oral history interviews for MLA archival purposes

21. Emeritus Level • Retired from the profession • Prior member of the academy at any level (except Provisional) at the time of retirement, and has been credentialed/certified by MLA for 10 consecutive years at the time of retirement. • No points are required to renew at this level. • Send a written request, Emeritus Form, and copies of your last certificate(s) to MLA headquarters. • No fee to move to Emeritus level

22. Comparison of AHIP Levels

23. Renewals • Membership lasts 5 years; renew before the end of the 5th year • Renewal may be at the level of previous application • Need to prove completion of requirements for that level • NOTE: Provisional members may not extend Provisional level beyond 5 years • To advance to higher level of membership: • Must meet professional experience requirements • Must meet accomplishments for that level • Can advance to next level in less than 5 years if you meet the requirements • New fee required • Starts new 5 year cycle

24. Application Fees & Time to Renewal • Fees paid when documentation is uploaded • Application fee is non-refundable

25. AHIP on MLANET www.mlanet.org/academy/

27. MLA – Form LEDGER for documenting points

33. MCMLA AHIP Points Tracker -- Excel

34. MCMLA AHIP File Folder Labels (Word)

35. COMING THIS YEAR TO MCMLA . . . • MCMLA Executive Committee recently approved a proposal: • One-time grant for full or provisional AHIP membership • $1000 to fund a limited number of first-time, successful AHIP applications ($120/Provisional; $195/Member or above) • Encourage AHIP membership • Motivate MCMLA chapter members to become involved in their profession • Remove the financial barrier from the initial application process • Details will be forthcoming soon • Start getting your paperwork together so you will be ready to take advantage of this funding when it is announced!!

36. Tips from the Credentialing Committee Jolene Miller, MLS, AHIP 2013-14 chair, mla credentialing committee

37. Portfolio Review Process • It begins at MLA Headquarters • MLA members: upload your forms and documentation to MLANET • Applicants who are not current MLA members: create one PDF file of your portfolio and email to MLA HQ • Primary Review • An MLA Credentialing Committee member

38. Portfolio Review Process • Secondary Review • The Credentialing Committee’s Chair-Designate • It ends at MLA Headquarters • You are notified of the outcome If at any point, there are questions about your portfolio, documentation, etc., a member of the CredComm will contact you. Likewise, if you have any questions, contact MLA HQ.

39. Helpful Hints: Getting Ready • Review the requirements for the level for which you will be applying. • Do you need to document professional association activity points? Allow yourself time to earn them if you need to. • Do you need to document MLA activity points? Allow yourself time to earn them if you need to. • Review the online point index regularly, paying attention to the required documentation. The Credentialing Committee is often adding new items and new clarifications; the online version is the most current.

40. Helpful Hints: Getting Ready • Keep organized – keep all documentation in a file or online until you need it. • When you’re ready to apply, get the most current AHIP forms from the web site. • Document more points than you need, within reason. • Have more than you need? Pick the easiest ones to document.

41. Helpful Hints: Putting it all together • Work experience • In your CV, it’s helpful for reviewers if you include start and end months for each position. • If any of your work was part-time, please make note in your CV of how many hours per week the position entailed. • We now look at all professional library/information work experience following the MLS, not just health science work.

42. Helpful Hints: Putting it all together • When completing your portfolio, document what you claim and claim what you document. • Keep documentation in the order you’re claiming the points on your ledger. • Supply the required documentation – no more, no less. • For example, to document service on a committee, send a copy of the roster of that committee for the year being claimed, not the entire web page of all rosters for all chapter committees.

43. Helpful Hints: Putting it all together • Highlight your name on the documentation, if possible. • Special issues with officer/committee terms: • You can claim a year of service once the year is complete. • On your ledger, claim each year of service on its own line; you do not need to wait until a term is complete before you claim individual years of service. • On your ledger, include the start and end months of your service.

44. Questions about Credentialing? KATHLEEN COMBS Director, Professional Development Medical Library Association Phone: (312) 419-9094 X29 Fax: (312) 419-8950 Email: MLAPD1@MLAHQ.ORG

45. Questions?