rosary hill college buffalo, new york voi. vi, no. 1 january, 1973 rosary hill college Medical Records at RHC In the Fall of 1970, Rosary Hill by participating hospitals. Last Spring College assumed responsibility for the college hosted a meeting of the Western New York’s only Medical Western New York Medical Record Record Administration program. Association, with a faculty member Since then, with the program based Mr. Richard Marcus, LLB, serving as entirely on campus, enrollment has in­ guest speaker discussing the “Legal creased almost three fold from 19 stu­ Implications of Computerized dents to the 52 who are presently en­ Records.” An example of the pro­ rolled in the four year program. fessional interest engendered was Prior to this, the program had been exhibited by the members of the Class based at Roswell Park Memorial Insti­ of 1971. They prepared an audio-slide tute with Rosary Hill and D’Youville presentation which was designed to serving as affiliated colleges. When assist in recruiting new students for the D’Youville College discontinued its program. It is used by the college and participation, the decision was made local hospitals for career days, and to relocate the Program on the Rosary seniors often volunteer to speak at the Hill campus. Thus, it became a college hospitals and high schools on these based program utilizing both the occasions. college’s new laboratory facilities and The students receive instruction in a variety of affiliated hoslitals. It is the professional code of ethics and in currently the only AMA - AMRA the confidential nature of medical accredited school for Medical Record records, which is reinforced by thé Administrators in New York State, RRA’s throughout the student’s clini­ outside of New York City. cal experience. Attention is also given The goals of the Medical Record to their dress and decorum both in and- Administration Program are designed out of the hospital in order to further to fulfill both the_College’s objectives increase their professionalism. as an educational institution, and also The medical record administration tq graduate students who are a credit program at Rosary Hill continually to their profession. The curriculum is emphasizes the student’s future role as designed not only to provide the research are offered. This allows the made to include every type of equip­ department head and a member of the student with the skills necessary to be student to become familiar with as­ ment that the students can expect to paramedical team. In order to prepare a medical record administrator, but pects of health care which may not be work with or purchase when they run the students for this role, the program also to guide in the formation of readily available in the Buffalo area. their own department. An area of one is geared to develop them in the ethical values, a high degree of pro­ Great care is exercised, under the room is also equipped with learning aspects of administration, systems de­ fessionalism, and a spirit of independ­ direction of Mrs. Cave, to insure that resource cubicles and work is already sign, medical research data, and ent inquiry. these out of town affiliations will be underway to program some of the various hospital committee functions. The emphasis is on developing the worthwhile for the students. The technical course material. They take courses in management, total person; making the student broad hospitals are chosen for their high Another activity which the students statistics, and personnel administra­ minded, team-oriented decision standards and carefully screened to engage in during their senior year is tion, and attend actual hospital makers, and not just highly technical insure that the RRA’s educational the preparation of a research thesis. committee meetings through out people. To further this aim, students abilities are well suited to assisting the This thesis is over and above the senior year. Epidemiology has recently in medical records administration are students in their professional develop­ normal projects which are assigned to been added to the curriculum to encouraged to choose elective courses ment. If for any reason the student is medical record administration stu­ further increase their health-care in fields other than natural science, unable to undertake his intensive dents. The research thesis is a variable knowledge. such as psychology, sociology, speech affiliation at an out of town facility, credit course which is under the This program has progressed communication, and operations re­ then provisions are willingly made at a guidance of the program director. extremely well since the College search. local hospital. Students have developed studies such assumed its operation two years ago Carolyn Cave, RRA, director of the Before they reach senior year, as “Work Measurement in a Local under the auspices of the Natural medical records program, is medical records administration Hospital’s Medical Record Depart­ Science Concentration with M. Justa committed to this goal of giving the students participate in a great deal of ment,” Feasibility of Microfilming Smith, O.S.F., Ph.D., as chairman. students the broadest possible ex­ laboratory practice on campus. This Outpatient Records,” “Social-Security The faculty, exclusive of the regular perience, and the hospital affiliation practice continues throughout the Numbering Systems in Hospitals,” and natural science instructors, consists of program is designed with this in mind. senior year in addition to their one day a survey investigating the “Current two full time RRA’s and a part-time There are nine local hospitals affiliat­ a week with an RRA at an affiliated Role of the ‘RRA’ ” (based on AMRA physician, in addition to guest ed with the college where the seniors hospital. The on campus laboratory, handbook of functions.) lecturers in the fields of legal aspects, spend one day a week under the guid­ two rooms with 1620 square feet of The findings are presented by the hospital administration, computers, ance of a RRA. They are assigned on a space, is an exact replica of a medical students at a Spring meeting to the and the State Health Department rotational basis so that they can be record department. It is patterned clinical instructors who affiliate representatives. Both RRA’s on the exposed to all the different types after various hospitals that the faculty locally. In addition to benefiting from faculty are involved in advanced health care facilities. These facilities have visited or where students have the research, this course enables the degree programs. Mrs. Muller has include university teaching, govern­ completed their intensive affiliation. students io gain the ability to make started course work toward a Master’s ment operated, small, non-teaching, This laboratory, under the direction presentations before professional degree in Education and Mrs. Cave is extended care, county operated, a of Joanne Muller, RRA, was develop­ groups. The clinical instructors favor working on a doctorate in the field of nursing home, and the recent addition ed from a wide range of medical the program because it gives them medical sociology. of a psychiatric state hospital. record materials donated by hospitals, access to some genuinely valuable re­ There is an advisory committee In addition, each student spends the as well as equipment purchased search. which meets annually, composed of last three weeks of his senior year en­ through funds from a private founda­ Strong emphasis is placed on in­ administrators and representatives gaged in an intensive affiliation with a tion. This equipment includes a stilling professional attitudes in the from various hospitals, registered particular institution. The student is Remington Rand lectriever file, an students throughout the four year pro­ record administrators, a university encouraged to complete this affiliation electric rotary file, verticle files, a gram. They attend at least one meeting medical school professor, a hospital at an out of town facility; either in a magnetic tape selectric typewriter, of the local medical record association lawyer, and a State Health Depart­ geographical area where the student microfiche file and reader, transcrip­ during their senior year, in addition to ment Consultant. In addition to serv­ may be interested in working, or tion equipment, calculators, and engaging in field trips, and viewing ing as guest lecturers, this group offers where other views of medical care and various registries. An effort has been films and live-surgery T.V. provided (Continued on Page 8) 2 response, january, 1973 Friends of Women’s Lib Mice and Men Are Subjects Think Highly of Themselves Of Research at Rosary Hill By Maryann Lauricella Many of the time honored opinions pride in where they live. This, coupled Reprinted with permission of which the general public holds about with the problems of these neighbor­ the Courier-Express welfare recipients may have no basis in hoods such as drugs, crime, and fact. This was the conclusion of Dr. mental illness, and the lack of Men who have a conservative Roslyn Gerard, chairman of the community services to deal with the attitude toward women’s rights have a Rosary Hill College sociology con­ problems, result in the individuals lower level of self-esteem than men centration, in two studies on welfare taking on a negative attitude. with a liberal attitude. housing which she has completed. The According to the survey, “this lack This was one of the indications of a studies, one for Westchester County and the other for Buffalo and Erie of needed services acts to lock the sampling of college men and male non-welfare poor and the welfare industrial workers, many from County, were conducted under the auspices of the Economic Consultants client and family into a culture of Western New York, that was included poverty. The chances are that genera­ in a report on male attitudes toward Organization, Inc.