"If you told me 20 years ago I'd be where I'm at today...I would have said, 'Not me.'" --Dianna Hall, CMT, AHDI-F

Dianna Hall, CMT, AHDI-F, froze in her chair. Frenzy erupted around her--chants, cheers and hands gesturing toward the stage. Hall had been nominated for the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity's (AHDI) Member of the Year Award, but she never expected to win. Then her named was called.

"I was totally in shock and said, 'Oh my gosh--that's me!'" Hall recalled. "I just broke down in tears."

For the seasoned medical transcriptionist (MT) and devoted association member, the award was a slap of icing on years of hard (yet satisfying) work. Since joining AHDI in 1990, Hall has filled various roles on the national, state and local level. She's mentored students and advocated for transcription on the Hill. And she has no intent to settle down.

Like many HIM professionals, Hall fell into the field. She majored in English, but took a job at an insurance company that included transcribing medical and accident reports. She found the material interesting and pursued a career as nursing assistant, only to come full circle. "I started working for doctors' offices, and once they saw I had the medical background and secretarial work, I went back into transcription again," Hall said.

Over the years, Hall embraced changes in the field. Starting her career with "blue belts," she now works with electronic health records (EHRs) as a home-based transcriptionist for Covenant HealthCare, Saginaw, MI. Digital records make it easy to access patient information, and she doesn't feel threatened by the technology. "So far it's been a win-win situation," she said. "We haven't had any problems with it, and my boss is committed to keeping transcription."

Hall's enthusiasm will prove valuable as HIT advances. She anticipates her facility will adopt speech recognition (SR) technology within the next few years; it's a common prospect that has many MTs considering retirement, but Hall is ready to shift gears. "I can edit just as well as I can transcribe," she said. "In fact, at my age it might be easier to do that than just type!"

And it's not all talk, no action. Hall was one of three Michigan members to attend this year's AHDI Advocacy Day in Washington, DC, where she met with senators, representatives and aides to explain transcription's role in health care and EHRs. The lawmakers were surprisingly receptive. "Just to be on the ground level and talking to these people and having them know who we are--they actually knew what transcriptionists were--meant a lot to us," Hall said.

One senator took particular interest in the field and said funding was available to support MT training and career development. Hall plans to attend next year's Advocacy Day to keep that progress on track.

Back home, Hall has left her mark on the industry. She's held a leadership role in AHDI or one of its chapters every year since 1992, starting as an officer, serving as president of the Bay Area chapter for 10 years and even leading the state association. Two years ago, Hall thought she'd take a break, but colleagues convinced her to run for state delegate. She loved being on the national level, especially the travel involved. Now she's aiming for another 2-year stint.

Hall attributes much of her success to AHDI involvement. "If you told me 20 years ago I'd be where I'm at today or I would have won anything like this or I would have been president of an association or even a state delegate, I would have said, 'Not me,'" she said.

Meetings help Hall stay on top of industry news and offer tips to advance her skills. But most importantly, the association has provided a support system. "Through all the trials in your life, the friendships I've made--it's the most wonderful thing," she said.

Of course, those friends and colleagues were there when Hall finally strode on stage to receive her award. "I don't think anything can ever compare to that," she said. "It was phenomenal."

Cheryl McEvoy is an assistant editor with ADVANCE.

Got Talent?
Education and training are important, but a successful transcription career also comes down to talent, according to Hall. In our audio interview below, she explains why MTs need their heart in the game.