Mentors and ACE Members

Nevada Mentors

The following members are dedicated volunteers willing to assist you with your HIM questions. Each are eager to share their experiences with you. Please contact Rhonda Faul, College of Southern Nevada for further information.

Jo Ann Jones, RHIA, CCS

Currently, I am serving on the Board of Directors as Past President of NvHIMA, Chairman of the Annual Convention and a delegate to the AHIMA House of Delegates. I have been actively working and participating in the HIM profession for 24 years. Presently, I am working at Channel Publishing in Coding Services and earned my CCS in 2007. I have HIM experience in different work settings including the acute care hospital, acute inpatient rehabilitation, ambulatory surgery center, transcription and now as a vendor of HIM services. With ICD-10 approaching in 2013, I look forward to the new challenges of learning and providing coding education to fellow coders throughout Nevada. As a mentor to our students, I would welcome the opportunity to share my work experiences, the value of the HIM credential(s) in the workplace and the importance of volunteering in NvHIMA.

Mary M Lawrence, CCS, CCS-P

President, NvHIMA 2008-2009 Director of Coding Services, Channel Publishing, Ltd. 1999 to presentTo all new and returning HIM students and to new members of Nevada HIMA: Welcome to HIM and Nevada! I am so pleased to see that you are interested in our profession and hope that it proves to be a fabulous one as it has been for me. I started my career as a file clerk back in the days when everything was on paper! I remember when our MPI went on computer and to do that we had to type in each patient’s identifying information, medical record number and each prior visit by hand! Things have come a long way since then and I have seen a lot of it. I have been working in HIM for thirty years +. My strengths of course are in coding, abstracting, analysis and auditing. I presently work for Channel Publishing, Ltd (we publish the premier coding book) as a coding consultant. I contract services with a number of hospitals here in Nevada as well as some of our bordering states. I have in the past been a department manager, assistant director and coding manager at various hospitals here in Nevada and California, as well as an independent coding contractor. My present position allows me the opportunity to do coding education, submit articles in “Clinotes”; attend AHIMA and AAPC annual conferences, the ICD 9 Coordination & Maintenance meetings and be in the forefront of ICD-10. I would be happy to speak to any of you on your coding concerns, membership in NvHIMA or other HIM interests! Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions. I look forward to visiting with you.

AHIMA ACE Members in Nevada

Gayle V. Schmidt, RHIA (acute care setting)

Pamela S. Phillips (other provider setting)

Martha L. Tokos, CDIP, CCS-P (Clinic/Physician Practice)

Tamara L. Walcott, RHIA, CHPS (long-term care)