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Sept. 5, 2007 — Iva Chen, a 21-year-old health information management student from Kaoshiung Medical University in Taiwan, visited the College of Health and Public Affairs during July and August 2007. Her visit was hosted by Alice Noblin, director of the Program in Health Information Management, and Thomas Wan, director of the Doctoral Program in Public Affairs, who is originally from Taiwan.
During her stay, Chen learned how medical records are managed in the United States by working with Noblin and Tom Falen, instructor of health information management, on a variety of projects and traveling to several local health-care facilities.
"Iva toured Orlando Regional Healthcare, Florida Hospital, Holmes Regional and the UCF health center," Noblin said. "All of these facilities have electronic components and the hospitals showed us their procedures for scanning, indexing and quality checks. This is not done in Taiwan."
Chen also learned about the practice of assigning CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes to procedures, which is not done outside the United States. In addition, she learned how to use the software "Encoder," which HIM students use to automatically assign codes.
One of Chen's last projects was learning about "Visio," a software used by HIM students to create Gantt charts, flow charts and department layouts. "Iva was unfamiliar with it, so she went online and figured it out. I was just amazed at her abilities. She even taught me some new things to do in it!"
Chen made many friends in the HIM program and accompanied them on visits to areas attractions, including Universal Studios, Disney World, Sea World and Busch Gardens. She also enjoyed shopping excursions and trips to the beach, local restaurants and movie theaters.
"Iva was such a joy to spend time with," Noblin remarked.
Noblin said Chen's visit helped broaden her understanding
of Taiwan's health-care system and education and her appreciation for Taiwanese people in general.
In turn, Chen said she now has a much better understanding of the differences in the health-care systems in Taiwan and the United States. She also "learned so much about the people and the language."
"I like UCF, like America, and love everyone here," Chen wrote. "I so appreciate everything people have done for me. Thank you very much."
— Karen Guin
Photo by Thomas Alan Smilie
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Iva Chen visited the college for two months during summer 2007.
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