This award serves to recognize an Individual Professional member who has demonstrated excellence in the area of medical transcription/healthcare documentation education, either as an educational program instructor/coordinator, as a contributor to AHDI educational programs/initiatives, or as a trainer/instructor of online or onsite continuing education programs for AHDI members and/or the industry. These activities can be from either sustained, long-term contributions as an educator or through a single unique, high-impact contribution made to industry education during the calendar year prior to nomination.

Sara Berry, CHDS (CanScribe Career College)

Sara is an instructor who goes above and beyond her role with CanScribe Career College. For over 6 years, she has exhibited exceptional enthusiasm, proficiency, and dedication to the education of our students.

Sara enthusiastically dives into any project, task, or teaching opportunity that comes her way. She has a solid reputation as an outstanding educator. Sara conducts a weekly online instructor-led class to review the course material step by step. She focuses on clear and effective communication of the course material, ensuring understanding across the board.

Sara also contributes to student success as a supervisor with our MT/HDS 100-hour practicum, providing tailored feedback to each student she oversees. She answers student questions with clarity and patience. Students and co-workers alike appreciate her upbeat, bubbly personality. Her approach makes everyone feel heard, understood, and valued. Student comments include:

“I can honestly say I felt that Sara was cheering me along every step of the way. Sara’s encouragement, empathy, and kindness, was extremely instrumental in propelling me forward to a gratifying and successful completion of the practicum program.”

“Not only was Sara extremely professional and highly knowledgeable, her approach was one of genuine interest. She took the time to go over, in detail, the areas I may have struggled with, or areas that I could improve upon.”

Sara grades student cover letters and resumes and conducts mock interviews for our MT/HDS and Virtual Scribe students. The calm and patient way in which she conducts interviews alleviates the nerves of our candidates, ensuring they feel at ease throughout the process. Her valuable feedback empowers students, boosting their confidence to venture into the workforce equipped with a polished cover letter, resume, and enhanced interview techniques.

Sara plays a vital role in ensuring our course content remains current with the ever-changing industry and the BOSSCD4 standards, revising existing material and developing new content, such as quizzes, interactive activities, and educational videos to enhance engagement and learning. Her topic webinars and Q&A sessions are engaging, informative, and also reflect the BOSSCD4 standards.

Leslie Meger, CHDS (CanScribe College College)

Leslie Meger, a committed instructor at CanScribe Career College, contributes significantly to various medical programs, such as the Medical Transcription/Healthcare Documentation Specialist, Health Records and Registration Clerk, and Virtual Scribe programs. With over six years of dedication to CanScribe, Leslie has been instrumental in the creation of content for these programs. She has played a key role in content development, crafting quizzes and activities, and providing proofreading and editing support to maintain accuracy.

Leslie graduated with honors from CanScribe’s MT/HDS program in 2012. Following her practicum with Accentus (also known as Nuance), she embarked on a career as a medical transcriptionist, producing accurate multispecialty medical reports. Joining CanScribe in January 2017 as an educational assistant, Leslie’s professional journey saw her ascend to the role of instructor after successfully passing her CHDS credentialing exam in 2020. With experience as an MT, EA, and instructor, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her role.

Leslie is dedicated to upholding the accuracy and thoroughness of healthcare documentation. She takes pride in educating, mentoring, and guiding our students in this area. As a strong advocate of the AHDI Book of Style and Standards for Clinical Documentation (BOSS4CD), she ensures our students are well-versed in its rules. Additionally, Leslie promotes the AHDI Model Curriculum, 6th Edition, advocating for its implementation.

Leslie keeps busy during her workday at CanScribe. She handles a variety of tasks daily, including grading student reports and exams; addressing student emails, live chats, and phone calls; responding to student milestone surveys; and conducting mock interviews with students. She also mentors students through the practical portion of the MT/HDS program, providing them with valuable feedback. Additionally, she proactively reaches out to students who may be struggling or in need of encouragement. Leslie also takes charge of creating the monthly schedules for the instructional team and leads student webinars and weekly Q&A sessions.

Drawing from her extensive life and medical transcription background, Leslie leads by example through her diligent work ethic and a compassionate yet assertive approach to handling student concerns. A single conversation with Leslie is frequently sufficient to reassure even the most anxious or distressed students. Moreover, when faced with confrontational or impolite students, she leads by example, responding with fairness and professionalism to uphold the college’s policies and procedures.

I feel that Leslie’s calm demeanor, dedication to our students, and devotion to our college and the healthcare documentation industry make her an excellent candidate for the Educator of the Year Award.

Laurie Monks, CHDS (CanScribe Career College)

Over the last nine years, Laurie has been an indispensable part of CanScribe’s instructional team. She has made a substantial impact on our students by equipping students and graduates with the essential knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the healthcare documentation field.

Laurie demonstrates remarkable strength in tailoring her teaching to suit each student’s unique needs, taking into account diverse skill levels and educational backgrounds. She identifies individual requirements and effectively communicates in a manner that connects with our students. Her personalized teaching style highlights her exceptional instructional and interpersonal skills, distinguishing her as an outstanding educator, as attested by the numerous positive reviews from her students.
Some of her recent reviews include comments like the following:

• Her feedback was extremely helpful, and I actually grasped some things that were difficult for me before.
• Laurie Monks was extremely helpful, polite, and understanding throughout my medical transcription course. She provided guidance at every milestone, kept me updated on my weaknesses, and offered suggestions on areas where I could improve.

Laurie hosts numerous webinars and weekly Q&A sessions throughout the year. She also recruits guest speakers from the industry to speak to our students about their experiences through their MT/HDS program and their transition into the workforce. These serve as invaluable resources for students to remain abreast of industry developments and glean wisdom from experienced MTs. Through interactive learning opportunities and thought-provoking exercises, she fosters active participation and cultivates critical thinking among our students. Laurie has also helped CanScribe develop new programs like our virtual scribe program.

Laurie keeps busy every day by answering student emails, phone calls, and live chats as well as grading student reports and proficiency improvement exams. She also reaches out to students who are struggling, giving them helpful tips and resources to help them improve their skills.
Laurie encourages students to be members of the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI). She ensures that students follow and understand the 4th edition of the Book of Styles and Standards and promotes the AHDI Model Curriculum, 6th Edition, advocating for its implementation. Additionally, she develops user-friendly eBooks customized for CanScribe’s students, conveying crucial information and supporting self-directed learning. Her meticulous attention to detail is evident in her thorough proofreading and editing of content for the MT/HDS, virtual scribe, and medical terminology programs.

Laurie mentors many practicum students throughout the year, supporting them through their practicum learning and helping them hone their skills to best prepare them for the workforce. She provides weekly feedback tailored to each individual’s skills. She cultivates self-reliance and confidence in every student that she supervises during their 100-hour practicum.

In summary, Laurie’s invaluable contributions to CanScribe have profoundly influenced the trajectory of aspiring healthcare documentation specialists. Her unwavering commitment and fervent pursuit of excellence have made an enduring mark on the educational landscape at CanScribe, establishing a benchmark for instructional excellence within the industry.

For all of these reasons and more, I strongly believe that Laurie is highly deserving of the Educator of the Year award.

Lisa Thomson, CHDS (CanScribe Career College)

An excellent educator is passionate, dedicated to student success, innovative in their teaching methods, collaborative, and committed to continuous professional development, and Lisa Thompson checks all of these boxes with flying colors. Lisa’s dedication to advancing educational goals in healthcare documentation is evident in several key areas:

Personalized Learning Experiences
While many students are self-starters who easily navigate through the course, others require more guidance. Recognizing when a student may be struggling in a certain area, Lisa is quick to reach out by phone or email to provide additional one-on-one sessions that can significantly boost a student’s confidence and skills which can have a positive impact on the outcome of the program for the student.

Innovative Teaching Tools
Lisa provides vibrant learning environments where students engage with interactive webinars and participate in educational games that reinforce critical learning objectives. Her innovative approaches not only make learning fun but also create a deeper understanding of complex documentation practices. Her diverse presentations include such topics as Medical Myths, To Hyphenate or Not to Hypendate – That is the Question, and Common Errors in Transcription just to name a few.

Contribution to the Quality Curriculum
Lisa not only follows the curriculum but also plays a role in developing and assembling the courses. She has recently taken a leading role in launching the new Dental Administrative Assistant program, demonstrating her eagerness to embrace new challenges.

Lisa’s leadership shines brightest in her interactions with both colleagues and students.

Mentorship and Support

As a mentor, Lisa is both a guide and a cheerleader. She not only shares her teaching resources with fellow educators to help maintain high educational standards but also provides support to her peers, helping them navigate their own teaching challenges. With Lisa’s almost 10 years at CanScribe and 6 of those years as an instructor, she has tackled many challenges and is quick to share her experiences and advice with her colleagues. Lisa is quick to offer congratulations to colleagues and students alike when they achieve significant accomplishments.

Professional Development

Lisa is a lifelong learner who continually seeks to improve herself and the field of healthcare documentation. Her active participation in continuing education through AHDI and her eagerness to share any newfound knowledge underscores her commitment to professional excellence. Lisa not only holds a CHDS certification but encourages students to do the same. She recognizes and promotes AHDI knowing that the benefits are catered to professionals at different stages of their careers through a variety of resources such as webinars, the Online Learning Library, and the OWL academy.

Empathy in Teaching

Lisa’s ability to empathize with her students allows her to meet them where they are in their educational journey ensuring that no student feels left behind.

The true measure of Lisa’s effectiveness, however, comes from the heartfelt testimonials of her students. They frequently praise her for her ability to explain challenging subjects and provide clear, actionable feedback. Under her supervision, students not only recognize their weaknesses but learn how to convert them into strengths with a robust set of skills and knowledge. Many of her students have shared how well-prepared and confident they feel as they embark on their careers, a testament to Lisa’s impact as an educator.

Her unique blend of professional expertise, personal attention, and genuine care for her students’ success makes her an outstanding candidate for the AHDI Educator of the Year award.