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Show Business Editor: Carolyn Losee Phone: 626-7624 Program benefits rural communities By Kendra Balls correspondent The Signpost The Health Information Technology and Management program is offering students in rural communities an opportunity to maintain their home town atmosphere while furthering their education. Fifteen students began a two-semester online training program to become certified medical coders through the Weber State University online program. The Health Information Technology and Management program agreed to certify these students who will be hired by the medical services company Aviacode Inc. At the end of August, Dave Speaker serious By Marcus Morgan correspondent The Signpost Knowing what he knows today, Michael Ellenburg, executive vice president of fleet services for Transplace, would have taken his early college studies a lot more seriously. "I would have looked for real-world situations I could have modeled on what I was learning," Ellenburg said. "I wish I had looked at what I was studying and recognized the opportunities out there." Ellenburg spoke to students at the Ralph Nye lecture series Thursday, in the John B. Goddard School of Business and Economics at Weber State University. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Logistics Management from WSU in 1986, and has a master's degree in Logistics from West Coast University. Prior to joining Transplace, Ellenburg spent four years at Delta Air Lines, where he served as vice president of corporate purchasing and earlier as vice president of aircraft maintenance and engineering. Ellenburg also spoke about the importance of logistics management on the global economy. Logistics management, more commonly called supply chain management in corporate America, describes the shipment and distribution of goods and services. With global logistics costs estimated at $3 trillion, logistics is a topic high on the boardroom agenda. "Every person is impacted by logistics," Ellenburg said. "Everything involves some form of logistics.", Transplace was formed in July 2000 through merger of the six logistics business units of the nation's largest publicly held truckload carriers. Transplace offers an industry -lea ding menu of lo'gi'Strcs "ynd trftrMp'otufrittn ' Jensen, Aviacode chief executive, announced their commitment to hiring in rural Utah for their expected increase in employment during the next year. "We've told the state that once they have completed their training and passed their certification exams, we are ready and willing to hire them," Jensen said. WSU is training students with backgrounds in the health care industry who received scholarships from the state. The funding came from a campaign launched by Governor Mike Leavitt in March 2001, called the Utah Smart Site initiative. According to the official Utah Government website, the Utah Smart Site designation is awarded to small rural communities where companies stresses study management services, ranging from complete outsourcing, as a third-party logistics provider and load control center or as a source for single shipment transportation assistance. Transplace, with corporate headquarters in Piano, Texas, has been named to Forbes' prestigious "Best of The Web: B2B" list. The list combined software vendors, 3PL service providers, and exchanges. Among 3PL service providers, Transplace placed first, above some stiff competition. Ellenburg shared his personal vision of success. He called it the "five rights:" right part, good or service right time right place right quantity right cost WSU Associate Logistics Management Professor Shane Schvaneveldt, felt students benefited significantly from Ellenburg's presentation. "It's like having a fire hydrant of information opened up to you," Schvaneveldt said. "I'm anxious to talk more with him about his experiences in business." WSU accounting major. Celeste Garn also learned some important business strategics from Ellenburg's presentation. "I'll remember what he said about how you can't just build it and expect them to come," Garn said. "You need to have a business plan and understand your competition." Another point Garn said she would remember about Ellenburg's presentation finding and fulfilling customer needs as an important part of business success. "If you can find a way to fill that need at a discount to your customer and a profit for yourself, you've got it made," Ellenburg said. You can leave message for correspondent Marcus Morgan by 'rsMn 62ft7624 " " - "- - "We've told the state that once they have completed their training and passed their certification exams, we are ready and willing to hire them." come in and set up technology based employment. Pat Shaw, WSU assistant professor in the health information technology and management program, is pleased with what the program is providing. "The Utah Smart Site program provides the opportunity for students to train close to home and then also 'ilr t.vi.V.f.-. -!.t:t:.: i- :::;-!;:;:;.:):,:; ?.)-:)- ,l::U'-''-i ITIAA CREF t-Lu ill.lL: U1UU l;u ;.. T ' J ::T I' 'T .vil i r i - - jlr 8 - i" Dave Jensen Aviacode chief executive work close to home," Shaw said. "They now need to leave their community to find a job that pays them well." The rural community setting offers businesses a unique package. People from these communities are usually committed to this rural lifestyle. Because of this they can expect a mm 'tit'.m w sek m ittfttf&t wjafiig. aW3ir4.1 gil-!ib i ' ! " - t r lower turnover and higher productivity. WSU offers a certificate in the field, which requires two semesters of work, as well as the typical two or four year degrees. People working in this field apply codes to medical procedures for billing purposes. For this career, students need a strong knowledge of medical terminology and computers. Shaw mentioned the high demand for employment in the medical coding field, which has 10,000 new positions nationally. "The current educational programs are only graduating about 2,100 students," said Shaw, "This field is continuing to grow." You can leave a message for correspondent Kendra Balls by calling 626-7624. mi mmp I, tiuni y& !! -TifraQ 1 t A J. M.' t I |