Tell me more about Health Information Management

Employment of health information managers/administrators is expected to increase by 20 percent through 2026 in part, due to electronic medical record implementation mandates and analytics. Median annual earnings health information managers was $96,540 in 2016. Health Information Managers are employed in:

• Revenue Cycle Management
• Coding and Billing
• Operations/Medical Record Administration
• Informatics/Data Analytics
• Education
• Compliance
• IT/Infrastructure
  source: Bureau of Labor and Statistics, May 2017

Earnings of medical and health services managers vary by type and size of the facility and level of responsibility.

• Graduates of the program are eligible to write the RHIA (Registered Health Information Administrator) certification exam which is offered by the American Health Information Management Association
• 240 hour internship in a hospital setting is completed during the second year in the program; a 400 hour internship in a health-related setting is completed during the last semester in the program
• Program is offered on Big Rapids campus during the day and Grand Rapids campus in the evening
• For graduates of an accredited HIT program, all of the professional courses in the HIM program are offered online. General education courses can be taken at a college/university near you.

What Graduates Do

Registered Health Information Managers/Administrators establish and implement policies, objectives, and procedures for their departments; evaluate personnel and work quality; develop reports and budgets; and coordinate activities with other managers. Health information managers are responsible for the maintenance and security of all patient records. Recent regulations enacted by the Federal Government require that all health care providers maintain electronic patient records and that these records be secure. As a result, health information managers must keep up with current computer and software technology and with legislative requirements.

Health Information professionals work in hospitals, clinics, physician private practices and health departments and insurance companies. They typically work in an office setting, Monday-Friday, 40 hours per week.

Related Occupations

Medical and health services managers have training or experience in both health and management. Other occupations requiring knowledge of both fields are insurance underwriters and social and community service managers.

Employment Prospects

Employment of health information managers is expected to increase by 20% through 2026 because of rapid growth in the number of medical tests, treatments, and procedures that will be increasingly scrutinized by health insurance companies, regulators, courts, and consumers. Managers are needed to supervise/direct users of the electronic health record (EHR), coding systems, data retrieval, release of information, patient access, billing, analysis of data, and other related areas.

New jobs are expected in offices of physicians as a result of increasing demand for detailed records, especially in large group practices. New jobs also are expected in home health care services, outpatient care centers, and nursing and residential care facilities.

Source: AHIMA Salary Survey 2016

WORK ACTIVITIES

Health Information Managers plan, direct, coordinate, and supervise the various functions related to the patient record. These managers must remain current with HIPAA, ICD-10 and CPT coding, and changes in health care reimbursement.

Medical coders assign ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS to patient diagnoses and procedures. ICD-10 has more than 155,000 diagnoses and procedure codes compared to 18,000 in the previous ICD-9 coding system. The coder must have a solid background in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and pathophysiology to provide the specificity that is required with ICD-10. Thus, a well-prepared coder is in high demand in the healthcare industry. An experienced coder may then move into supervision/management of coding services, revenue cycle management, auditing, and compliance.

Workers must be prepared to deal with integrated health care delivery systems, technological changes, complex regulatory environments, and an increased focus on preventative care. They will also spend their time efficiently improving health care facilities, and the quality of the care provided.

Health Information Managers must maintain and secure all patient records electronically. This requires workers to keep up with computer and software technology to meet federal government requirements.

Some Health Information Managers oversee the activities of a number of facilities in health systems. Such systems might contain both inpatient and outpatient facilities and offer a wide range of patient services.

WORK SETTINGS

Managers work in hospitals, physician practices, long term care settings, ambulatory care facilities, insurance companies and consulting firms.

TYPICAL EARNINGS

Average Wages for Occupations:

Consultant - $89,270
Director - $96,050
Manager - $78,020

Source: AHIMA 2016

^*National average salaries vary by region

CAREER PATHWAYS

• Insurance Underwriters
• Outpatient care center managers
• Home health care service managers
• Nursing care facility managers
• Hospice service managers

HELPFUL SKILLS & PREFERENCES

Common Characteristics of Graduates

• Leadership skills
• Management skills
• Organizational skills
• Good written and oral communication skills
• Strong computer skills
• Attention to detail

NETWORKING

• Professional Organizations: American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
• Student Organizations: Health Care Management Association (HCMA)

SCHOLARSHIPS

• Call Family Scholarship
• Mecosta County Medical Center Auxiliary Scholarship
• Outer Drive Hospital Auxiliary
• MHIMA Scholarship Award
• MHIMA Student Achievement Award
• AHIMA Foundation Scholarship

College of Health Professions: For more information on what to do with a Health Information degree contact: 231-591-2266. For more program options and requirements see the Ferris catalog.

If you are interested in career counseling assistance or would like to comment on 'What Can I Do With This Degree', please send a message to [email protected].