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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:
Earnings of medical and health services managers vary by type and size of the facility and level of responsibility.
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.
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 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
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.
Managers work in hospitals, physician practices, long term care settings, ambulatory care facilities, insurance companies and consulting firms.
Average Wages for Occupations:
Consultant - $89,270
Director - $96,050
Manager - $78,020
Source: AHIMA 2016
*National average salaries vary by region
Common Characteristics of Graduates
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.
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