What are the personal qualifications?

Do you like organizing and managing?

About 60% of UT HIM graduates follow a management oriented HIM career to organize, lead, and coordinate staff members to handle patient care information functions in a health care facility. The HIM professional assures that the patient's confidential information is protected and used appropriately for reimbursement, billing, statistics, legal needs, quality improvement, and in other health care operations. Most managers work in hospitals or large clinic settings with an increasing number working at the corporate systems level as corporate directors of health information management.

What about finance and accounting?

An increasing number of UT HIM graduates are working in areas directly related to reimbursement and coding and other payment oriented activities. These financial issues are increasing in importance to assure that payment for services is proper and based on accurate documentation and coding of the health record. Health information managers code and classify diagnoses and procedures and provide authorized information to insurance companies, Medicare, Medicaid, managed care organizations, and other payors

Are you interested in research and statistics and improvement of health care quality?

Jobs which involve analyzing health information for clinical research and health care quality are increasing in popularity for UT graduates. There are numerous positions for HIM professionals available at research institutions such as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and at organizations which review the quality and safety of patient care. Health care facilities also employ HIM professionals for quality management, risk management, utilization review, and other types of quality improvement positions.

Certification

Upon completion of the year at UTHSC, students apply to write the national certification examination administered by the national association, AHIMA. This is a computerized examination that is individually scheduled by the student and can be completed at any time during the year. Successful completion of the examination allows one to use the designation RHIA or Registered Health Information Administrator and means that these credentials are recognized nationwide. State licensure is not required. These credentials must be maintained by required continuing education activities.