What does a health information manager do?
Health information managers (registered record administrators, accredited record technicians, and certified coding specialists) are professionals who secure, analyze, and integrate a variety of health care and financial data used to evaluate patient care, plan health care activities, and help providers.
What might a health information manager do in a workday?
Registered Record Administrator (RRA):
- interacts with medical, financial, and administrative staff to interpret data for patient care, research, statistical reporting, and planning.
- protects the privacy of patients’ health information.
Accredited Record Technician (ART):
- examines medical records for accuracy.
- reports patient data for reimbursement.
- creates disease registries for researchers.
Certified Coding Specialist (CCS):
- assigns a code to each diagnosis and procedure found in a patient’s record.
- reports codes to insurance companies to pay for a patient’s medical expenses.
How much does a health information manager earn?
- $30,000 - $55,000
How do I become a health information manager?
Students interested in health information careers should take high school courses in business, computer science, physiology, math, biology, English, and chemistry.
Registered record administrators must earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college program and pass a certification exam.
Accredited record technicians must complete an associate degree from an accredited college program or through the American Health Information Management Association’s Independent Study Program and by passing a credentialing exam. Certified coding specialists must have a high school diploma, on-the-job-training, a coding education from seminars or college classes, and pass a certification program.
Where else can I learn about becoming a health information manager?
Virginia Health Information Management Association
213 S. Jefferson Street, Suite 900 / Roanoke, VA 24011
tel: (540) 224-6836 / web: www.vhima.org
American Health Information Management Association
233 N. Michigan Avenue, 21st Floor / Chicago, IL 60601-5809
tel: (312) 233-1100 / web: www.ahima.org
The Professional Association of Healthcare Coding Specialists
218 E. Bearss Avenue #354 / Tampa, FL 33613
tel: (888) 708-4707 / web: www.pahcs.org
Educational Institutions in Virginia for Health Information Managers:
- Blue Ridge Community College
- Bryant & Stratton College
- Central Virginia Community College
- Centura College
- Danville Community College
- Eastern Shore Community College
- ECPI University of Technology
- Everest College
- Fortis College
- Jefferson College of Health Sciences
- J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
- Lord Fairfax Community College - Fauquier Campus
- Mountain Empire Community College
- Norfolk State University
- Northern Virginia Community College - Alexandria Campus
- Patrick Henry Community College
- Paul D. Camp Community College - Franklin Campus
- Piedmont Virginia Community College
- Saint Leo University
- South University
- Southwest Virginia Community College
- Stratford University
- Tidewater Community College - Chesapeake Campus
- University of Mary Washington
- University of Phoenix
- Virginia Highlands Community College
- Virginia Western Community College
- Wytheville Community College
- Career Training Solutions
- Center for Employment Training
- Community Memorial Healthcenter
- Medtech Institute
- Miller-Motte Technical College
- Sanford Brown College
- Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center
- Tidewater Tech
- Troy University
- Virginia College
