AHIMA Launches First HIM Career Map

Interactive map helps students and all levels of HIM professionals chart their own path to success

CHICAGO, July 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the demand for qualified health information management professionals high in this rapidly changing field, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) unveiled an innovative, interactive  Health Information Management (HIM) Career Map^©  during its Assembly on Education meeting in Orlando, Fla. It is the first career map of its kind in the healthcare profession.

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The HIM Career Map^© is an interactive and visual representation of the HIM job titles and roles that compose the scope of the field and the promotional and transitional career paths associated with them.

AHIMA created the career development tool to meet the needs of students and HIM professionals seeking to chart their career course in this growing profession. Employment in the medical record and health information technology field is expected to increase 21 percent by 2020 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"The career map is a great resource tool that will help students, recent graduates and HIM professionals looking for new opportunities to plan a path to success," said AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon, MBA, RHIA, CAE, FACHE. "Not only is it a one-stop place to learn about HIM careers, it defines the profession like never before by showing where the field is now and where it is heading."

Arranged in six broad job families and four skill levels, the map includes 53 current job titles and 14 emerging roles in HIM. Emerging roles will be added to the map as needed to reflect the current reality of HIM roles, pathways between the roles and connections to the direction in which the profession is moving.

Each title includes a description and details on the skills required, job responsibilities, education and work experience needed for success. The HIM Career Map^© also indicates alternate titles for some positions due to the different terminology used in the industry. The map is driven by data from AHIMA subject matter experts, staff and an AHIMA member survey.

"We're proud to bring this tool to the HIM community and look forward to adding to it as the  profession continues to evolve to exciting new heights," said Thomas Gordon.

The map is a result of a partnership between the AHIMA Foundation and the Center for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). It was made possible in part by philanthropic contributions from Career Step.

To view the career map, visit http://hicareers.com/CareerMap/.

About AHIMA
Representing more than 64,000 specially educated Health Information Management professionals in the United States and around the world, the American Health Information Management Association is committed to promoting and advocating for high quality research, best practices and effective standards in health information and to actively contributing to the development and advancement of health information professionals worldwide. AHIMA's enduring goal is quality healthcare through quality information. www.ahima.org

SOURCE American Health Information Management Association