RCC Health Information Tech students celebrate ‘HIP Week’

HAMLET — Richmond Community College joined the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) in honoring and celebrating health information professionals during the 26th annual Health Information Professionals (HIP) Week March 22-28, 2015. This year’s theme was “Reliable Information, Responsible Care.”

An RCC photo Pictured seated from left are RCC Health Information Technology students Brittany Herndon, Grant Colden and Ryanne McEachin. In back is RCC Health Information Technology Program Director Susan Long.

An RCC photo
Pictured seated from left are RCC Health Information Technology students Brittany Herndon, Grant Colden and Ryanne McEachin. In back is RCC Health Information Technology Program Director Susan Long.

Health Information Technology (HIT) is one of RCC’s newest programs and has seen a steady increase in student enrollment and graduate job placement since its first class started in fall 2011.

“This is a rapidly growing field due to changes in the healthcare industry in regards to record keeping,” said Program Director Susan Long, who added there are a multitude of jobs within the industry.

“Obviously, our graduates are mostly hired by medical professionals, but there are also jobs available with malpractice attorneys and insurance companies,” Long said.

Students in RCC’s Health Information Technology program graduate with complete knowledge of HIPPA laws and Joint Commission requirements.

Long said health information technicians should be organized and detailed oriented, as well as somewhat computer savvy.

“One of the selling points of the profession, as well as our program at RCC, is that a lot of the work may be done from home,” said Long.

Ninety percent of the HIT class work at RCC is completed through online courses. Students also receive 96 hours of clinical experience working onsite at local medical facilities.

“During AHIMA’s Health Information Professionals Week, we want to raise awareness that HIM professionals have the knowledge, skills and motivation to lead in turning health information into knowledge that will improve the health of patients,” said AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon, MBA, RHIA, FACHE, CAE, FAHIMA. “This year’s theme reflects AHIMA’s continued focus on its vision of advancing the use of quality health information to improve health and wellness worldwide.”

Health Information Professionals Week

HIP Week 2015 coincided with the American Health Information Management Association’s Hill Day, an event where AHIMA members visit Capitol Hill and share the importance of advancing HIM. Information governance, privacy and security, and fraud and abuse concerns continue to be key issues for HIM professionals, and AHIMA is ready to provide guidance to the healthcare industry and government leaders seeking counsel.

“Our role is evolving from simply translating data to providing instant access to intelligence that can drive clinical and administrative decision making in real time,” said AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon, MBA, RHIA, FACHE, CAE, FAHIMA. “We envision a world in which everyone benefits from the exchange and use of health information that is accurate, accessible, and secure and available to the right person at the right time.”

During HIP Week, health information professionals engaged in focused activities in their organizations and the community to raise awareness of the important work they perform. Some of the activities included lunch and learns, displays in facility lobbies and lunchrooms, quizzes with prize opportunities, tours for elected officials, community seminars, and local media coverage.

About AHIMA

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) represents more than 71,000 health information management and health informatics professionals in the United States and around the world. AHIMA is committed to promoting and advocating for 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. ahima.org

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