Health Information Management (HIM) is a burgeoning career field that rewards people who enjoy using organizational, technological, and people skills while providing valuable health care services. The San Jacinto College HIM program trains students in a range of technical health information services, including the analysis, security, integration, and management of valuable health information.
The health information management program features an associate degree, and two technical certificate options. All options have open enrollment with no prerequisite other than a high school diploma or equivalent. Also included in HIM is Cancer Data Management (CDM), which features an associate degree option and advanced technical certificate option. The advanced technical certificate has a prerequisite of an associate degree and a natural science course. The North Campus houses all San Jacinto College HIM programs, but the courses can also be completed 100 percent online. All of the degree plans require clinical rotations, so each student must clear a criminal background check, and some facilities require drug screening, as well as proof of immunizations.
The two-year associate degrees, which require five semesters to complete, prepare students to sit for national exams through accrediting agencies to become either a RHIT (registered health information technician) or a CTR (certified tumor registrar). CTRs work in cancer data management, a growing specialization within the health care industry, specifically in cancer registries.
A health information management career combines patient care, management, and technology in professional work settings, including hospitals and clinics, law firms, health maintenance organizations, insurance companies, nursing homes, health data organizations, and health information vendors.
“If you want to go into health care, but you don’t care for blood and guts, this could be the career for you,” commented Della Moon, San Jacinto College HIM program director. “Health care is one of the fastest-growing industries and it’s always going to be around. The skills are transferable to any location around the country, including working from home. Cancer data management is our most up-and-coming field. That is where we have personnel shortages.”
According to the American Health Information Management Association, there is plenty of earning potential for HIM positions. The average annual salary for a health information management director is $80,000; $32,000 for a medical biller; and $42,328 for a medical coder. Because of the complex nature and medical terminology, trained specialists in health information management are needed by a wide variety of employers.
Rob Vanya