AHIMA Diversity Management Program

Vision Statement: The membership-at-large and sub-group membership (eg., students, authors, speakers, national and state association leaders, and members in Vision 2006 roles) of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) will reflect the diversity within the United States to include race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and other diverse populations.

Mission Statement: The AHIMA Diversity Task Force will facilitate the Association's members' ability to celebrate and promote diversity within the Association through education, mentoring, recognition, leadership and other programs.

The focus of the AHIMA Diversity Management Program is consistent with diversity management as defined by the task force: To recognize and appreciate the differences among the members of AHIMA, and promote those differences to maximize the effectiveness and success of the Association. It includes:

• Promoting opportunities for those entering the Health Information Management field
  
  
• Supporting and affirming all members, and
  
  
• Developing, encouraging, soliciting and using the talents and contributions of all members

The Program model will focus on increasing diversity awareness and visibility. This project is a work in progress; in addition to the vision and mission statements, the framework will include the following components:

1. Leadership Development
   • Publishing
   • Responding to call for papers
   • Presentation skills
   • Diversity management
   • Managing change
   • Running for AHIMA or state HIM association office
   • Personal effectiveness skills
   • Leading in a diverse environment
   • Mentoring/nurturing program
     
     
2. Education
   • Recruiting and retaining students
   • Mentoring/nurturing program
   • Expanding financial aid
   • Promoting the academic programs
   • Highlighting career progression opportunities
   • Developing self-learning manuals or tools for leadership
     
     
3. Recognition
   • Establishing an award for outstanding minority members or contributors to promoting diversity (Esther Mayo Sherard Award)
   • Designating scholarships or grants for minority students (full & part-time)
   • Establishing a director position for a student member
   • Offering a national award competition (essay or professional service)
     
     
4. Communication
   • Monitor indicators to measure program outcomes
   • Link diversity education programs to the AHIMA website
   • Promote diversity programs and their components
   • Utilize AHIMA venues (House of Delegates, Leadership Conference, Team Talks, Annual Convention, etc.) for communicating AHIMA's diversity efforts and for recognizing the diverse talent within AHIMA.

What Can You Do?

Component State Associations: Using AHIMA's Diversity Management Program as a model, adapt and customize the Program for your state to celebrate and promote diversity. Through your state association's programs, work to ensure that your state association's membership reflects the diverse populations in your state. Incorporate the efforts of individual members and volunteer leaders into the program.

Members: Seek opportunities to celebrate and promote diversity within our profession and make your state association's leadership aware of your individual efforts such as participating in job fairs, sharing your profession at schools and churches, guest lectures at colleges and universities, employer diversity program participation, etc. Incorporate these efforts into the state association's diversity management program. Volunteer and actively participate in your local, state and national health information management associations.

Volunteer Leaders and Specialty Groups: Using AHIMA's Diversity Management Program as a model, adapt and customize the Program for your group, committee or task force to celebrate and promote diversity. Seek diversity when appointing chairmanships and when recruiting volunteers.

Prepared by AHIMA Diversity Task Force
Donna Fletcher, MPA, RHIA, Chair
Virginia Bell, RHIA
Nadinia Davis, MBA, CIA, CPA, RHIA, Board Liaison
Cynthia DeBerg, MA, RHIA
Linda Kloss, MA, RHIA, Staff Liaison
Janice Mackovitch, Staff Liaison
Barbara Odom-Wesley, PhD, RHIA
Mario Perez III, RHIT, CCS
William Thieleman, RHIA
Melva Visher, MA, RHIA

View Diversity Resources

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