CELEBRATE THE HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY FIELDS
Health Information and Technology Week, November 6 – 12

Chicago, November 7—A complete and accurate record of your health information is critical to receiving timely, safe, and effective healthcare. Your health record is used by your doctor, nurse, and other medical staff as a basis of planning your care and treatment. But who ensures your health record is complete, accurate, kept confidential and made available when you or your doctor needs it? That is the role of the health information management (HIM) professional.

November 6 though 12 is Health Information and Technology (HI&T) Week. This annual event recognizes the work of those professionals who manage patient health information. This year’s theme is “Information for a Healthy Nation.”

“The goal of the HIM profession is to provide quality information to improve the quality of healthcare received,” stated AHIMA President Mervat Abdelhak, PhD, RHIA. “As the healthcare industry moves from paper to electronic health records, doctors will be able to make important healthcare decisions on a real-time basis, but these decisions will continue to rely on secure access to clear, concise, accurate, and easy-to-understand information.”

The fast-paced changes in technology have actually accelerated the demand for HIM professionals. The US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 49 percent growth in the number of HIM workers by 2010—making it one of the 10 fastest-growing health occupations. The high number of available jobs means immediate opportunities for recent graduates, strong prospects for long-term career advancements, and higher than average industry salaries.

The HIM profession is a great career option if you have an interest in working in healthcare and using new technologies. A degree in HIM offers a wide range of diverse career opportunities in all different types of healthcare settings—all contributing to quality patient care. For more information about the HIM profession contact your local AHIMA state association at http://www.ahima.org/directory/csa.asp. For information about starting a career in the profession, visit http://www.ahima.org/careers.

HI&T Week is sponsored by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA).

AHIMA is the national association of HIM professionals. AHIMA's 53,000 members are dedicated to the effective management of personal health information needed to deliver quality healthcare to the public. Founded in 1928 to improve the quality of medical records, AHIMA is committed to advancing the HIM profession in an increasingly electronic and global environment through leadership in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning. For information about the association, go to www.ahima.org.