AHIMA is the professional association representing more than 50,000 specially educated health information management (HIM) professionals who work throughout healthcare. HIM professionals are responsible for managing, protecting, and utilizing complex personal health information needed to deliver quality healthcare to the public in an increasingly electronic and global environment. For more than 75 years, AHIMA has fostered the career growth of its members through leadership in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning.

Leadership in HIM Advocacy
AHIMA has demonstrated leadership in legislative and regulatory issues at the federal, state, and local levels. Through a strong record of HIM advocacy in Congress; federal agencies; and standards development and maintenance organizations, AHIMA continues to improve the quality of medical records and advance opportunities for HIM professionals. Collaborative and advocacy efforts have focused on issues including the adoption of ICD-10, the national health information infrastructure, and the E/M evaluation code project.

Accelerating the Electronic Health Record
Electronic health information management (e-HIM) looks ahead to and embraces the real benefits that will accrue when healthcare comes fully into the information age. As a strategic focus of AHIMA, its goals are to:

• Promote the migration from paper to an electronic health information infrastructure
• Reinvent how institutional and personal health information and records are managed
• Deliver measurable cost and quality results form improved information management

Acceleration of the electronic health record throughout healthcare is a collaborative process at the national level and within individual healthcare organizations. AHIMA works with industry leaders such as:

• National Alliance of Health Information Technology on workgroups in Patient Safety, Electronic Health Records, and creating a Standards Inventory Database.
• Connecting for Health project sponsored by the Markle Foundation to achieve consensus on healthcare data standards, identifying noteworthy privacy and security practices, and defining key characteristics and benefits of the Patient Health Record.
• e-health Initiative (e-HI) as they work to advance the quality and safety of patient care through information technology.

As part of the EHR Collaborative, AHIMA cosponsored six field input meetings around the country in August 2003, to collect feedback on the draft EHR functional model defined by the Health Level 7 (HL7) EHR Special Interest Group (EHR SIG). AHIMA participates in a number of other HL7 technical committees and special interest groups that define standards.

Innovation and Advancement of Health Information Management
Created in 1962, the Foundation of Research and Education (FORE) is a separately incorporated affiliate organization founded and managed by AHIMA. FORE provides financial and intellectual resources to sustain and recognize continuous innovation and advances in HIM for the betterment of the profession, healthcare, and the public.

• Workforce Assessment Study
• Merit Scholarships and Educational Loans
• Practice Solutions and Best Practice Awards
• Triumph Awards
• HIM Institute for Learning Excellence
• FORE Library
• Grant-in-Aid Research Awards
• Dissertation Assistance Awards
• Long Term Care Health Information and Documentation Guidelines

Shaping and Improving Formal Education
AHIMA serves as the accrediting agency for the nation’s 286 college and university degree programs in HIM. Additionally, the association works with leading educators to advance curriculum models at all education levels and continuing education opportunities.

Setting Professional Standards of Excellence Through Certification
As the certifying agency for the HIM profession, AHIMA issues credentials in health information management to ensure that its members meet professional standards of excellence. The Association awards the following credentials to HIM professionals possessing an associate’s, bachelors, or postgraduate degrees in HIM and after completing a comprehensive examination:

• Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA)—RHIAs hold a bachelor’s or postgraduate degree, and are skilled in the collection, interpretation, and analysis of patient data. In addition, they often serve in managerial positions related to these functions.
• Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT)—RHITs hold a minimum of an associate’s degree, and are health information technicians who ensure the quality of medical records by verifying their completeness, accuracy, and proper entry into computer systems.

The following specialty certifications are also offered by AHIMA:

• Certified Coding Specialist (CCS): CCSs are coding practitioners skilled in classifying medical data from patient records, generally in the hospital setting.
• Certified Coding Specialist—Physician-based (CCS-P): CCS-Ps are coding practitioners with expertise in physician-based settings, such as physician offices, group practices, multispecialty clinics, or specialty centers.
• Certified Coding Associate (CCA): CCAs are coding practitioners with an understanding of entry-level coding applications, including medical terminology, disease processes, pharmacology, and ICD-9-CM and CPT medical coding.
• Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security (CHPS): CHPSs have advance competency in designing, implementing, and administering comprehensive privacy and security protection programs in ally types of healthcare organizations. AHIMA and HIMSS jointly sponsor this credential, which is administered by AHIMA.

Lifelong Learning and Professional Development
To ensure that its members meet professional standards of excellence, AHIMA provides professional development opportunities and practice resources, including:

• Communities of Practice—a virtual meeting place for members to collaborate, network and reach out to peers with common interests, issues and areas of expertise.
• FORE HIM Body of Knowledge—part of Communities of Practice, this online library puts the entire breadth of HIM knowledge right at members’ fingertips. It includes articles from the Journal of AHIMA, practice briefs, position statements, job descriptions, and more.
• Journal of AHIMA—a monthly journal delivering updated news covering HIM, practical guidance on new regulations and up-to-date policies and procedures.
• Perspectives in Health Information Management—an online scholarly peer-reviewed journal to promote the linkage of practice, education, and research and to provide contributions to the understanding or improvement of HIM processes and outcomes.
• Advantage—a member-focused newsletter assisting members in evaluating personal career strategies and understanding professional options.
• E-Learning—an online campus offering continuing education courses on HIM related topics 24 hours a day, seven days a week. E-learning offers no-travel convenience; instant feedback; and online study and testing options.
• Meetings—seminars and workshops where AHIMA members can actively exchange ideas and experiences across the country via satellite, telephone, and Web.
• Publications—books and electronic publications specifically tailored for the HIM field, all authored by working experts.

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