AHIMA Author Spotlight

Gretchen Jopp, MS, RHIA, CCS, CPC

Gretchen Jopp, MS, RHIA, CCS, CPC, has been a health information management (HIM) professional for 36 years, serving in many capacities including coding, management of health information management departments, billing compliance, oncology data abstracting, and HIM education. She earned her bachelor's degree in HIM from College of Saint Mary in Omaha, NE, her master’s degree in HIM, along with a certificate in health informatics, from The College of Saint Scholastica. She also holds an AHIMA microcredential in Foundations of Health Informatics.

Ms. Jopp currently serves as Assistant Director of Healthcare Leadership and Business programs at Clarkson College in Omaha, NE. Her teaching career has focused on coding, human disease and conditions, pharmacology, and professional practice experiences. As an AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, Ms. Jopp presented several training sessions across Nebraska in preparation for the implementation of ICD-10-CM/PCS. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Health Information Management Association and has received the NHIMA Distinguished Member Award. In addition to her work on the 16th edition of CCS Exam Preparation and Current Procedural Terminology and HCPCS Coding for Physicians and Facilities Exercises, she has provided technical reviews for several AHIMA texts and resources.

What led you to pursue a career in health information (HI)? 

My entry into health information was a happy accident. I knew I wanted to work in healthcare but was certain I did not want to participate in direct patient care. My mother was a practicing nurse at the time, and she said with a shrug, “There’s something called ‘medical records’?!” As I look back, I dearly appreciate that even prior to DRGs, she was aware of the practice of health information through her work in nursing. I began looking into health information management programs and fortunately found one close to home at College of Saint Mary in Omaha. I loved the topics and enjoyed school, especially coding classes, pharmacology, disease process; the topics that leaned more toward the sciences. In the 1980s, health information technology was in its infancy, so I was only able to dabble in it in college. It was during my time at College of Saint Mary that I began to meet mentors that would influence the rest of my career.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career and authorship? 

I think it is safe to say that the time I have spent in health information has been some of the most pivotal the profession has seen. I have worked with paper medical records and filing systems, all the way through hybrid systems and fully electronic health records. Perhaps the biggest surprise in my career has been stepping into textbook review and editing. It wasn’t something I originally envisioned for myself, but saying yes to that opportunity has been incredibly meaningful—and I’m very glad I did.

What do you see in the future for the HI profession? 

I think anyone reading this would agree that the next innovation presented to health information and informatics professionals is artificial intelligence (AI). We’ve been using AI for years in health information, but it was never really thought of as AI until now. Consider clinical decision support. These technologies have been available to us for decades so we’ve found ourselves at the forefront of innovation. Todd Doze, CEO of Janus Health, recently noted in the Journal of AHIMA that AI will help health information professionals find discrepancies in documentation and data which could assist in reducing administrative delays before they can affect the revenue cycle. What an exciting time to be a health information and informatics professional!

AHIMA membership matters to me because… 

I find the discounts offered for certification and continuing education incredibly valuable. With rising costs in every area of life, gaining employer support for in-person educational events has become increasingly challenging. I also greatly appreciate the Body of Knowledge; I regularly share articles with my students to introduce them to the importance of peer-reviewed research, white papers, and best practice guidelines. Additionally, AHIMA’s advocacy efforts in Washington, DC play a vital role in protecting the security of health information and supporting the future of informatics roles within healthcare.

What would you suggest HI professionals do in 2026 to have maximum impact on healthcare/patient care?

I’ve been reading about AI audits for health information. The HTI-5 rule reduces some federal transparency mandates for AI developers, so responsibility for safe use of AI in healthcare shifts to the health information professional. If clinicians are using unvetted AI tools to draft notes or summarize charts, patient information may be at risk. Educating clinicians toward AI Safe Zones or controlled environments with approved AI tools can ensure the security of patient data, while still allowing clinicians the benefit of time-saving AI “scribes.” This is one way AI is finding its way into the healthcare setting, and we need to embrace it rather than fight it, or worse, ignore it.

Are there any specific actions you plan to take in 2026 to have maximum impact on healthcare/patient care?

At this point in my career, my passion lies in teaching the next generation of health information and informatics professionals. To do so effectively, I plan to stay abreast of the constantly changing legislation affecting not only healthcare and information, but education as well. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act had some provisions that may affect the ability of students to obtain federal loans to further their education. At our college, we are investigating ways to help students enter the field and do it in a way that works for their lifestyle and family. Certificates, stackable credentials and reduced credit hour bachelor's degrees are some of the options we are investigating.

What steps should HI professionals take in 2026 to thrive in the profession?

We have to increase our literacy in AI; there is no question about that. Artificial intelligence is no longer the “future.” It is our “present” and we need to be sure to stay smarter than AI by learning to use it appropriately in the healthcare setting.

What small steps should HI professionals take to advance their career?

Consider stackable credentials! As an educator, we see both traditional age and second-career students seeking speedy advancement in their career. A great way to do this is to investigate microcredentials and/or certifications that can “stack” toward the next goal or even a degree in health information or informatics. AHIMA offers a wide variety of microcredentials right now to get started, showing employers the critical roles we play in healthcare.