Volunteers are integral to AHIMA remaining the leading voice of health information (HI).

We encourage volunteerism at all levels. The life cycle of a volunteer often starts with small tasks and virtual participation and leads to serving on committees and in leadership positions.

Becoming involved in your professional association offers benefits for both members and their profession. The accomplishments of AHIMA volunteers are recognized throughout the year, including articles in newsletters, through Access, and with a volunteer reception and ribbon at AHIMA’s annual conference.

Apply to Volunteer

ahima volunteer betty rockendorf
Benefits of Volunteering

Get Started

Not sure how you want to get involved? View the Search, Assess, and Apply steps below so you can find the opportunity that best meets your experience level, interests, and time commitment. 

Step 1: Search

AHIMA offers diverse opportunities for volunteers with various skills, expertise, interests, and availability. Browse the  volunteer opportunities below to learn more about responsibilities and time requirements.

 

View Current Volunteer Opportunities by Time Commitment

 

  • Roundtable: Short-term commitment to advise on areas of thought leadership. Opportunities created on an ad-hoc basis.
  • Event: One-time commitment to provide assistance at an AHIMA virtual or in-person event. Multiple opportunities created on an ad-hoc basis.
  • Focus Groups: One-time volunteer opportunity to advise on areas of thought leadership.

  • Planning Committees: Prepare and provide input on education sessions for AHIMA-hosted events.
  • Recognition Committees: Evaluate applications for recognition programs that honor excellence and service in HI including the AHIMA Triumph Awards, Grace Award, and Fellowship.
  • Task Force: Short-term commitment intended to complete a specific task. Opportunities are created on an ad-hoc basis.
Council for Excellence in Education (CEE) Workgroups 

Purpose: The Council for Excellence in Education (CEE) exists to improve and adapt the education strategy for health information and related professions, focused on future opportunities and challenges. Responsible for fostering support and adoption of new initiatives and improvements to curriculum, credentials, academic programs, and resources. Focus on the changing needs of the students and working professionals and consider innovative ways of providing world-class education in HIM.

CEE Workgroups are directed by CEE strategy and may include initiatives such as CourseShare, STEM, AOE, student recruitment, building the HI pipeline, Academic Research Review, Faculty Development, Program Resources, and more.

Time Requirement: Varies based on project.

  • Short Term Example: CourseShare, AOE program committee, and other initiatives determined by the CEE
  • Beginning February 2022

Responsibilities:

  • Develop activities and programs specific to assigned workgroup purpose
  • Make recommendations to the CEE for approval

Qualifications:

  • Member of AHIMA who demonstrates AHIMA’s Core Competencies for Volunteers
  • Ability to work with diverse groups and ideas in a constructive way, respects diversity, and fosters inclusion
  • Possesses openness, transparency, honesty, is optimistic yet realistic, and subscribes to and practices a high moral standard
  • Regular and reliable internet access
Item Writing & Item Reviewing

Purpose: Serve as a subject matter expert to create and modify new items for availability on future AHIMA certification exams. Will be coding items for blueprint accuracy (Domain & Task) as well as cognitive complexity of item. Reviewers will analyze and modify items based on content expertise to find potential flaws and ways to improve items. Must need to appropriately assign a reference to items as well as check references for accuracy.

Time Requirement:

  • Item Writing 101 (1 Hour), Advanced Item Writing session (1 Hour) & Exam Developer session (1 Hour)
  • 2 to 5 hours of item writing or item reviewing per month

Qualifications:

  • Hold AHIMA certification – Please specify which exam(s) you would be willing to write and review items for in the “What makes you a good candidate for this volunteer group?” section of the volunteer form
  • Previous experience writing or reviewing items encouraged but not necessary
  • Regular and reliable online access

Accountability and Support:

  • Must be able to sign a confidentiality and conflict of interest agreement
  • AHIMA certification team will support in training and troubleshooting of issues accessing and writing items
  • Participation in AHIMA’s certification exam development activities will earn 1 CEU for every hour of participation
CourseShare Review Project 

Purpose: This project-based short-term workgroup is to review and provide recommendations regarding current CourseShare content to identify required revisions, needed content, or content that requires sunset. 

CourseShare is an exclusive online repository of academic resources for faculty. CourseShare learning packets include lectures, presentations, sources and links, videos, assignments, case studies, rubrics, and answer sheets that can be adopted in your instructional delivery. Additional resources include faculty development and curriculum tools to support professional growth, exceptional instruction, and program quality.

Time requirement: October 15 - May 15 (6 months or to completion)

Qualifications:

  • Member of AHIMA who demonstrates AHIMA’s Core Competencies for Volunteers.
  • Faculty Member of a CAHIIM accredited academic program or a program in candidacy for CAHIIM accreditation.
  • Familiar with AHIMA CourseShare and/or willingness to learn how to navigate and administer the basic functions.
  • Technology qualifications: regular and reliable online access.

Responsibilities:

  • Review and provide recommendations regarding current CourseShare learning content to identify required revisions, needed content, or content that requires sunset.
  • The expected commitment is 10 independent hours per month and one hour-long meeting every month as needed.

Accountability and Support:

  • Faculty Volunteers will be enrolled in CourseShare.
  • Those who are new to CourseShare will be provided training.
Access Community Facilitator

Purpose: Community facilitators are the key to making each community successful. Facilitators serve as community champions, seed the communities with fresh content, and support the overall needs of the community and its members.

Time requirement: 1 year

Qualifications:

  • Member of AHIMA who demonstrates AHIMA’s Core Competencies for Volunteers.
  • Familiar with AHIMA Access and/or willingness to learn how to navigate and administer the basic functions.
  • Active listener, critical thinker, and ability to relate well with members.
  • Strives to generate interest and excitement in the community.
  • Interested in advancing the health information profession and AHIMA.
  • Technology qualifications: regular and reliable online access.

Responsibilities:

  • Seed or respond to the community with content to initiate or continue a thoughtful and dynamic dialogue on average 1-3 times per week.
  • Familiarity with the AHIMA Access community definition and purpose.
  • Adherence to AHIMA Code of Ethics and Guidelines, and Access End User License Agreement.
  • 2-3 Facilitators per community

Accountability and Support:

  • Community facilitators are eligible for five (5) CEUs for one-year service, per community, each year of the recertification two-year cycle.
  • The term commitment, at a minimum shall be 1 year. If a community facilitator is unable to fulfill the role, then it is expected for the individual to recruit a replacement in advance and notify AHIMA staff to assist with proper continuity.
  • In the event the facilitator will be offline for a long period of time or need back-up assistance to monitor the community, notify the community’s co-facilitators (if applicable) or AHIMA.
  • Community facilitators are required to become a member of the Access Facilitators Community. The community houses all resources and discussion forums related to community management.
  • New community facilitators shall participate in a training session with AHIMA staff.
Access Community Ambassador

Purpose: Community Ambassadors are the key in promoting this member benefit and the advantages of participation in Access. Ambassadors serve as Access champions, welcome new members to the communities and thank them for their contributions.

Time requirement: 6 months

Qualifications:

  • Member of AHIMA who demonstrates AHIMA’s Core Competencies for Volunteers.
  • Familiar with AHIMA Access platform and/or willingness to learn how to navigate and administer the basic functions.
  • Active listener, critical thinker, and ability to relate well with members.
  • Strives to generate interest and excitement in the community.
  • Interested in advancing the health information profession and AHIMA.
  • Technology qualifications: regular and reliable online access.

Responsibilities:

  • Promote Access communities and encouraging members to participate by sharing announcements, resources, questions, ideas, recommendations, opinions, etc. at least 2-3 times a month.
  • Familiarity with the AHIMA Access community definition and purpose.
  • Adherence to AHIMA Code of Ethics and Guidelines, and Access End User License Agreement.
  • 1-2 Ambassadors per community

Accountability and Support:

  • The term commitment, at a minimum shall be 6 months. If a community ambassador is unable to fulfill the role, then it is expected for the individual to recruit a replacement in advance and notify AHIMA staff to assist with proper continuity.
  • In the event the ambassador will be offline for a long period of time, notify AHIMA.
  • Community Ambassadors are required to become a member of the Access Facilitators Community. The community houses all resources and discussion forums related to community management.
  • Community ambassadors shall participate in a training session with AHIMA staff.
Access Community Gatekeeper

Purpose: Community Gatekeepers are the key in ensuring all participants’ views are respected and that users adhere to the AHIMA Access End User License Agreement. Inappropriate postings shall be flagged and removed by Community Administrators. Continued inappropriate behavior shall be reported to AHIMA.

Time requirement: 6 months

Qualifications:

  • Member of AHIMA who demonstrates AHIMA’s Core Competencies for Volunteers.
  • Familiar with AHIMA Access platform and/or willingness to learn how to navigate and administer the basic functions.
  • Familiarity with the AHIMA Code of Ethics and Guidelines; and Access End User License Agreement.
  • Technology qualifications: regular and reliable online access.

Responsibilities:

  • Oversee adherence to AHIMA Code of Ethics and Access End User License Agreement. Mark inappropriate postings and report continued inappropriate behavior to AHIMA and/or AHIMA Professional Ethics Committee.

Accountability and Support:

  • The term commitment, at a minimum shall be 6 months. If a community gatekeeper is unable to fulfill the role, then it is expected for the individual to recruit a replacement in advance to ensure proper continuity.
  • In the event the gatekeeper will be offline for a long period of time or need back-up assistance to monitor the community, notify the community’s co-gatekeeper (if applicable) and AHIMA.
  • Community gatekeepers are required to become a member of the Access Facilitators Community. The community houses all volunteer resources and discussion forums related to community management.
  • Community gatekeepers shall participate in a training session with AHIMA staff.
  • 2-3 Gatekeepers per Community

Council for Excellence in Education (CEE) Workgroup(s)

Purpose: The Council for Excellence in Education (CEE) exists to improve and adapt the education strategy for health information and related professions, focused on future opportunities and challenges. Responsible for fostering support and adoption of new initiatives and improvements to curriculum, credentials, academic programs, and resources. Focus on the changing needs of the students and working professionals and consider innovative ways of providing world-class education in HIM.

CEE Workgroups are directed by CEE strategy and may include initiatives such as CourseShare, STEM, AOE, student recruitment, building the HI pipeline, Academic Research Review, Faculty Development, Program Resources, and more.

Time Requirements: Varies based on project.

  • Long Term (1-2 years) Example: Academic Research Review Committee, Faculty Development, Program Resource Workgroup

Responsibilities:

  • Develop activities and programs specific to assigned workgroup purpose
  • Make recommendations to the CEE for approval

Qualifications:

  • Member of AHIMA who demonstrates AHIMA’s Core Competencies for Volunteers
  • Ability to work with diverse groups and ideas in a constructive way, respects diversity, and fosters inclusion
  • Possesses openness, transparency, honesty, is optimistic yet realistic, and subscribes to and practices a high moral standard
  • Regular and reliable internet access

Exam Development Committee: Serve as a subject matter expert to help test development team in planning, coordinating, and executing changes and maintenance of certification exams. The Exam Development Committee works on various projects throughout the year for item writing, item reviewing, form review.

  • Term: December 2021 – December 2024 (3 years)
  • Responsibilities:
    • Attend monthly EDC meetings
    • Participate in various exam development projects
    • Act as subject matter expert for certification exam and provide insight into best practices for practicing professionals
  • Must be able to sign a confidentiality agreement and conflict of interest agreement
    • Must not be during the term of service and for two years following the end of the service, directly involved in the development or delivery of any examination preparation program or product designed or intended to prepare individuals to take the certification examination the subject matter expert was involved in

Practice Councils: Subject matter experts monitor industry needs, best practices, and opportunities for HI to support AHIMA’s mission to empower people to impact health. Provide expertise related to HIIM domains and participate in evaluating and recommending AHIMA domain-specific educational resources.

  • Term: 12 months, January - December 2022
  • Clinical Documentation Integrity Practice Council
  • Clinical Terminologies & Classifications Practice Council
  • Healthcare Data Analytics and Data Use Practice Council
  • Privacy & Security Practice Council
  • Revenue Cycle Management Practice Council

Advocacy and Policy Council: Advise AHIMA leadership and Board of Directors on critical areas for AHIMA's strategic engagement in advocacy and public policy that align with AHIMA's mission and vision.

CEE: Professional Certificate Approval Program (PCAP) Review Team: Composed of individuals who review submitted PCAP applications/self-study documentation and make recommendations to the PCAP Council regarding program approval. The PCAP Council is composed of coding subject matter experts holding a qualifying credential who has previously served as PCAP Reviewer.

Grace Award Committee: To honor industry leaders through the AHIMA Grace Award, named in honor of AHIMA’s founder Grace Whiting Myers. Maintain relevance of AHIMA Grace Award criteria to uphold the high standard and ethics set by AHIMA founder.  Evaluate applicants to the AHIMA Grace Award and acknowledge healthcare organizations that distinguish themselves as effectively and innovatively using health information to support the delivery of quality health care. 

Triumph Awards Committee: To honor and recognize the excellence, dedication, and service of those professionals or groups whose steadfast efforts have enriched the HIM profession by selecting and acknowledging these individuals or groups for the Triumph Awards. Maintain relevance of Triumph Award categories so they remain meaningful and fitting for the profession, the industry, and the membership. 

Professional Ethics Committee: Improve members’ and certificants’ professional position by developing content for education. Protect and maintain high level of ethics for the profession by use of the ethics violation review process. Preserve the relevance and applicability of the Code of Ethics by continued review and revision based on the changing environment. Define member eligibility and accountability.

Nominating Committee: Identify, review, and select qualified candidates to serve in leadership roles on the AHIMA Board of Directors, CCHIIM, CEE, the Speaker-elect of the House of Delegates, and the Nominating Committee.

Elected Positions: Elected positions are leadership roles on the AHIMA Board of Directors, the Speaker-elect of the House of Delegates, the Commission on Certification for Health Informatics and Information Management (CCHIIM), and the Council for Excellence in Education (CEE). Applications for elected positions are due March 31. All required documents must be included. The election takes place in July, and the winners will take office on January 1. The AHIMA Election timeline can be found here. 

  • AHIMA Board President/Chair-elect (1 position)
    The President/Chair leads the board of directors, which governs the association, sets strategy, budget, and maintains fiduciary oversight. The President/Chair serves as an ex-officio member of all volunteer groups.
  • AHIMA Board Directors (3 positions)
    The Directors serve as voting members of the Board of Directors as well as voting members of the House of Delegates. The Board of Directors governs the association, sets strategy, budget, and guides fiduciary oversight. Members of the Board are also called upon to represent the association at meetings and to speak on behalf of AHIMA and the HI profession.
  • CCHIIM Commissioner (2 positions; CCHIIM is looking for candidates who hold the following credential: RHIT)
    The Commission on Certification for Health Informatics and Information Management (CCHIIM) serves the public by establishing, implementing, and enforcing standards and procedures for certification and recertification of health informatics and information management (HIIM) professionals.
  • Speaker-elect of the House of Delegates (1 position)
    The Speaker-elect supports the House of Delegates (HoD) and along with the Speaker, leads the House Leadership Team and serves on the Board of Directors as Speaker. The House shall elect annually a Speaker-elect. The Speaker-elect must be an active member of AHIMA, an AHIMA-approved certificant, and a current or previous member of the House of Delegates.

    The Speaker-elect supports the HoD along with the Speaker and shall exercise duties as delegated to the office by the House. The Speaker-elect chairs the House Leadership team and chooses the forum topics. The Speaker-elect shall assume the office of the Speaker upon the expiration of the Speaker’s term of office or in the event of a vacancy in the office. 
    • CEE Member (2 positions)
      CEE members improve and adapt the education strategy for HI and related professions, focused on future opportunities and challenges. They are responsible for fostering support and adoption of new initiatives and improvements to curriculum, credentials, academic programs, and resources. They focus on the changing needs of the students and working professionals and consider innovative ways of providing world class education in HI.

      CEE is comprised of both educators and practitioners. For 2022, we need to elect practitioners to maintain the Council balance. AHIMA values both perspectives to represent the profession. It’s more important than ever we work together.

The positions above also serve as liaisons to the CEE and affiliated organizations.

The elected officials will assume office on January 1 of each year. The AHIMA Nominating Committee places a high priority on diversity and seeks candidate diversity at the national level.

For more details on the elected positions, please refer to the Handbook on AHIMA Elected Positions.

Please note, individuals currently serving their CSA as an officer or in the House of Delegates or serving on national volunteer groups are required to resign from the position if elected.

Before applying, applicants should assess the level of their leadership skills and abilities with the AHIMA Volunteer Leadership Competencies Self-Assessment tool (printable self-scoring PDF version). Also, all applicants submitting a nomination for the Board should review the list of 2022 Board Attributes and determine their qualifications. Applicants submitting a nomination for CEE and CCHIIM should review: the list of 2022 CCHIIM Attributes and the list of 2022 CEE Attributes determine their qualifications.

To prepare to apply for an AHIMA elected position, view the application questions and required documents. If you have questions, please contact profession.governance@ahima.org.

 

Step 2: Assess

Our Volunteer Leadership Competencies Self-Assessment is intended to help members become familiar with volunteer leadership skills in several key areas, and allows applicants to track their progress toward acquiring and strengthening those skills. This tool outlines core competencies of all AHIMA volunteers and specifies additional competencies for leadership roles. 

Core Competencies for All Volunteers

  • Adheres and advocates for the AHIMA Code of Ethics, and any other appropriate codes of conduct, values honesty, integrity, and transparency.
  • Demonstrates commitment to the mission, vision, values, and strategy of AHIMA.
  • Acts as a team player/collaborator, works well on teams, fosters trust among group members, and adjusts behavior in order to establish relationships with teams. Motivates and desires to improve the quality of service.
  • Respects diversity and fosters inclusion of all races, cultures, disabilities, ages, and genders equitably, with respect and sensitivity. Ensures all voices are listened to and respected.
  • Presents a positive professional image, reflects the profession as a confident, proficient, skilled, qualified expert, and qualified authority in HI.

For additional leadership resources offered by AHIMA, visit the AHIMA Store.

 

Step 3: Apply

AHIMA thanks members interested in becoming more involved with AHIMA. To allow as many interested volunteers to serve as possible, members are limited to serve in one AHIMA volunteer position at a time; however, they may apply for as many positions as they like. 

  • Visit the Volunteer Center to review and apply for volunteer positions that best fit their interests, expertise, and schedule. Check back often as new opportunities are added to enhance AHIMA's strategy, mission, and vision.

 

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