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 Engage, 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.
Coding/Data Structure Planning Focus Group

Purpose: This focus group will provide input on educational needs in the HIIM domain of Coding/Data Structure.

Time requirement: 1 hour, July 2021

Roles and Responsibilities, Member Composition/Terms

  • Volunteers are expected to provide input and feedback for educational needs in a specific HIIM domain area to inform future educational resources and products.
  • The volunteer group is composed of 8-10 members.
  • AHIMA’s Professional Development and Education team provides staff support to the Focus Group.
  • The Focus Group will meet once for a 60-minute period via Microsoft Teams. Attendance is required.
Revenue Cycle Management Planning Focus Group
Purpose: This focus group will provide input on educational needs in the HIIM domain of Revenue Cycle Management.

Time requirement: 1 hour, July 2021

Roles and Responsibilities, Member Composition/Terms

  • Volunteers are expected to provide input and feedback for educational needs in a specific HIIM domain area to inform future educational resources and products.
  • The Volunteer group is composed of 8-10 members.
  • AHIMA’s Professional Development and Education team provides staff support to the Focus Group.
  • The Focus Group will meet once for a 60-minute period via Microsoft Teams. Attendance is required.
Data Analytics/Data Governance Planning Focus Group

Purpose: This focus group will provide input on educational needs in the HIIM domain of Data Analytics/Data Governance.

Time requirement: 1 hour, July 2021

Roles and Responsibilities, Member Composition/Terms

  • Volunteers are expected to provide input and feedback for educational needs in a specific HIIM domain area to inform future educational resources and products.
  • The Volunteer group is composed of 8-10 members.
  • AHIMA’s Professional Development and Education team provides staff support to the Focus Group.
  • The Focus Group will meet once for a 60-minute period via Microsoft Teams. Attendance is required.
CDI/Clinical Foundations Planning Focus Group

Purpose: This focus group will provide input on educational needs in the HIIM domain of Clinical Documentation Integrity/Clinical Foundations.

Time requirement: 1 hour, July 2021

Roles and Responsibilities, Member Composition/Terms

  • Volunteers are expected to provide input and feedback for educational needs in a specific HIIM domain area to inform future educational resources and products.
  • The Volunteer group is composed of 8-10 members.
  • AHIMA’s Professional Development and Education team provides staff support to the Focus Group.
  • The Focus Group will meet once for a 60-minute period via Microsoft Teams. Attendance is required.
Privacy & Security/Compliance Planning Focus Group

Purpose: This focus group will provide input on educational needs in the HIIM domain of Privacy & Security/Compliance.

Time requirement: 1 hour, July 2021

Roles and Responsibilities, Member Composition/Terms

  • Volunteers are expected to provide input and feedback for educational needs in a specific HIIM domain area to inform future educational resources and products.
  • The Volunteer group is composed of 8-10 members.
  • AHIMA’s Professional Development and Education team provides staff support to the Focus Group.
  • The Focus Group will meet once for a 60-minute period via Microsoft Teams. Attendance is required.
Organizational Management/Leadership Planning Focus Group

Purpose: This focus group will provide input on educational needs in the HIIM domain of Organizational Management/Leadership.

Time requirement: 1 hour, July 2021

Roles and Responsibilities, Member Composition/Terms

  • Volunteers are expected to provide input and feedback for educational needs in a specific HIIM domain area to inform future educational resources and products.
  • The Volunteer group is composed of 8-10 members.
  • AHIMA’s Professional Development and Education team provides staff support to the Focus Group.
  • The Focus Group will meet once for a 60-minute period via Microsoft Teams. Attendance is required.
International Educational Planning Focus Group

Purpose: This focus group will provide input on educational needs for international educational products.

Time requirement: 1 hour, July 2021

Roles and Responsibilities, Member Composition/Terms

  • Volunteers are expected to provide input and feedback on international educational needs.
  • The Volunteer group is composed of 8-10 members.
  • AHIMA International will provide staff support to the Focus Group.
  • The Focus Group will meet once for a 60-minute period via Microsoft Teams. Attendance is required.

  • 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 created on an ad-hoc basis.
ICD-11 Implementation Guide

Purpose: Develop an ICD-11 Implementation Guide

Time requirement: July – October 2021, up to 10 hours

Roles and Responsibilities, Member Composition/Terms

  • The volunteer group is composed of 5-10 members.
  • AHIMA will provide staff support.
  • The workgroup will meet weekly/biweekly to complete and review writing assignments, communicate with workgroup members via email, and via Microsoft Teams. Participation is required.
  • Volunteers will be U.S. and international-based.
Access Community Facilitator

Purpose: Community facilitators are the key in 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: July 2021 – June 2022 (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: July – December 2021 (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: July – December 2021 (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

  • 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.
  • Policy and Advocacy: Provide guidance and leadership in the advocacy and public policy domain.
  • Nominating Committee: Identity, 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.
  • Professional Ethics Committee: Safeguard and maintain a high level of ethics for the profession by use of the ethics violation review process.
  • 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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