Health Careers
Registered Health Information Administrator
Professional Activities
Registered Health Information Administrators (RHIAs) serve the health care industry and the public by managing, analyzing, and utilizing data vital for patient care, and making it accessible to health care providers. They specialize in administering information systems, managing medical records, and coding information for reimbursement and research. RHIAs are responsible for ensuring that health information is complete and available to legitimate users, while maintaining the security, privacy and confidentiality of patient information. RHIAs also prepare health data for accreditation surveys and analyze clinical data for research and public policy. Some of the positions which a RHIA may hold include a HIM (Health Information Management) Department Director, a HIM System Manager, a Data Quality Manager, a Chief Privacy Officer, a HIM System Manager, a Data Quality Manager, a Chief Privacy Officer, a facility position in a HIM Program and Consultant.
As Department Manager, a RHIA supervises HIM department employees, which may include Health Information Technicians, Coders, and Medical Transcriptionists. State law mandates a hospital to have an RHIA or RHIT(Registered Health Information Technician) overseeing the operations of the HIM Department. Other possible work settings include long-term care facilities, ambulatory care facilities, physician group practices, rehabilitation centers, behavioral health facilities, consulting and law firms, insurance companies, government agencies, software vendor companies and colleges or universities.
In Alaska, most RHIAs are department managers. Some are also consultants, chief privacy officers, data quality managers, or educators.
Educational Requirements
- Graduation from high school with coursework in business, English, computer science, biology, chemistry and math.
- Graduation from a baccalaureate or master’s degree program in Health Information Management. Some RHIAs receive a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in a related health field and complete a one-year post-graduate certificate program. There are progression programs, some online, for RHITs who wish to complete additional coursework and write the national credentialing exam.
Academic Programs
There are no four-year RHIA programs in Alaska. There are programs in the U.S. offered via distance and web based delivery. There are also “progression” programs available that allow an individual with an RHIT degree to progress to an RHIA.
For a directory of accredited programs in the United States, visit the web site of the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education: http://www.cahiim.org/accredpgms.asp
Contacts
State Contact:
Alaska Health Information Management Association
P.O. Box 230335
Anchorage, AK 99523-0335
Web site: http://www.akhima.org
National Contact:
American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
233 N. Michigan Avenue, 21st Floor
Chicago, IL 60601-5809
Phone: (312) 233-1100
Fax: (312) 233-1090
Email: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Web site: http://www.ahima.org
This page was last updated by Janice Troyer on October 13, 2009
