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Health Information Manager Career Interview
Terri Teynor, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, has been in the health information management (HIM) field for over 25 years. She is currently a risk adjustment coordinator for a Medicare Advantage Organization called “Primetime Health Plan” in Ohio, and she is a part of the Ohio Health Information Management Association (OHIMA).
Health Information Manager Career Path
Terri knew that she wanted to help people, but she didn’t think that she was cut out for a typical medical practice.
“I chose health information management because I wanted to do something healthcare-related, but I was squeamish about working directly with patients,” she says.
Health Information Manager Experiences
Terri earned her bachelor degree in health information management from Florida Tech (which is now the University of Central Florida). She is also currently pursuing her master’s degree online in health informatics at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Over the past 25 years, Terri has worked in a variety of health information management settings, including physician offices, hospitals, management service organizations, insurance companies, and has even instructed CPT classes.
“That’s the nice thing about this industry: we can work in a number of different settings,” she adds.
Health Information Manager Degree Programs
To become a health information manager, you typically need Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) certification, which is a 4-year degree, although some managers only have Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification.
“Both programs have internships with offices, hospitals, and long-term care facilities,” Terri explains. “You get enough real-world experience to introduce you to the industry.”
Health information managers can also earn a master’s degree in health information management, and many also take specialized classes in such fields as coding and security/compliance to become licensed in those areas.
Health Information Manager Job Description
Terri is a risk adjustment coordinator at Medicare Advantage Organization, vertically-integrated with a community hospital, which means that she primarily does data mining, conducts risk adjustment validation audits, and provides physician documentation and coding education.
“I work with data analysis in our data reporting area to mine claims data of our enrollees,” she says. “Data mining produces ‘suspect’ chronic conditions based on medications, supplies and therapies found on our patient claims data, and our managed care organization makes sure to manage these patients’ care to keep the patients clinically stable with medications and face-to-face office visits in an outpatient setting.”
Health Information Manager Daily Routine
Health information managers can work in a number of specialized areas, including coding and release of information, compliance, and electronic records, and each area is different in terms of what a day might entail.
Terri spends her days working with claims, medical data, and auditing medical records to determine chronic conditions for physician’s offices and educating the physicians on how to code correctly.
Health Information Manager: Steps to Success
“You need good oral and written skills,” Terri advises. “You need an attention to detail and a knowledge of coding and documentation skills and data analysis skills.”
There all also opportunities in health information management to work in specialized areas, such as working with consumers or IT-related areas, and the skill sets required for those specializations vary.
“You aren’t just restricted to being the director in a hospital,” Terri adds.
Health Information Manager Job Opportunities
Because of the evolving healthcare field, more and more schools are offering programs for health information management.
“There are a lot of opportunities because the field is broadening into new areas, such as outpatient settings, insurance settings and government auditing,” Terri explains.
Health Information Manager Favorite Aspect
“The versatility of it,” says Terri. “I’ve worked in all sorts of settings, from insurance to hospitals. You just have to figure out which avenue you want to travel in health information management.”
Health Information Manager’s Future Ambitions
After graduating with a Master of Science in health informatics, Terri plans on continuing to be a part of the electronic healthcare revolution.
“I hope to become an implementation project manager for electronic health record in the outpatient setting,” she explains. “My HIM background, coding and auditing skills are building blocks for ensuring privacy, security, and quality data needed for defining ‘meaningful use’ of electronic medical records.”
Advice for Prospective Health Information Managers
“Don’t specialize in any one area when you are starting off,” Terri advises. “Try to find what your interests in the field are first. If you like coding and reading records, know that it has associated productivity and quality standards and can be performed remotely from your home. If you like working with people/physicians, that is also a different path. Know your likes and dislikes in order to determine which avenue. It’s always good to get general HIM experience before specializing.”
Terri also recommends keeping up with the ever-changing healthcare field, or else it will pass you by.
“Keep up with government regulations and HIPAA changes,” she says. “Information is becoming more and more electronic, requiring standards, interoperability along with privacy and sercurity measures. You need to keep up with the technology, health care reform through the HITECH Act, which includes the transition to ICD-10-CM coding and ‘meaningful use’ criteria for hospital and physician electronic health records.”
