According to healthcare recruiters, the critical need for Health Information Technician professionals rank with nursing & pharmacy. There is a tremendous amount of opportunity for Health Information Technology professionals including:
Director/Manager of HIM
Department Coder
Compliance Specialist
Compliance Auditor
HIPAA Privacy official
Documentation Specialist
Consultant
Data analyst
Tumor Registrar
Cancer Registrar
Information Systems
Electronic Medical Record positions
Many more!
Most likely, you'll work for a hospital, the biggest employer of Health Information Technicians, but you'll also have the opportunity to work in a variety of settings such as physician practices, ambulatory care facilities, long-term care facilities, managed care organization, consulting companies, government regulatory positions, ect.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics cites Health Information Technology as one of the 13th fastest growing occupations in the U.S. The Health Information Management profession is expecting a 49% growth rate between 2005-2008 due to HIPAA alone. As fraud and abuse initiatives continue to strengthen, the need for Health Information Technology professionals' increases since we are the industry experts in coding, compliance and documentation. In addition, the electronic medical record and other technological advances present a wealth of opportunity for our profession.
The national average for HIT graduates is approximately $38,000 - $43,000. This is in accordance to various salary surveys conducted including Advance for Health Information Technology professionals, AHIMA salary surveys and others. Locally, beginning salaries for recent graduates average between $31,000 - $35,000. However, this number is expected to increase as a result of the critical need for HIT's.
If you're interested in medicine, business and the latest in computer technology, you will find health information technology a great career path. Graduating from the nationally accredited Health Information Technology Program at Mercy College of Northwest Ohio will qualify you to sit for the national Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) examination and launch your career as a Registered Health Information Technician.For more information on a career in Health Information Technology, contact the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) 233 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 2150, Chicago, IL 60601-5800 (312) 233-1100 Website:
www.ahima.org
