AHIMA Announces HIM Jobs Initiative

At its annual conference, The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) announced the “HIM Jobs for America” initiative. The 80-year old, 63,000-member AHIMA said the initiative will be a sustained push to support American employment and improve healthcare across all communities in the U.S. AHIMA’s workforce initiative will be buttressed by news of an existing partnership, announced simultaneously, between the Department of Health and Human Services, AHIMA and North Shore Medical Labs, Inc. In this program, AHIMA will provide free health IT training to providers and staff in underserved communities, and North Shore will donate electronic health record (EHR) software and services through Nortec Software, Inc. The demonstration program will assist physicians in small practices in Alabama, Mississippi and North Carolina. AHIMA’s “HIM Jobs for America” Workforce Initiative includes a legislative platform that comes with suggestions on how to effectively job creation in the health information management profession. This includes: • Tax credit that incentivizes employers to provide work training which prepares credentialed HIM practitioners with the core job skills demanded by an integrated electronic health information system. • Tax credit that incentivizes employers to provide retraining and/or additional training to current HIM workers that prepares them to contribute to the development and operation of an electronic health information environment. • Health Information Technology Professional – AHIMA’s competency exams for tomorrow’s health IT professionals, confirms that workers’ experiences and skills will satisfy the nation’s need for health information technology. Employer would receive equal credit for all of its HIM professionals who pass the exam in lieu of formal training. • Expand and fund baccalaureate and graduate-level curricula to further educate the next generation of HIM professionals by offering incentives to accredited state and land-grant colleges and universities as well as scholarships for students who pursue an HIM degree at or beyond a baccalaureate degree.