American Health Information Management Association
Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is the national agency that is the central professional organization related to the Health Information Technology (HIT) and Medical Coding and Reimbursement Specialist careers, as well as those for Health Information Administration, Health Care Privacy and Security.   Following are some of the major activities performed by this association that assist in the success of HIT and Medical Coding and Reimbursement students and graduates and help guide our curriculum.

Standards for Accredited Programs in Health Information Technology are requirements that colleges or universities must follow for program accreditation. These requirements are developed by the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).  The sponsor of this organization is AHIMA.

CAHIIM representatives periodically inspect or survey programs to determine if they meet these requirements and accreditation is awarded if the standards are met. Shoreline Community College's HIT program is one of only three approved HIT programs in Washington state. The other two programs are at Tacoma Community College and Spokane Community College.

Requirements for Approved Programs in Medical Coding are standards that colleges or universities must follow for medical coding program approval. These standards were developed by AHIMA because of concerns of lack of quality coding instruction in many educational programs nation-wide.  At this time, Shoreline Community College has the only AHIMA-approved program in the state of Washington.

AHIMA publishes professional HIT Domains, Subdomains and Tasks statements which are listings of skills that entry level graduates must be able to have to be competent practitioners in the HIT profession. These competency statements are based on periodic national job analyses and these skills must be taught to students in all accredited HIT programs.  AHIMA also develops such listings of competencies for entry and advanced level coding professionals.

National certifying examinations are developed by AHIMA and conducted each year by an outside testing agency under contract with AHIMA to graduates of accredited HIT programs. Candidates who successfully pass the AHIMA exam will become Registered Health Information Technicians and can place the RHIT credentials after their names. The national certifying examinations are based on the HIT Domains, Subdomains and Task statements discussed above.

National certifying examinations are developed by AHIMA and conducted each year by an outside testing agency under contract with AHIMA for entry level general coders (Certified Coding Association - CCA) and experienced general coders (Certified Coding Specialist, CCS) or those specializing in physician office coding (Certified Coding Specialist - Physician's Office, CCS-P). Those who successfully pass these examinations can place the appropriate credential after their names.  Additional certifying exams for privacy and security are also available through AHIMA.

AHIMA publishes a wide variety of books, journals, tapes, CD-ROMs and other materials related to health information management. These are used by faculty and students in the education process.

AHIMA presents a variety of seminars and workshops related to the profession. These are attended by program faculty in order to obtain information that is then relayed to the students. Students are also welcome to participate in these seminars as desired. Because the profession is changing rapidly with the advent of new information technology, changes in the practice of medicine, new laws related to the profession, etc. it is critical that all HIM professionals attend continuing education programs when possible. This will also be expected of HIT graduates when employed in the field.

Washington State Health Information Management Association

When individuals are members of AHIMA, they automatically become members of the Washington State Health Information Management Association (WSHIMA). This association provides a professional journal, conducts seminars related to the profession and allows students to attend at reduced rates, awards HIT student scholarships, provides grant money to HIT academic programs to help update their equipment or software, etc. WSHIMA also has special interest groups, such as that for Long Term Care which provide educational opportunities for those who specialize in one area.

Go to http://www.wshima.org to access their web site.

Seattle Health Information Management Association

The Seattle Health Information Management Association (SHIMA) is a related but separate organization. It also conducts seminars related to the profession and awards a HIT scholarship to one student each year.

Community Health Information Management Practitioners

Health Information Management (HIM) practitioners in the community play a critical role in support of the college, its faculty and its HIT students. They are members of the program's Advisory Committee, they are guest speakers in classes on campus, provide field trip opportunities for students, and offer their facilities as sites for clinical practice which is an extremely important component in the formal educational process for students.