HIM Role Profile: Health Information Management Director

Evan May

HIM 317 University of Illinois at Chicago

The position of Health Information Management Director is a management role with diverse responsibilities, requiring a broad and accurate knowledge about a variety of different topics within the health informatics and health information management fields. As the individual tasked with the responsibility of leading a team of HIM professionals, the HIM director must promote best practices and strive for compliance throughout the services provided by the organizations health information management department. Individuals employed as directors of HIM typically spend their time working in the offices of the Health Information Management department. This is a role typically employed within an integrated healthcare delivery system, or other healthcare provider setting. As we observed in our site visit to the University of Illinois Hospitals HIM department, the office environment was separated into several compartmentalized areas of specialized document processing equipment, as well as filing shelves, and individual cubicles separated by specific function; this is all the design of the HIM director. During the course of the work day, the HIM director will spend time in the offices working with HIM professionals, however they will also typically be required to participate policy-making or strategic planning meetings with executives and other department officials. The director of the HIM department has a variety of daily responsibilities to ensure the department is functioning properly, compliantly, and efficiently. On a day to day basis, the HIM director must carry out tasks relating to strategic planning, quality management, compliance, and human resource management. This position also requires active engagement with committees and task-groups throughout the hospital

such as the Medical Staff/Medical Records Committee, hospital-wide Performance Improvement Committee, Documentation Improvement Committee, and enterprise-wide Electronic Health Record related Committees (HIM Director Job Description). Serving on these committees, the HIM director is responsible for representing the department and ensuring that policies created will be congruent with its functioning and standards. In addition, HIM directors are responsible for managing contracts with vendors for outsourced HIM services. When it is determined that there is a need for an outsourced service, the director must initiate the necessary processes, and ensure proper implementation and review of the services to make sure the current and future needs of the department are met. Additionally, the director must ensure the department maintains adherence to compliance standards. As policies are changed and rewritten, the director must make sure their department is updated accordingly. Collaborating with other hospital officials in Risk Management, IT, and HR, the department director works to minimize the risk of privacy and security breaches. In addition, they help to mitigate damages caused by these breaches, and help to resolve any related issues. The director position is also responsible for the human resource management of the HIM department. They must maintain an adequate number of staff members to maintain the delivery of efficient and effective HIM services. In accordance with hospital policy, the HIM director is required to complete the necessary procedures for the search, interview, hiring, and training processes of new employees. In addition, the director is tasked with the responsibility of maintaining a positive working environment for staff, working to motivate and empower successful workplace performance.

The HIM director is responsible for a wide variety of tasks pertaining to the management of the department. From IT to human resources, it is important that the director is knowledgeable about the proper topics they will be responsible for in their position. Hospitals seeking to hire HIM directors typically require a Masters, Bachelors, or Associates degree in Health Information Management or a related field. While this is a wide rage of educational experience, this factor is often dependant on the size of the organization. A larger 600 bed facility will likely seek a more educated and experienced candidate than a smaller 100 bed clinic for instance. A hospital equipped to handle more patients will often have a larger HIM department to serve the patients and hospitals information needs. Typically a large department will come with greater responsibilities, and these are often better served by a more experienced individual. Additionally, RHIA or RHIT certification is imperative for this position. As a Registered Health Information Technician/Administrator, an individuals skills in managing patient health information and medical records, computer information system administration, patient data collection and analyzation have been tested and proven by the AHIMA. In addition to proper certification, HIM directors typically must also have supervisory experience. Since this individual will be responsible for the staff of the entire HIM department, many hospitals seek a candidate that has proven experience in the leading and coordination of multiple employees. The HIM director is also often required to have 5-10 years of experience working in the health information field. This position requires a broad scope of HIM knowledge; a good candidate for HIM director will may dealt with many of the issues that will be encountered in the future, and thus have a better idea on how to best solve them.

The role of HIM director is a well-respected position within the hospital organization. Their position as the lead of the department is the result of hard work and demonstrated experience in the field. According the the AHIMAs 2008 salary study, the average HIM director is paid $74k/year, a very attractive salary well above the US average. For an HIM director, there exists opportunity for advancement in several different avenues. Many choose to move to positions managing larger HIM departments at larger organizations, while others with business background have chosen to explore executive roles such as Chief Information Officer. While it is clear that the role of HIM director is a very diverse, challenging role, I believe it is a position that can be rewarding and educating at the same time. The director has a variety of responsibilities, each essential in providing the highest quality information services to the hospital and the patients it serves. A hospital with an efficient health information department benefits on a variety of different levels from cost containment to patient satisfaction. However, in order to realize these important benefits, it is critical to place a properly equipped individual at the helm of the department.

References

LaTour., Maki., & Oachs. (2013). Health Information Management Concepts, Principles, and Practice . Chicago: AHIMA Press. HIM Director Job Description. AHIMA Job Description Database. Retrieved August 3, 2013, from www.ahima.org/downloads/pdfs/resources/HIMDjobdesc.pdf RHIA Certification. American Health Information Management Association . Retrieved August 2, 2013, from http://www.ahima.org/certification/rhia.aspx 2008 Salary Study. American Health Information Management Association . Retrieved August 4, 2013, from http://www.ahima.org/membership/salarystudy08.aspx