Western Washington Area Health Education Center
2033 Sixth Avenue, Ste. 310
Seattle, WA 98121
Ph: 206.441.7137
Fax: 206.441.7158
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WWAHEC
2033 Sixth Avenue, Ste. 310
Seattle, WA 98121
Ph: 206.441.7137
Fax: 206.441.7158
Health
Professionals/
Student Placement
Health Career
Information
Health Career Ambassadors
Health Career
Job Descriptions
HOPE
Preceptor & Site Resources
Scholarship Info
Distance Learning
Volunteer/Retired
Providers Program
K-12 Learning Resources
aka Science
Allied Health
Health Career
Information
HOPE
Health Career Ambassadors
Health Career
Job Descriptions
Scholarship Info
Distance Learning
Statewide Office
of Rural Health
Community Health
Assessment, Planning
& Development
Primary Care
Provider Recruitment
Shop
WWAHEC
2033 Sixth Avenue, Ste. 310
Seattle, WA 98121
Ph: 206.441.7137
Fax: 206.441.7158
Health
Professionals/
Student Placement
Health Career
Information
Health Career Ambassadors
Health Career
Job Descriptions
HOPE
Preceptor & Site Resources
Scholarship Info
Distance Learning
Volunteer/Retired
Providers Program
K-12 Learning Resources
aka Science
Allied Health
Health Career
Information
HOPE
Health Career Ambassadors
Health Career
Job Descriptions
Scholarship Info
Distance Learning
Statewide Office
of Rural Health
Community Health
Assessment, Planning
& Development
Primary Care
Provider Recruitment
Shop
WWAHEC
2033 Sixth Avenue, Ste. 310
Seattle, WA 98121
Ph: 206.441.7137
Fax: 206.441.7158
Health
Professionals/
Student Placement
Health Career
Information
Health Career Ambassadors
Health Career
Job Descriptions
HOPE
Preceptor & Site Resources
Scholarship Info
Distance Learning
Volunteer/Retired
Providers Program
K-12 Learning Resources
aka Science
Allied Health
Health Career
Information
HOPE
Health Career Ambassadors
Health Career
Job Descriptions
Scholarship Info
Distance Learning
Statewide Office
of Rural Health
Community Health
Assessment, Planning
& Development
Primary Care
Provider Recruitment
Shop
Health Career Information
Health Information Specialist
(Medical Records Technician)
Job description
The number of career opportunities in the field of Health Information Management (HIM) has expanded significantly since the early 1980’s. This growth is due to the advances in medical science, healthcare legislation and reform, computerization and changes in healthcare delivery system.
The health information management professional manages the collection, analysis and use of information that guides the healthcare industry. At the heart of the profession are computerized and paper records which document a patient's history of illness and related medical treatment. The HIM professional collects many kinds of data from a variety of sources, monitors the integrity of the information, ensures appropriate access to health records, and manages the analysis and use of this data.
Health information management specialists have a unique understanding of how health data is gathered, how it can be used while protecting its confidentiality, and how it can be interpreted. Health information management specialists work in a variety of health and non-healthcare setting's, including hospitals, clinics, insurance companies, law firms, software companies and consulting companies.
Specialties
There are three categories of HIM professionals: Registered Record Administrators, Accredited Record Technicians, and Certified Coding Specialists.
The Registered Record Administrator (RRA) is a manager as well as an information specialist. RRAs set up and maintain health information systems that meet medical, administrative, ethical and legal requirements. RRAs frequently interact with other members of medical, financial, and administrative staffs to ensure the information system is protected and driven by accurate up-to-the-minute information. As a department manager, the RRA determines health information policies, budgets and resources; evaluates employee performance; and educates the medical staff and ancillary committees.
The Accredited Record Technician (ART) performs a variety of technical health information functions which include organizing, analyzing, and technically evaluating health information; compiling various administrative and health statistics; and coding diseases, operations, procedures and other therapies. The ART also maintains and uses a variety of health information indexes; creates special registries and storage and retrieval systems; inputs and retrieves computerized health data; supervises health information staff; and controls the use and release of health information.
The Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) is an expert in analyzing health records and assigning and sequencing numerical categories to classify medical data. The CCS applies numerical codes to report diagnoses and procedures for payment as well as for comparing and tracking diseases, clinical research, statistical reporting, market data and planning.
Salaries and benefits*
According to the American Health Information Management Association, HIMs earn within the following salary ranges. Experience, geographic location, education, size of the organization and the profit status influence the salary amounts.
●
HIMs with a bachelor's degree start at $30,000-$80,000
●
HIMs with 5 years experience average $50,000-$75,000
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HIMs with an Associates degree start at $20,000-$30,000
A Health Information Analyst I with one year of medical coding experience and certified as an accredited Record Technician, employed by a Washington State university or college earns $2,106 to $2,660 per month. Medical Records Technicians working in Benton and Franklin Counties average $1,551 to $1,820 per month and those in Spokane County average $1,553 to $1,993 per month. In King, Snohomish and Island Counties, Medical Records Technicians average $1,825 to $2,458 per month, while those in Whatcom County average $1,508 to $1,792 per month and those in Vancouver and Portland area average $1,510 to $2,106 per month. In the Pacific Northwest, Medical Transcriptionists average $2,096 to $2,458 per month and Medical Records Clerks average $1,553 to $1,881 per month. An Accredited Records Technicians with a two year degree and experience averages $2,283 to $2,700 per month. In Washington State, Medical Records Technicians average $1,870 per month. Nationally, Medical Records Technicians average $1,767 per month.
Training and requirements
In Washington State, the University of Washington offers a nine-month Health Information Administration Program for RRAs. Persons entering should have completed a Bachelor's degree.
High school graduates can become an ART by earning a two-year associate's degree from an accredited Medical Record Technology college or university program, or by completing the Independent Study Program in Medical Records Technology offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). The ISP/MRT program consists of 17 modules and 30 semester credit hours in specific areas of study at a college or university. In Washington State, Shoreline, Spokane, and Tacoma Community Colleges offer a medical records technology program.
A high school diploma or equivalent, on-the-job coding experience and a solid coding education are needed to become a CCS. Coding education can be attained through workshops, seminars, and coding tracks within medical record technology programs. The American Health Information Management Association offers an Independent Study Program in Coding (ISP/Coding).
Necessary skills
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alertness
●
good vision
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manual dexterity
●
key boarding skills
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ability to do filing, assembling
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problem solving and analysis
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ability work at one station for extended periods of time
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ability to work under pressure and observe deadlines
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ability to communicate in writing and verbally
Licensure/Certification
To be eligible to take the national certification exam, one must graduate from an accredited HIM program. After passing the exam, graduates are certified as Registered Record Administrators or Accredited Record Technicians and can use the credential "RRA" or "ART" after their names. Candidates who pass the coding certification exam can use "CCS". These professionals are certified through the American Medical Records Association in Chicago, Illinois.
Helpful high school courses
English, English composition, speech, technical writing, math, algebra, accounting, statistics, biology, chemistry, physics, office practices, keyboarding, word processing.
Colleges/Vocational Schools in Washington State
●
Apollo College
10102 E. Knox, Ste. 200
Spokane, WA 99206
(509) 532-8888
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Bellingham Technical College
3028 Lindbergh Ave.
Bellingham, WA 98225-1599
(360) 738-0221
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Bryman College
Everett Campus
906 Everett Mall Way, Ste. 600
Everett, WA 98208
(425) 789-7960
Lynnwood Campus
19020 33rd Ave. W, Ste. 250
Lynnwood, WA 98036
(425) 778-9894
Port Orchard Campus
3649 Frontage Rd.
Port Orchard, WA 98367
(360) 473-1120
Tacoma Campus
2156 Pacific Ave.
Tacoma, WA 98402
(253) 207-4000
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Centralia College
600 West Locust St.
Centralia, WA 98531-4099
(360) 736-9391
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Clark College
1800 East McLoughlin Blvd.
Vancouver, WA 98663
(360) 992-2000
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Columbia Basin College
2600 North 20th Ave.
Pasco, WA 99301
(509) 547-0511
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Edmonds Community College
2000 68th Ave. W
Lynnwood, WA 98036-5999
(425) 640-1459
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Everett Community College
2000 Tower St.
Everett, WA 98201
(425) 388-9100
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Grays
Harbor College
1620 Edward P. Smith Dr.
Aberdeen, WA 98520
(800) 562-4830
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Lake Washington Technical College
11605 132nd Ave. NE
Kirkland, WA 98034-8506
(425) 739-8100
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North Seattle Community College
9600 College Way North
Seattle, WA 98103-3599
(206) 527-3639
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Peninsula College
1502 East Lauridsen Blvd.
Port Angeles, WA 98362
(360) 452-9277
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Pierce College
Puyallup Campus
1601 39th Ave. SE
Puyallup, WA 98374
(253) 840-8400
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Renton Technical College
3000 NE Fourth St.
Renton, WA 98056-4195
(425) 235-2352
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Shoreline Community College
16101 Greenwood Ave. N
Shoreline, WA 98133-5696
(206) 546-4101
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Skagit Valley College
2405 E College Way
Mount Vernon, WA 98273-5899
(360) 416-7600
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South
Puget Sound Community College
●
Spokane Community College
North 1810 Greene St.
Spokane, WA 99207-5399
(509) 533-7000
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Tacoma Community College
6501 S 19th St.
Tacoma, WA 98466-6139
(253) 566-5000
●
University of Washington
1107 NE 45th St., Ste. 200
Box 354800
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 543-6160
●
Walla Walla Community College
500 Tausick Way
Walla Walla, WA 99362-9267
(509) 522-2500
●
Yakima Valley Community College
16th Ave. & Nob Hill Blvd.
Yakima, WA 98907-2520
(509) 547-4600
Outlook*
In Washington, this occupation is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations. Employment is projected to increase 41 percent by 2008.
Professional Associations
●
American Association for
Medical Transcription
P.O. Box 576187
Modesto, CA 95357-6187
(209) 551-0883
http://www.aamt.org
●
American Health Information
Management Association
233 N. Michigan Ave., Suite
2150
Chicago, IL 60611-1683
(312) 787-2672
http://www.ahima.org
●
Washington State Health
Information Management Association
631 N W 182nd Blvd.
Shoreline, WA 98177
(206) 285-3842
* Note: General career descriptions are updated as necessary, however salary expectations and projected outlooks have not been updated since 2000. Go to Workforce Explorer Washington and search your career for the most up-to-date salary and job growth expectations. Washington Healthcare Careers and Workforce College are also good resources for job information.
For additional information, contact your school's career counselor or
WWAHEC
2033 Sixth Avenue, Ste. 310
Seattle, WA 98121
Ph: 206.441.7137
Fax: 206.441.7158
Page updated 9/15/04