Career Tips & Advice

Health Information 101: What is Health Information Management?

Concorde Staff

Concorde Staff

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Updated December 2, 2013. The information contained in this blog is current and accurate as of this date.

What do computers, healthcare, and great jobs have in common?

Health Information Management. Chances are, you've never heard of this career field. Let's change that.

Health Information Management (HIM) is the maintenance and care of health records in hospitals, physicians' offices, clinics, health departments, health insurance companies and other facilities that provide healthcare or health record maintenance. The HIM professional plays a vital role in the smooth operation of the healthcare facility, as well as ensuring the effective care and treatment of patients by providing accurate and accessible data. With the widespread transfer of traditional (paper) health records to computerized or electronic health records (EHR), the opportunities in this career field are tremendous.

The real story, however, lies in the growing need for employees to fill those roles. Healthcare providers find themselves struggling to keep up with the rapid changes in technology, and the federal government is providing billions of dollars in funding to get them up to date.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 21% increase in employment of medical records and health information technologists between 2010 and 2020.

  • 67% of hospital executives reported that they were experiencing a shortage of HIT staff in a September 2012 survey by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).
  • According to a study by the Alliance for Health Reform, the HIT/HIM workforce has to increase by 41,000 - or 38% - to serve the current healthcare infrastructure.

Concorde's Health Information Management program addresses these needs with our Health Information Management Associate of Applied Science degree program. Offered completely online, the program can be completed in 20 months. Students benefit from Concorde's graduate employment service and the vast employer network that Concorde maintains.

Health Information Management. The business side of healthcare.

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We have a Concorde representative ready to talk about what matters most to you. Get answers about start dates, curriculum, financial aid, scholarships and more!

  1. Program length may be subject to change dependent on transfer credits and course load. Please refer to current course catalog for more information. Concorde does not guarantee admittance, graduation, subsequent employment or salary amount.

  2. Professional certification is not a requirement for graduation, may not be a requirement for employment nor does it guarantee employment.

  3. Financial aid is available to those who qualify but may not be available for all programs. Concorde does not guarantee financial aid or scholarship awards or amounts.

  4. Clinical hour requirements and delivery may vary by campus location and may be subject to change. Concorde does not guarantee clinical site assignments based upon student preference or geographic convenience; nor do clinical experiences guarantee graduation, post-clinical employment or salary outcomes.

  5. Registration and certification requirements for taking and passing these examinations are not controlled by Concorde, but by outside agencies, and are subject to change by the agency without notice. Therefore, Concorde cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to take these exams, at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.

  6. Externships are a non-paid in-person learning experience, whose length and location may be subject to change. Concorde does not guarantee externship placement, graduation, post-externship employment or salary outcomes.