Living Our Values: Seizing Opportunities Beyond Traditional Settings in Healthcare

At the American Health Information Management Association^® (AHIMA)^®, we often talk about claiming a seat at the table. Now more than ever, you have an extraordinary opportunity to step forward. This demands boldness — a value we hold dear at AHIMA. It also requires an inclusive approach. As we stake a claim for our profession, we must incorporate diverse perspectives and collaborate with all organizations that interact with patient data and touch health information. And in this moment, health information (HI) professionals have an important opportunity to do so. 

As change in healthcare accelerates, so does your value. Health information continues to be collected by new players (such as for apps, genetic testing, and other reasons) and mined for insight by more organizations across the healthcare continuum. As a result, your chance to make an impact grows. Your value is not limited to hospitals or provider organizations; it extends to virtually all segments of healthcare, including long-term care, post-acute care, and behavioral healthcare, among others. All of them have a need to ensure that a patient’s unique story is complete, accurate, accessible, and secure.  

Payers are a great example. They are using predictive analytics to identify patients at high risk of illnesses and are hiring clinicians to help boost wellness — but they may not have a deep understanding of privacy considerations, coding processes, and what the data is really telling them. AHIMA members are experts in these arenas.

Many members are embracing these opportunities and boldly leading. At our recent Component Association leadership meeting, more than 80 individuals representing 42 states came together to discuss key advocacy issues, share best practices, and align their efforts to support the broader mission and goals of AHIMA. Your active participation demonstrates the power of inclusiveness and the boldness required to engage in important conversations. 

Following our Advocacy Summit in March, many of you returned to your organizations and sought opportunities to get involved. You raised your hands and expressed your desires to contribute to the strategic work that supports our field. This, to me, is an inspiring display of boldness, inclusiveness, and integrity — our core values here at AHIMA. Although I am relatively new to this association, I can already see that they are not mere buzzwords to our members or us.  

We at AHIMA share a synergy between our national organization and its connection to the state and individual organizational levels. We also share that bond with our members. As the healthcare industry transforms, we plan to continue to embrace opportunities for growth and change, stepping out of our comfort zone while creating an environment that fosters collaboration and innovation. Our community will remain a safe haven, where HI professionals can find support, guidance, and reassurance. 

Through our integrity, boldness, and pursuit of inclusion, we will continue to help you navigate these changes, seize opportunities, and thrive in this evolving landscape. 

Stephanie Kowalksi, MA, is chief marketing officer at AHIMA. 

Editor’s Note: While AHIMA looks to name a full-time CEO, members of the organization’s executive leadership team will provide monthly messages.