Like an actor who just won an Oscar, Dr. Valerie Watzlaf, PhD, MPH, RHIA, FAHIMA, has a spot picked out to showcase her award.
“I’ll keep it in one of our cases in our living room. It’s very lovely,” says Watzlaf, Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of HIM at the University of Pittsburgh. “It just means the world to me because it is probably, within our profession, one of the highest achievements you can obtain.”
Dr. Watzlaf received the Distinguished Member Award—the highest honor presented by AHIMA—during AHIMA25 in October in Minneapolis. The award celebrates an AHIMA member with a long, exceptional history of health information (HI) contributions and is awarded to an outstanding individual in the field. With over 40 years of teaching and research in health information management (HIM), informatics, statistics, epidemiology, privacy, and quality management, she helped develop Pitt’s Master of Science in Health Informatics program. She served as AHIMA president in 2019 and has a proven record of advancing HIM educational initiatives, leading strategic academic programs, and fostering interdisciplinary research collaborations.
“It makes you so very honored and thankful because you start to think back on all the people who have supported you and helped you along the way,” she says. “There’s your mentors, your professors, your colleagues, your students, and of course, your family, who have inspired you and encouraged you. So it’s certainly not done alone.”
Honoring HI Professionals
Dr. Watzlaf’s award is one of the 2025 Triumph Awards given by AHIMA to honor leaders who advance the HI field, enhance educational opportunities, and inspire the next generation of HI professionals.
Along with Dr. Watzlaf, this year’s Triumph Award winners are:
- Advocacy Award: Alabama Association of Health Information Management
- Educator Award: Betty Rockendorf, MS, RHIA, CHPS
- Emerging Star Award: Mackenzie Higgins, RHIA
- Innovation Award: Dr. Shannan M Swafford, RHIT, CHDA, CCS
- Leadership Award: Connie Renda, MA, RHIA, CHDA
- Mentor Award: Madonna M. LeBlanc, MA, RHIA, FAHIMA
- Student Award: Charity L. Sari, RHIT, CCS
“We are honored to celebrate this year’s Triumph Award recipients, each of whom has made a lasting impact on the health information profession,” says Phillip Duong, Chair of the AHIMA Awards Committee. “Their achievements in leadership, innovation, mentorship, education, and advocacy reflect the best of what our profession represents. These individuals are not only shaping the future of health information but also inspiring the next generation of professionals through their passion and commitment.”
Grace Award Presented to Medical Center
During the AHIMA25 Conference, AHIMA presented the 2025 Grace Award to Montefiore Medical Center—an honor that recognizes healthcare organizations that demonstrate outstanding achievements in health information and exemplify innovative, patient-centered approaches to information governance, data use, and care delivery. The award recognizes healthcare organizations hat demonstrate outstanding achievements in health information and exemplify innovative, patient-centered approaches to information governance, data use, and care delivery.
The award committee selected the medical center for its groundbreaking work in integrating data-driven decision-making with equitable, high-quality care, particularly in underserved communities.
"Montefiore Medical Center has shown extraordinary leadership in advancing the health information profession while making a meaningful impact on patient outcomes,” says Maria Caban Alizondo, PhD, RHIT, FAHIMA, AHIMA Board President/Chair. “Their commitment to innovative health information practices, data stewardship, and community-focused care delivery represents the very best of what this award was created to honor.”
In addition to the awards presentations, AHIMA recognized the 2025 Fellows of AHIMA (FAHIMA) at AHIMA25. They are:
- Dr. Angela Comfort, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P
- Dr. Aerian Tatum, MS, RHIA, CCS, CPHIMS
- Ashley Hendry, MBA, MSL, RHIA, CSAF
- Lisa Woodley, MBA, RHIA, CHPS, IPG
Fellows of AHIMA embody AHIMA's mission to “empower people to impact health®” through advocacy, innovation, and knowledge sharing, representing the highest level of professional recognition. On November 6 from 4-5 p.m. CT, AHIMA will present A Conversation with AHIMA Fellows, a free, member-only event designed for students and emerging professionals to listen to fellows share their experiences and advice on professional development and career growth.
Emerging Stars
Higgins says she’s honored to receive the Emerging Star Award, which recognizes up and coming individuals who have made great strides and contributions to the HI field within their first 10 years of receiving an AHIMA certification.
“I feel like it's something that I've been working toward for a really long time, so it's just so nice to be recognized for that,” Higgins says.
Higgins earned her bachelor’s degree in HIM from the College of St. Scholastica and now works as strategic growth manager at Harris Data Integrity Solutions, where she partners with healthcare organizations to strengthen data integrity across their systems. She also is involved in mentoring and speaking nationally, including her presentation with a colleague titled “Balancing AI and Human Expertise During Healthcare Mergers & Acquisitions” at AHIMA25.
Concerning adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the industry, Higgins says, “More people are seeing it as tool to be used by the experts to make our lives easier. It’s really just about making sure that it’s being used in the best way, especially when handling delicate information. The other thing is to make sure that AI is being used appropriately and safely. AI tools are only as good as the data it has access to.”
Dr. Watzlaf and Higgins agree that HI professionals need to be flexible and adapt to emerging trends such as AI to keep pace and succeed in an evolving work environment.
“It’s an ever-changing field, so if you like change, you’re certainly going to like this,” says Dr. Watzlaf, adding that she encourages students to get involved with industry associations to help with their education of the industry. “Don’t give up. A lot of people sometimes see these changes and shy away and say, ‘I’ll be retired in a few years, I’m not going to worry about it.’ Really, you have to embrace it rather than thinking I can’t do this because you can with the right education and support.”
Damon Adams is content production editor for AHIMA.