In the ever-evolving field of health information, it can be challenging to drive change.
But with innovative ideas and pioneering solutions, two health information (HI) leaders are doing just that – and being recognized for their achievements.
AHIMA recently awarded Susan H. Fenton, PhD, RHIA, CPHI, ACHIP, FAHIMA, FAMIA, vice dean for Education at UTHealth Houston, with its 2024 Distinguished Triumph Award. The AHIMA Triumph Awards are national awards designed to recognize those special individuals who have made a difference in the HI profession.
In addition, Texas Health Resources, a north Texas health system, has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Grace Award. The award, named for AHIMA founder Grace Whiting Myers, recognizes healthcare delivery organizations that exemplify innovative approaches to using health information to deliver high-quality care to patients.
Here’s how these award winners are transforming professional development and helping to drive the HI field forward:
Advancing the Next Generation of HI Professionals
Fenton was first exposed to the world of health information as a young girl. Her mother was an accredited record technician and would sometimes take a young Fenton to the hospital and give her work to do.
Years later, as Fenton pondered going to college, she decided that health information – then referred to as “medical records” – would allow her to live anywhere and always find a job, she says.
“Once I got into the field, it became apparent to me that without data and information, you did not have health care,” Fenton says.
Fenton went on to earn her master’s degree in management information systems at the University of Houston and her PhD in health services research at the Texas A&M School of Public Health. Throughout her career, she has taken on various leadership roles and developed a special love for mentorship.
Fenton was recognized with the Distinguished Triumph Award for her dedicated volunteer service, innovative teaching methods, and commitment to mentoring students in health informatics. Fenton was also instrumental in developing the nation’s first Doctorate in Health Informatics program, exemplifying her dedication to advancing education in the field.
“I've always been engaged in different professional associations, including AHIMA,” says Fenton. “A lot of my activities [and] a lot of the work I have done has been around: How do we make this field more evidence-based?”
Fenton’s work to develop a doctorate in health informatic programs started after observing many professionals who wanted a PhD, but didn’t have a practice degree pathway. A number of professionals initially expressed interest in UTHealth Houston’s PhD in biomedical informatics, but the degree wasn’t quite the right fit, as they weren’t interested in research, she says.
“You go through that about a dozen times where people are like deer in the headlights when you ask them about their research,” she says. “But they're very intelligent. They want to keep working in industry. After the passage of the [The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health] Act and with informatics and information management being so important in the digital world, [I thought] why not have a practice doctorate in health informatics?”
Thanks to Fenton’s efforts, UTHealth Houston became the first school in the nation to offer an advanced, practice degree in health informatics in 2019.
Fenton advises both masters and doctorial students and is also a project director for the GET PHIT Consortium, which trains a diverse public health informatics workforce.
“One of the reasons I like teaching is that I consider that to be my dropping the stone in the pond, if you will,” she says. “These people will hopefully go out and carry everything they've learned into the wider world. Ultimately, one day, I and all of my loved ones are going to need care. I want our providers to have the data and information they need to take care of us correctly.”
Fenton says she was honored to receive the Distinguished Triumph Award from AHIMA, an organization she has been a member of since 1985. The recognition, she says, was “incredibly humbling.”
Taking Professional Development to the Next Level
At Texas Health Resources (THR), HI professionals were determined to make health information releases easier for consumers.
To do this, the health system reinvented its release of information system, enabling consumers to receive health information, including imaging, directly from the HI department, no matter where they received care within the system, says Vong Miphouvieng, MHA, RHIA, CHPS, vice president for health information management services/clinical coding and documentation integrity at THR.
In recent years, THR has also worked to grow its professional development opportunities for staff. Internally, THR has added career growth opportunities that create pathways to a variety of positions, including analysts, informaticists, and leaderships roles, Miphouvieng says. The heath system has also introduced a clinical coding apprenticeship program.
“We are creating a structure that allows team members to grow while instilling a sense of pride in the impact we are making in the healthcare sector,” he says. “We encourage professional growth through further educational opportunities and certification attainment.”
Such achievements impressed the AHIMA Awards Committee, leading to the health system’s 2024 Grace Award. THR stood out to the committee for its exceptional commitment to advancing the professional development and leadership skills of their HI team, says Brianna Kelly, MBA, RHIA, AHIMA Awards Committee Co-Chair.
“The committee was thoroughly impressed with Texas Health Resources’ application, which was not only well-written but also detailed and concise,” Kelly says. “The specific examples they provided of turning data into actionable insights demonstrate a profound commitment to innovation and excellence in health information management.”
Amy Hoaglund, BS, RHIA, CHC, Co-Chair of the AHIMA Awards Committee, called THR “a shining example of how health information can be leveraged to enhance patient care and drive organizational success.” The health system’s dedication to professional development and its innovative approaches to health information management align “perfectly” with the AHIMA mission of empowering people to impact health®, she adds.
Miphouvieng says THR was honored to be recognized with the award.
“This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our health information team who continuously strive to innovate and advance our profession,” he says. “Most importantly, the work we do makes an impact on the consumers we are privileged to serve.”
Alicia Gallegos is a freelance healthcare journalist based in the Midwest.