New Feature!

Health Information Management
Certifications and Credentials

Maintaining Excellence in the Profession
AHIMA has designated credentials that have become industry standards. A Health Information professional earns the credential through experience, job performance, and education, as well as performance on the national exam.

A degree and a credential will give professionals the competitive edge needed to obtain their goals. Employers regularly seek credentialed candidates for entry-level to senior management positions.

Credentialing is Valuable in your HIM Career
In 2005, AHIMA conducted a web based survey of healthcare employers on the topic of the value of industry certification.

Significant findings from the survey include:

• Employers feel that credentials are most important for medical coding professionals (73%), and other HIM professionals (67%), followed by IT professionals (53%) and privacy and security officers (45%).


• Hiring and promotion practices are influenced by credentials. With all other things being equal, 68% of employers report choosing a credentialed candidate over one who is not and 53% prefer credentials when promoting their employees.


• Credentialed employees are rewarded financially. 67% of respondents report that they earn more than their non-credentialed peers.

Search for HIM Degree Programs

RHIT / RHIA vs the other Certified Coding Certifications?
The credentials of CCA, CCS, and CCS-P pertain to knowledge and expertise related to coding only. RHIT and RHIA certified professionals have demonstrated expertise in coding plus the other areas of health information: data management, privacy, and compliance, as well as in supervisory and managerial roles.

It Pays to Get Educated
Education makes an impact on salary and career opportunties as strongly as other factors. In a 2006 AHIMA survey, 79.3% of the HIM respondents reported having an Associate (34.5%), Bachelor (34.4%), or Master's (10.3%) Degree. Only 3.8% of respondents held only a high school diploma. In the same survey, HIM Directors reported differing salaries based on their education levels. While the average director salary earned by those with an associate degree is $60,613, that number grows to $75,126 for those with a baccalaureate degree, and to $86,728 for those with a master's degree.

Featured Education Partner

Health Information Credentials and Eligibility Requirements

• Baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree in an AHIMA accredited program
• Passed national RHIA certification exam

• Associate degree in an AHIMA accredited Health Information Technology program
• Passed national RHIA certification exam

• Passed national medical coding certification exam
• US high school diploma or equivalent
• Atleast 3 years of professional experience in hospital-based inpatient coding or hospital-based ambulatory/outpatient coding work are strongly recommended
• Education and proficiency in anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology are recommended

• Passed national medical coding certification exam
• US high school diploma or equivalent
• Atleast 3 years of professional experience in coding for physician servvices in multiple settings is strongly recommended
• Education and proficiency in anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology are recommended

• Passed national medical coding certification exam
• US high school diploma or equivalent
• Atleast 6 months professional experience with ICD-9-CM and CPT coding conventions and guidelines are recommended
• Coding training and education are also recommended

• Passed national medical coding certification exam
• Baccalaureate degree and a minimum of 4 years experience in healthcare management OR
• Healthcare information management credential (RHIT, RHIA) with a baccalaureate or higher degree and a minimum of 2 years experience in healthcare management OR
• Master's or related degree (JC, MD, PhD) and 2 years experience in healthcare management

Health Information Management Professional Organizations