April 26, 2021 (Middletown, Conn.) — Health information students and faculty at Middlesex Community College (MxCC) participated in the 32nd annual Health Information Professionals (HIP) Week from April 18–24, 2021. They attended four virtual sessions and workshops with area health information professionals to celebrate the national American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) theme of “Keeping Health Information Human.”
“Our presenters represented different practice areas for health information professionals and offered students relevant career advice,” said Jill Flanigan, coordinator of the health information management program at MxCC. “Students were impressed by the variety of career options and opportunities in health information management.”
During HIP Week, health information professionals engaged in focused activities at their healthcare organizations and in their communities to raise awareness of their important work. In addition, health systems recognized the accomplishments of their health information team.
Flanigan and program faculty arranged and led the virtual sessions at Middlesex Community College. The week kicked off with the health information management department at Middlesex Hospital, led by their director Mark Laudenberger. Marianne Garfi, director of communications for MaHIMA, led a session about insurance and government programs. Another workshop featured behavioral health speaker Emily Macko, health information management director and privacy officer at the Stonington Institute. With MxCC faculty, Elaine Ippolito, MaHIMA board member, took a closer look at AHIMA and the organization’s history in the final session.
“Health Information professionals are trusted by patients and providers alike with the most sensitive data that exists about a person, while making sure it’s available where and when it’s needed,” said AHIMA CEO Wylecia Wiggs Harris, PhD, CAE. “The commitment of health information professionals to keep patient health information reliable and protected at all times is critical. I am excited to celebrate their work to keep health information human.”
Health information professionals are involved in the design, collection, storage, utilization and transmission of data required to meet the professional, legal, financial and administrative record-keeping requirements of healthcare delivery systems. They work with clinical, financial, epidemiological, administrative and coded healthcare and insurance data.
“If you are trying to get your foot in the door, be ready to accept entry-level roles—even if not related to the field—to later transition into your desired one within the organization,” noted Mahalakshmi Babu, a health information management student who attended the session with Middlesex Hospital. “Volunteering is a great way to learn and gain hands-on experience as well as connect with people. No experience is too small or big.”
For more information on the health information management programs at MxCC, please visit https://mxcc.edu/him.
Since 1966, Middlesex Community College has provided high-quality, affordable and accessible education to a diverse population, enhancing the strengths of individuals through degree, certificate and lifelong learning programs that lead to university transfer, employment, and an enriched awareness of our shared responsibilities as global citizens. A part of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system, MxCC offers more than 60 degree or certificate programs at the main 35-acre campus in Middletown, MxCC@Platt in Meriden and online.
AHIMA is a global nonprofit association of health information (HI) professionals. AHIMA represents professionals who work with health data for more than one billion patient visits each year. AHIMA’s mission of empowering people to impact health drives our members and credentialed HI professionals to ensure that health information is accurate, complete, and available to patients and providers. Our leaders work at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and business, and are found in data integrity and information privacy job functions worldwide.
