Colorado Health Informatics
In the past fifty years, health information technology, or Health Informatics, has become one of the most rapid-growing fields in America and Colorado is no exception to this. Colorado health information technicians work at the general level of data collection, coding, and modeling. At the more advanced levels, Health Informatics Managers are responsible for the protection of patient privacy, as well as the management, data modeling, and presentation of information in a growing number of settings. Professionals may work in government positions, mental health facilities, rehabilitation facilities, educational settings, large corporations, legal counsel, prisons, and emergency care clinics.
Colorado Health Informatics Links
Colorado Health Information Technicians Salary and Job Outlook
The already strong job outlook is improved for graduates of programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics & Information Management, or CAHIIM . Employers give preference to graduates of CAHIIM-approved programs, and often pay them higher than others in the field. Graduation from a CAHIIM-approved Associate’s Degree program prepares a student to sit for the examination to become Registered Health Information Technicians, or RHIT. In Colorado, the only CAHIIM-approved Associate’s Degree program is offered by Arapahoe Community College in Littleton. This two year program offers a standard track of coursework in medical coding, human anatomy & physiology, legal aspects of the field, medical reimbursement procedures, and data management. There are also a number of other highly reputable schools that offer health informatics programs throughout the state of Colorado. Registered Health Information Technicians earn $18.15 per hour, or $37,750 a year. Professionals with experience—those in the 90th percentile—earn up to $26.60 an hour, or about $55,000 annually.
Colorado Registered Health Information Managers – Salary and Job Outlook
Regis University , a Catholic Jesuit school, offers the only CAHIIM-approved Bachelor’s Degree in Health Information Management in Colorado. The program prepares students to sit for the Registered Health Information Administrator exam, or RHIA. Students transferring from an accredited Associate’s Degree program receive credit towards their core curriculum. As an added advantage, classes only meet on weekends; the rest are delivered online. This allows a student to work in the field while pursuing their degree. Apart from the general curriculum, this program offers courses in disease classification systems and leadership in healthcare settings. Again, there are number of other colleges and universities that offer health informatics programs in Colorado rather it be in a traditional campus setting or via an online curriculum
Registered Health Information Managers, like RHIT, are eligible for membership in Colorado’s chapter of the American Health Information Management Association, or AHIMA. CHIMA, or the Colorado Health Information Management Association , connects professionals across the state, keeping members abreast of the latest in healthcare policy. It also provides access to job market and networking information. For more information, see CHIMA’s website, www.chima.org.
RHIA jobs are also growing in number faster than the national rate, and from 2008-2018 the amount of jobs is projected to increase by 16% . In Colorado, the average Health Information Manager earns $44.963 hourly, or about $99,500 annually. In the top tenth percentile, professionals with years of experience earn $67.613 per hour, or $140,600 per year.
*Salary Data: Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Earnings Statistics