Kentucky Health Informatics
Health Information Technology, or Health Informatics, is one of the fastest-growing careers in Kentucky today. Health Informatics workers are responsible for the collection, organization, modeling, and analysis of medical data. Additional duties include protecting the privacy of patient data, medical coding, billing, and reimbursement. Jobs in the field combine computer science, information technology, and healthcare. The field extends to jobs in a variety of industries, such as insurance agencies, education, research, information technology. More traditional job settings include hospitals, hospices, emergency care clinics, retirement centers, and rehabilitation centers. From 2008-2018, this field has a projected increase of 20% in the number of jobs available, which is much higher than the national average.
Kentucky Health Informatics Links
Health Informatics Degrees Kentucky
Entry level positions as Health Information Management (HIM) assistants in Kentucky are open to anyone with a high school diploma. An Associate’s Degree in Health Information Technology is a two year program that is an excellent option both for recent high school graduates and adults seeking a career change. Programs cater to non-traditional students, with classes held online and at nights to facilitate students who are already working in the field. Students might ipt to choose a program approved by CAHIIM , the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics & Information Management. Upon completion of a CAHIIM approved program, students must pass an examination to become Registered Health Information Technicians, a certification recognized in all U.S. states and territories. There are also an abundance on excellent health information management programs avaiable that are not CAHIIM approved
CAHIIM Approved Health Information Managment Programs
Approved health informatics associate’s programs in Kentucky are offered by Jefferson Community & Technical College, National College—Louisville, and Western Kentucky University. These programs focus on communication, biology, anatomy and physiology, medical coding, legal aspects of the field, medical terminology, pharmacology, and reimbursement procedures. As per CAHIIM requirement, all students participate in a field internship prior to graduation. CAHIIM certified professionals may join the Kentucky chapter of AHIMA, the American Health Information Management Association. AHIMA connects the top professionals in the field and offers them access to exclusive job postings. See Kentucky AHIMA’s website, http://www.khima.org/news/news2.html, for more details.
Professionals wishing to pursue advanced study may choose a CAHIIM approved Bachelor’s Program in Health Information Management. The only approved program in Kentucky is offered by Eastern Kentucky University . Students learn more advanced techniques for data analysis and the development of data management algorithms, as well as quality management, research methods, and principles of management. Prior to graduation, students complete three different field internships. Upon completion of the program, students pass CAHIIM examination and become Registered Health Information Administrators, or RHIA.
Health Informatics Salary – Kentucky
In Kentucky, RHIT find work in the state’s major hospitals, including Norton Hospital in Louisville, Saint Elizabeth Medical Center, and the Owensboro Medical Health System. For example, Owensboro Medical Health System employs dozens of IT workers as Coding Supervisors, Managers, and Document Capture System/Quality Control Indexing (DCS/QCI) Technicians. An RHIT in Kentucky earns an average $15.12 an hour, or $31,400 a year. The experienced professionals earn up to $23.06 hourly, or approximately $48,000 annually. RHIA in Kentucky earn an average $38.783 an hour, or $80,670 a year. Professionals with years of experience in the field earn up to $60.25 hourly, or $125,000 annually.
*Salary Data: Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Earnings Statistics