Health Information Manager/Technician

• Developing company strategy, managing health information employees, and overseeing information technology used in healthcare administration
• Performing various engineering duties, including creating information models and flow strategies
• Supervising servers with large quantities of stored data and developing strategies to quickly locate and retrieve deleted data
• Categorizing, coding, and analyzing data and making information more accessible to users
• Developing network security procedures, determining who should have access to the network, and protecting networks from unauthorized access
  
  

Career Growth and Opportunities

Since technology is always changing, health information managers enjoy numerous opportunities to develop new skills during their careers. Since most healthcare records are now being digitized and healthcare providers heavily rely on information technology, health information managers are needed to ensure networks are secure and function properly. Demand for health information managers is high nationwide. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that job growth for these specialists will remain high through the future, with about 50,000 new jobs expected to be created through 2017.

In addition to excellent job opportunities, health information managers are typically well-paid. Over 50 percent of entry-level health information managers receive salaries ranging from $30,000 - 50,000 annually. Those with 5 years of experience can make between $50,000-75,000 a year. Health information managers holding associate's degrees typically make anywhere from $20,000 - 30,000 a year. Experienced and talented specialists can earn even higher salaries.

Health information managers are assigned various duties and work for numerous healthcare providers. For example, some specialize in medical records administration and privacy, data analysis, corporate compliance, medical coding, and risk management.

Medical software developers, government agencies, consulting firms, universities and colleges, hospitals, and other healthcare providers need health information managers. Since most hospitals and medical clinics now maintain digital medical records, healthcare information specialists are needed to secure and maintain networks. Network support positions, including mobile support, implementation support, public health informatics, and system redesign jobs are constantly being created.

Education and Training

Health information management degrees are available at the associate’s, bachelor’s, and graduate levels. Students interested in a degree in this field should enroll in a Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) accredited program. Health information managers with associate’s and bachelor’s degrees can qualify for entry-level jobs, but individuals with graduate degrees enjoy enhanced job opportunities and higher wages.