Connecticut Health Informatics - CT

Job Description and Outlook for Health Info Techs/Administrators in Connecticut

Health Informatics describes the discipline that combines information science, computer science, and health care. At the Associate’s Degree level, Registered Health Information Technicians, or RHIT's, are responsible for the collection, organization, and modeling of data in a variety of settings, including hospitals, emergency care, government, prisons, education, and legal advisement. Professionals are responsible for the legal and ethical management of private healthcare information. One of the fastest-growing careers in America, the job outlook for Health Information Technicians shows a projected 20% increase in jobs from 2008-2018. For Medical Services Managers are professionals who hold bachelor’s degrees and Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) certification. They typically work in larger metropolitan areas in supervisory positions to the RHIT workers. According to the Federal Bureau of Labor and Statistics, for RHIA's, the job market has a projected increase of 16% from 2008-20181.

Connecticut Health Informatics Certification & Training

Certification as RHIT and RHIA comes from the Commission on Health Informatics & Information Management, or CAHIIM . As not all programs in Health Informatics are approved by CAHIIM, graduates of CAHIIM-approved programs are respected as the foremost professionals in the field. Only graduates of CAHIIM-approved programs are eligible for certification as RHIT and RHIA. Lincoln College of New England at Southington offers the only CAHIIM-accredited program in Connecticut. Their Associate of Applied Science in Health Information Technology can be completed entirely through online courses. Like most RHIT programs, the coursework covers human anatomy and physiology, medical coding, computer technology, and human resource management. Phyllis Hilt, RHIA and Director of Lincoln College’s Health Information Technology program, estimates their job placement to be “Above 90%,” with “most placed before graduation.” She explains that the program attracts “Primarily non-traditional students, adults already working in the field and wanting to continue their education.”

Connecticut Health Informatics Salary Ranges

If a student wishes to pursue certification as a RHIA, or Registered Health Information Administrator, they will need to attend school in a neighboring state, or pursue their degree through one of the many available online programs. Hilt says, “The demand for a Bachelor’s Degree is growing; our program is strong and many continue on to Bachelor’s.” New York has CAHIIM-approved Bachelor’s Degree programs at Long Island University and SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica. In Connecticut, RHIT's or registered health info techs earn an average of $17.47 an hour, or about $36,300 a year. The professionals with years of experience earn up to $25.66 hourly, or $53,300 annually. As far as job location, Hilt explains jobs in Connecticut are “usually in metropolitan areas, with less in the north and east.” The average RHIA earns $49.913 an hour, or $103,000 annually. Professionals in the top twenty-five percent earn up to $54 an hour, or $122,000 a year.

*Salary Data: Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Earnings Statistics

All professionals who receive certification from CAHIIM are eligible to join the Connecticut chapter of the American Health Information Management Association, or AHIMA . Membership in AHIMA offers access to additional job opportunities and the latest information in the field, besides offering great networking opportunities. See AHIMA’s website for more information, www.ahima.org.

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Online Health Informatics and Related Programs in Connecticut

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