Idaho Health Informatics – ID
At the intersection of healthcare technology, information technology, and computer science lies Health Informatics, one of the fastest-growing fields in America today. Health Informatics professionals collect, organize, and model hospital and administrative data. They are the guardians of confidential patient data. The field includes jobs in a wide array of settings, including emergency care clinics, prisons, hospitals, government, education, mental health facilities, and legal counsel. Health Informatics has a projected increase of 20% in the number of jobs available from 2008-2018.
Idaho Health Informatics Links
The Government organization CAHIIM , or the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics & Information Management, certifies the best programs in the country. Only the graduates of CAHIIM-approved Associate’s degree programs are eligible to sit for the examination to become Registered Health Information Technicians, or RHIT. At the Bachelor’s degree level, only graduates of CAHIIM programs can test for certification as Registered Health Information Administrators, or RHIA. CAHIIM certification at either level greatly increases the job opportunities in this already strong field. Certification by CAHIIM makes a professional eligible to join the Idaho chapter of AHIMA , the American Health Information Management Association. AHIMA carries with it the privileges of access to a community of top professionals, in addition to updates on the latest technology updates and access to AHIMA-only job listings. For more information, visit the Idaho AHIMA chapter website, www.idhima.org.
Idaho Health Informatics Degrees – CAHIM Approved
In Idaho, there are three CAHIIM-approved Associate’s Degree programs, offered by Boise State University, Idaho State University, and ITT Technical Institute—Boise. Each program introduces the student to all aspects of the field, with significant coursework in biology, human anatomy, and physiology. Program-specific courses cover medical terminology, medical coding, data analysis, pharmacology, legal aspects of healthcare IT, reimbursement procedures, and HR management. Idaho does not currently offer any CAHIIM-approved Bachelor’s Degree programs. In neighboring states, the University of Washington—Seattle offers a Bachelor’s program, as does Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. Both programs in Health Information Management prepare students to sit for the RHIA exam. The programs focus on the more advanced aspects of the field, such as developing data analysis algorithms and management of technicians. Another viable option for is to pursue your Bachelor’s degree in health informatics online. A number of program options are listed below and are accepting students from Idaho
Health Informatics Salary Ranges – Idaho
Professionals at the Associate’s degree or RHIT level earn an average of $15.33 per hour, or $31,800 yearly. In the top tenth percentile, experienced workers earn up to $19.49 an hour, or $40,500 a year. In Idaho, the average RHIA earns $35.323 per hour, or $73,400 a year. The experienced professionals in the top 10% of the field earn as much as $51.28 hourly, or $106,600 a year.
*Salary Data: Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Earnings Statistics
