After fourteen years working as a medical assistant, including time as an office manager, Danielle wanted to focus on the behind-the-scenes portion of healthcare. She wanted to gain knowledge of health information programs to pivot her career, and also to aid her in her future goals of becoming a registered nurse. She chose ANU to get her to this next stage of her career. She joined the Health Information Management program for many reasons. “I chose ANU because, for one, I know that it’s veteran-owned, veteran-founded,” she says. She continues, “when I was researching, I wanted something that had multiple stars, not just general reviews. I wanted something that had strong reviews. And I knew with ANU – looking at the reviews for the college and on social media also – you just see the high reviews for the college. So, for me, that’s what stuck out. And seeing students’ reviews is a huge plus for me.”

Through her experiences with ANU, Danielle’s professors have always stood out to her. Not only is she learning the skills she needs to succeed in her future career, but they have always been there for her to rely on, even when she isn’t in their classes. One who really stands out is Sherry Davis, the very same professor who nominated her to be a Term Trailblazer for Term 254. “I’ve been happy so far! My professors are amazing, I love Mrs. Davis,” she explains. “She’s been there for me through everything, from the beginning to now. Any questions I have, I can just reach out to her with no problem.

It just makes me feel that I’m wanted there as a student – that’s huge!”

Not only that, but Tracy Dingle has stood out to her for the same reasons. “She has high expectations for us as a student, but also if there’s questions, then don’t think we can’t ask [them],” she says of Professor Dingle. No matter what the question is or what Danielle is looking for, her professors have stuck by her side. “They always said, ‘if you’re not in my class, or in any one of the classes I’m teaching, we’ll always be here. Just reach out’.”

In her classes, Danielle is also receiving the experience she needs to jump into the workforce. Through simulations, she has been able to practice the skills she’s learned within her classes. “And doing the simulations we have to do, right now, on the sims chart – it’s fun for me! I sit there and I zoom through a lot of them because I’m like, ‘this is just fun!’ Inputting data, inputting medical history – it’s intriguing to me,” she explains.

“So they’ll give us a patient chart and tell us exactly what to do to document it – under appointment, immunization records, office visits, insurance data – so you’re doing what you would actually be doing in the field! You’re getting the hands-on portion of it.”

Many of Danielle’s initial goals revolved around being there for her family. “My first goal was, obviously, CPC (Certified Professional Coder) in billing and coding. I surpassed that goal – I passed. Ultimately, my goal with that was to work from home and to be able to have the flexibility with my kids,” she says. Upon reaching that goal, Danielle had realized she wanted and could do more. “I’m always one of those that likes to have more than one certification or career – it makes me more well-rounded. So I decided, ‘okay, let me go back for my RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician)’ which will give me another step up with my CPC. Because I’m finding a lot of jobs – if you have both, you have a better opportunity at getting that job.” When she finishes her education at ANU, she hopes to work in a hospital setting. And then, in the future, she hopes to return to school to either become a registered nurse or to move into respiratory therapy, as she’s asthmatic and has been researching that field.

Something that is important to Danielle is the way she has returned to education even while taking care of her family. With children in sports and needing more healthcare, her life remains busy, but even so, she is pursuing education. “I am being that example for all four of my kids. If mommy can go back to school, and I can graduate, and I can get high honors, and I can have the 4.0 GPA – you can, too! It takes a little work ethic, it takes a little bit of effort, it takes the time to study, but anybody can do it. And I’m going to be that example for my kids.”

Would she recommend ANU to others? “I have – I’ve actually referred ANU to several people already! One, for the flexibility. Two, for the professors. And three, for the foundation of what they stand on and the education part of it. It’s worth it in the end.”

Her advice to new students: “Have a plan, have a calendar, you have got to set times aside – you got to [have] time management. You can’t just think you can whip through your assignments in one night – it’s not like that… You just got to take the time out and pick and choose what’s important to you. For me, it’s my classes and passing with a 4.0, and me learning and getting my education. And learning the material! The number one thing I can tell somebody is time management and play with the system until you get it down in what works for you, because everybody is going to be different.”

The post Being the Example: Danielle Garcia’s Path to Education at ANU appeared first on American National University.

Medical Records Technician

1. What You’ll Do in This Job: Medical records technicians organize and maintain health records in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare settings. They ensure patient data is accurate, complete, and accessible when needed. This can include gathering a patient’s symptoms and test results with their medical history to enter into EHR systems.
2. Where You Can Work: Hospitals, physician offices, insurance companies
3. Possible Salary: With relevant experience and education, the median annual wage was around $48,780 according to BLS in May 2023.

Medical Coder

1. What You’ll Do: Medical coders translate patient diagnoses and procedures into codes for billing and insurance purposes. They work with healthcare providers like doctors and nurses to ensure claims are accurate and submitted correctly to the appropriate channels.
2. Where You Can Work: Hospitals, physicians offices, insurance companies
3. Possible Salary: With relevant experience and education, the annual wage was between $48,000 to $51,000 according to BLS in May 2023.

Health Information Technician

1. What You’ll Do: Health information technicians analyze patient data to ensure accuracy, accessibility, and security. They often assist in designing, developing, and implementing HER systems and ensuring compliance with regulations in their industry, as per BLS.
2. Where You Can Work: Hospitals, outpatient centers, government agencies, insurance companies
3. Possible Salary: With relevant experience and education, the median annual wage for this field was $62,990 in May 2023, according to BLS.

Health Data Analyst

1. What You’ll Do: Health data analysts collect and interpret patient and hospital data to identify trends, improve patient outcomes, and support administrative decision making. They analyze things like clinical data, like medical records, insurance data, like claims, pharmaceutical data, like research or drug information, behavioral data, like consumer behavior, and public health data, like biostatistics.
2. Where You Can Work: Hospitals, insurance companies, research institutions, medical offices
3. Possible Salary: With relevant experience and education, the average annual base salary for this field is $70,082, according to Payscale.com.

Compliance and Privacy Officer

1. What You’ll Do: Compliance officers in the healthcare field ensure that healthcare facilities follow laws and regulations to patient privacy, such as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). They may conduct audits on healthcare records, facilities, and staff, and they may train staff on compliance policies.
2. Where You Can Work: Hospitals, clinics, government agencies
3. Possible Salary: With relevant experience and education, the average annual base salary could be over $100,000, according to Payscale.com.

Why You Should Choose a Career in Healthcare Information Management

Choosing a career in HIM offers job stability, diverse work environments, and opportunities for advancement through certifications like the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT). With healthcare facilities increasingly relying on electronic health records and data security, skilled professionals are needed now more than ever. By enrolling in American National University’s Health Information Management associate degree program, you’ll gain the technical knowledge and hands-on training needed to thrive in this evolving industry. Whether you’re interested in medical coding, billing, or health data analysis, ANU’s program provides a strong foundation to launch your career in this essential field. To learn more about this field or ANU’s program, go to an.edu.

American National University – Be live, in class, from anywhere.

The post What Can I Do With a Health Information Management Degree? appeared first on American National University.

Following years of juggling work, childcare, and pursuing education, Valerie Jett embarked on a journey of self-discovery. It was during this journey that she received diagnoses of autism and ADHD, providing her with the understanding and determination necessary to regain control of her life. And through that, she joined American National University’s Health Information Management associate degree program and had the tools she needed to commit and complete the goals she wanted to achieve. And her dedication to her studies earned recognition from her professors to nominate her as a Term Trailblazer for Term 237!

Valerie first started her educational journey when American National University was still known as National College. She was initially in our business administration management program but left due to the struggles of burn-out. However, when she finally found clarity in her diagnoses, she decided to join our Health Information Management program in order to obtain more flexibility in her career.

“With my autism and my ADHD, I wanted something that opened up the doors to work remotely and in office, if need be,” she explains, “and the pay rates, from what I’ve gathered in my research, is really good for starting out jobs.”

Joining the medical field also helps her achieve a goal of helping others find options that would help them when they’re in need.

During the course of earning her degree, Valerie has found the support she needs every step of the way. “[ANU] has been a lot of help, just with answering questions that I have here and there,” she says. She explains that she’s never had an issue getting in contact with anyone – whether by email or text. When it comes to her professors, she describes they “have been really good, no matter if it was in person or online, for National College and American National.” And in their expertise, she has gained a lifetime of knowledge, of trial and error, without having to live it yet. “What they have learned, what they gained, their knowledge and their passing it on to you. Which makes it easier for your life because you don’t have to live it and go through to learn it. It saves time and you can put your time into learning something else, [something] new.”

Her future goals include having financial stability through her career and owning a home, as well as help her father and their family farm. And she wants to obtain those goals by earning her degree and working to help people in the healthcare field.

“I would recommend [ANU], especially if someone has a busy life. It would definitely be easier for them to go to school, to work, and take care of a family,” she explains. She’s even already recommended ANU to those around her, like her daughter in law.

“I think online learning is just as good as in-person learning. It’s not as chaotic, it’s a lot more structured, to be honest,” she says, “it’s structured with flexibility.”

Her advice to new ANU students: “To be productive is to be on top of all of your tasks,” she advises. She describes using tools to help her do better in classes – as she utilizes calendars and an Amazon Alexa to help remind her of her upcoming tasks. She also advises, “don’t be afraid to talk to your professors because they’re there for you.”

The post Excelling Through Self Discovery appeared first on American National University.

Amanda Hanawahine McKeague’s Time at ANU

Earning your higher education has no time limit, and for current student, Amanda Hanawahine McKeague, that reigns true. The time for college never worked for her as life and responsibilities prevented her from being able to focus her time on studies. However, now that her children have grown and American National University’s Health Information Management associate degree program is all online, Amanda is able to earn the education she’s always wanted. She has proven that any student can receive their higher education at any age. Her dedication to her studies and hard work have paid off as Amanda is term 230’s Health Information Management Student of the Term!

Amanda originally joined ANU for the Medical Billing and Coding diploma program, however, she stayed to earn her associate degree. On this decision, she says, “at the end of the term, I was like ‘well, I came this far, might as well push a little harder and get the rest!’” She pushed to continue earning her education to be an example for her teen children, “at any age, you can go back [to school].” Her seamless movement from Medical Billing and Coding to Health Information Management was due in part of ANU’s stackable degree programs. And the choice to continue earning was also in part because:

“It made it easier to not have to start all over again and learn a different way of doing things.”

With terms starting every ten weeks at ANU, Amanda knew she could fast track her education – and that is a major reason why she chose our programs. Her decision to choose ANU was “the fact that I could accelerate the courses… I wanted to achieve [my education] as fast as I could.” Amanda always wanted to be within a healthcare role, and she always wanted to work with veterans. “I live in a military town, so there’s a lot of veterans around here, and I see what they go through to just get a visit with a specialist,” she describes. “Maybe there’s something in Health Information Management background that I can help spearhead it so that it’s not as hard for them to get through. They’ve already been through enough.”

Through her experience at ANU, Amanda will always remember program director, Patricia Vander Hoff.

“She’s to the point, she doesn’t sugar coat anything, it helps the way I learn,” she says. “If you don’t remember something, she calls you out. And it’s not to pick on you, it’s to help you learn, as these are things you have to remember because they’re important to your job.”

She describes that Patricia treats her students like human beings and not numbers or products. On her overall experience, Amanda says, “it’s been good! I can’t complain. My professors have been amazing and very helpful.” She’s nearing the end of her associate degree education at ANU. She describes this term to be the most influential, “I have [my externship], the training for the RHIT [Registered Health Information Technician] testing class, and I have my statistics class… It’s a lot, but I know I can get through it.”

Her future goals after she finishes her Health Information Management program, she says, “I have already reached out to my advisor to inquire about moving on to my bachelor’s degree. I know that will get my farther than just an associate degree.” She hopes to work with veterans in her future, as previously mentioned, to assist them in their health.

To all those looking for an education in Health Information Management, Amanda whole-heartedly agrees they should attend American National University. “If [students] want a career there, yes, take a chance on ANU.”

Her advice to new students at ANU: “Have questions and reach out, because when you reach out, that’s the only way you get your questions answered. Be open to learning in different ways. Study hard.”

The post Education at Any Age appeared first on American National University.

Graduating from a program that is accredited by CAHIIM signifies to employers that the student attended an institution that gave them up-to-date, quality knowledge and experiences in the modern electronic health record (EHR) environment. Students are eligible and equipped with the knowledge to sit for the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT®️)* examination. At ANU, students are trained as HIM professionals capable of managing patients’ medical data, patient care records, as well as how to operate electronic records and accompanying software programs.

To qualify for CAHIIM accreditation, the institution must meet CAHIIM’s rigorous program standards for curricula, faculty, resources, and continuing education.

The 100% online program, institutionally accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, joins the campus-based program at the Louisville, Kentucky campus (institutionally accredited by the Allied Bureau of Health Education Schools).  ANU’s Louisville program has been CAHIIM-accredited since 2001.

Upon successful graduation, with ANU’s stackable degree pathways, the student can seamlessly advance to the next level into the Medical and Health Services Management bachelor’s degree.

*RHIT®️ is a trademark of American Health Information Management Association.

The post Health Information Management Program Receives Nationally Recognized Accreditation appeared first on American National University.

American National University has recently been re-approved for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I program. The WIOA program provides government funds for laid-off workers to enroll in approved programs for additional education that will give them greater opportunities. By helping them learn and develop new skills, we prepare unemployed workers for careers in the evolving global economy.

WIOA program approval extends to the following courses:

• Pharmacy Technician (Diploma and Associate’s)
• Paralegal (Diploma and Associate’s)
• Phlebotomy & ECG Diploma
• Network Support Associate’s
• Business Administration Associate’s
• Business Administration – Accounting (Diploma and Associate’s)
• Medical Coding & Billing Diploma
• Medical Assisting (Certificate and Associate’s)
• Health Information Management Associate’s
• Administrative Medical Assisting Associate’s

The application was approved by the Western Virginia Workforce Development Board (WVWDB) and Chief Local Elected Officials (CLEO) in Local Workforce Development Area 3 (LWDA3).

For more information on how you may qualify, call 833.388.1100, click, or Zoom an admissions representative today!

The post Unemployed Students May Be Eligible for Workforce Development Grant appeared first on American National University.

COVID-19 UPDATE

In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is implementing 12 new procedure codes to describe the introduction or infusion of therapeutics into the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS), effective August 01, 2020.

The files in the Downloads section contain information on the ICD-10-PCS COVID-19 updates effective with discharges on and after August 1, 2020.

Please visit CMS.gov to view or download the new codes.

https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD10/2020-ICD-10-PCS

Delores Johnson, RHIA, MS, HIIM
Chair, HIM Department

August 11, 2020
Source: CMS.gov

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