Department Overview
Healthcare Through Quality Information
The mission of the Health Information Management (HIM) department at Texas State University-San Marcos is to develop the skills and qualities needed to fulfill the multifaceted role of a health information management practitioner and to develop the attitudes and principles which will encourage continuing growth in the profession that is rapidly expanding in scope and responsibility in the dynamic environment of the health care industry.
Health Information Management: Professional Definition
Health Information Management improves the quality of health care by insuring that the best information is available to make any healthcare decision. HIM professionals manage healthcare data and information resources. The profession encompasses services in planning, collecting, aggregating, analyzing, and disseminating individual patient and aggregate clinical data. It serves the healthcare industry including: patient care organizations, payers, research and policy agencies, and other healthcare related industries.
The HIM Profession Today
Projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to be one of the 15 fastest growing occupations in the United States, health information management (HIM) is an excellent career choice for the person who is seeking a healthcare profession that combines interest in computer sciences, business, management, legal procedures, and healthcare research. HIM professionals play a key role in making the healthcare system work. They perform the data collection and analysis that doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals need to provide quality patient care. More than half of new HIM graduates with a bachelor's degree start with salaries in the $30,000 to $50,000 ranges. In five years, many of these graduates are earning up to $75,000. These professionals work in a broad range of settings that span the continuum of healthcare, including office-based physician practices, nursing homes, home health agencies, mental health facilities, and public health agencies. The growth of managed care has created additional job opportunities in HMOs, PPOs, and insurance companies.
