What if I Want to Expand My Education Beyond My Medical Coding and Billing Certification?

At this moment in time, the health profession is undergoing some major changes and improvements, and one of the areas that is most exciting is information management. Every hospital, no matter how small, now must manage a truly enormous amount of information for each patient. Sometimes, this information has to do with bill payments, and sometimes, this information is actually designed to preserve a patient’s life. If you are someone who has already completed their medical billing and coding training and interested in expanding your knowledge within the medical profession, a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management might be the degree program for you!

Coding and Billing and More

When you are interested in medical coding and medical billing, you already know that there are certifications that are designed to give you the skills that you need. However, if your interests in this area go beyond simply doing the tasks themselves and towards building the systems that they rely upon, you should take a look at Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management. A bachelor’s degree in this program allows you to take the next step when it comes to data management, and in addition to helping you rise in the system, it can open you to a whole new way of looking at your work.

Logical Progression

For many people, a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management is the next logical step. This degree is one that is increasingly chosen by people who have already earned an active RHIT certification or who have completed a degree in Health Information Technology. This is something that can increase your earning potential, and it provides you with more of the challenges that you have come to love. Other people simply have a deep interest in information protection and management, and this allows you to use your skills in an essential and exciting way.

Employment Opportunities For Individuals with a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management

When you are looking at obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management, you should also be looking ahead to the kinds of career opportunities available to you post graduation. For example, many of the jobs that you can secure will naturally be centered around hospital work. In addition to the medical coding and billing positions that you will be qualified for, you can also take management positions as a system manager, an information department director or a clinical data specialist. Essentially, you will be in charge of curating the information that a hospital is responsible for maintaining. It will be your duty to not only protect it, but also to make sure that it is available. You might also be put in charge of marketing initiatives or informational programs that will make the system clearer to others.

On top of that, you will also find that you are qualified to work in public clinics and private physician offices. A little further afield, if you decide that you have a passion for the way that data systems are set up, you might find that you are invested in taking positions with IT and software vendors, or even with insurance companies or the government. Depending on your level of expertise and experience, you might also find yourself working as a consultant.

Necessary Classes

When you are looking into a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management, you may wonder what kind of classes you have to get the degree. Though the classes will vary from university to university, you will find that some of them are very common. For example, you will likely need to take classes on data security and on financial management, where you make sure that the system works with the budget that it is using. You’ll also find that you need to take a functions and services class, where you will look at what the system you are going to be managing really provides, and you will also likely be taking a quality management class, where the system’s quality assurance is discussed. You may also find yourself drawn towards classes on statistics and research, especially if you have an interest in the healthcare’s data system on an architectural level. As you progress further with this degree, your interests will be sharpened and you can find classes that best suit your needs and your interests.

Is a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management what you have been looking for? Many people are drawn to the coding and billing fields yet find they wish to expand their educational foundation and career prospects. Often these people embark on completing training within Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management programs to do just that!