Dear Cindy,

I already have a BS in information science. I want to become a RHIA that doesn’t require getting another degree. What are my choices?

Thanks, Peter

Dear Peter,

You are talking about becoming a registered health information management administrator (RHIA).

According to Patt Peterson, director of education at the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA),  you have two choices: Either get a master’s degree in health information management (or health informatics) which prepares you to sit for your RHIA credential, or, if you aren’t interested in pursuing a master’s degree, then you have two certificate options. They are a post-baccalaureate certificate (PBC) from one of the schools accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) which would prepare you to take the credentialing exam, or a master’s certificate (MC) to prepare you to take the RHIA.

The AHIMA has information about online PBC and MC options, as well a list of campus-based programs that offer degrees and certificates. To read more about the profession in general, and to find a listing of CAHIIM accredited programs go to http://www.healthinformationcareers.com.