The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) continues to initiate organizational change in an effort to revitalize the Association. The AHIMA House of Delegates is poised to make significant changes to several AHIMA bylaws that reflect the new direction the Association is taking. With a renewed focus on membership, a unique coalition of Past AHIMA Presidents has become a discerning voice to lead reasonable and responsible transformation.
There are proposed amendments to several AHIMA bylaws that will be formally introduced to the House of Delegates for a vote. I feel there is one bylaw amendment that will have the greatest impact on AHIMA and its membership. This bylaw amendment suggests changes to Article 3.1 Purposes and Mission. Currently, this bylaw states, in part, the AHIMA mission is “empowering people to impact health.” I’m not sure how the AHIMA mission statement moved away from promoting the education of our members and training our membership to be a body of professionals who are recognized as knowledgeable and skilled in health information management, but it did.
Now, the pendulum is swinging back the other way with this proposed amendment to put the spotlight back on the professional growth and development of our membership if the current Purposes and Mission Statement amendment is passed by vote in the House of Delegates. Rationale behind this proposed Bylaw amendment include wording that steers the organization towards the purpose of improving the Association to 1) “benefit its members,” 2) “advocate for their professional interests and needs,” and 3) “promote the advancement of the profession and the integrity of health information.” This brings the Association back to a focus on education and professional development.
There used to be a time when AHIMA was THE educational authority for all things HIM. The Association was bustling with workshops, seminars, and trainings specific to all aspects of our profession. Colleges and Universities depended on HIM industry experts and educators to publish textbooks under the AHIMA umbrella that instructed and prepared students in our programs for the jobs in the HIM career field. It is my humble opinion that changing the Mission and Purpose of our Association to focus on uplifting the members will be the best way to revive and rejuvenate AHIMA into a vibrant Association with so much to offer.
Krystal Phillips, RHIA
OHIMA Delegate 2023-2025
OHIMA Members are encouraged to submit their comments regarding the proposed AHIMA Bylaw Amendments to Ohio Delegates before Saturday, October 19th by filling out this FORM.
