Federal law mandates hospitals keep high security over medical records.
Critical access hospitals are the backbone of America's emergency health care system. These hospitals provide urgent and emergency care and come in both local community and large, regional varieties. All health care facilities must keep accurate and complete medical records, but federal and state laws mandate a high standard of both detail and health information security in critical access facilities. While staffing varies based on the size of the facility and volume of patients, hospitals look for common credentials and skills for their health information management staff.
RHIT and RHIA
The AHIMA awarded Registered Health Information Technician certification shows competency in understanding the legalities and best practices of health record management. Critical access hospitals don't always make RHIT mandatory in their job descriptions for entry-level HIM positions, but they certainly give preference to people who have RHIT credentials. For HIM administrator positions, many facilities look for the Registered Health Information Administrator certification.
Positions
A HIM department's staffing needs vary widely between facilities. However, a full complement can include file clerks, birth certificate clerks, cancer registrars, trauma registrars, and clinical document improvement specialists. Smaller hospitals may have one person take on multiple duties while larger ones may use numerous clerks and specialist to oversee one function.
HIPAA Training
Whether a HIM employee comes with experience or is brand new to the field, critical access facilities must ensure their staffs are thoroughly in Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations. This important law gives significant and specific mandates on patient privacy protections and protocols. Everyone working with health records must understand these important laws and perform their duties to ensure compliance.
Tags: access facilities, access hospitals, critical access facilities, Critical access hospitals, facilities must, health care
