Certifications & Diplomas

Undergraduate Degree: University of Washington

I graduated from the University of Washington's School of Public Health with my Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics and Health Information Management (HIHIM) in June 2009. I wanted to continue my studies in the expansive field of health information management (administration, finance, and IT all wrapped up into one) and be eligible to sit for the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) credential offered through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). One of the reasons why I chose this school versus the others was the face-to-face classroom instruction, well known HIM faculty, CAHIIM accreditation, and the reputation of UW's esteemed School of Public Health. I found the program intense but of high quality. The curriculum was wonderfully tied into the requirements and I genuinely felt like the faculty wanted to see me succeed. I was able to complete the program in 1-year but this is mainly due to the fact that I had my Associates Degree in Health Information Technology and had been working in the field for a number of years. This made the assignments a little easier to tackle versus those with no previous HIM experience.

• Grade Point Average = 3.64 (Click here to view my unofficial UW transcript)

Associate Degree: Tacoma Community College

I graduated from Tacoma Community College's Health Information Technology program (also CAHIIM accredited) in June 2004. I was brand new to healthcare and this was a first career for me. This really launched my career and I'll forever be grateful to the faculty for helping grow and expand my skill-sets. I am proud that I now work for this program and we've seen it continue to grow into a top notch, industry leading online program producing quality HIM graduates eligible to sit for their Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) credential. I transitioned from the HIM industry in 2010 into higher education to devote myself into teaching students how to get into the HIM field. This allows me to combine my skills of HIM and teaching into one awesome/fun job with a great team!

• • Grade Point Average = 3.73 (Click here to view my unofficial TCC transcript)

Certifications, Diplomas, and Related Documents

Included below are links where you can view my diplomas, certifications, and related documents.

Professional Certifications

• Washington State Vocational Technical Education Certificate

  • • This document certifies that I have filed evidence of competence to the Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges. My teaching certification certification is valid in the state of Washington from March 1, 2019.

• Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA)

  • • This management focused credential is maintained through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and "recognizes individuals who are skilled in managing health information and medical records, administering computer information systems, collecting and analyzing patient data, using classification systems and medical terminologies, and managing staff, budgets, and operational units." Additionally, those holding this credential possess a strong understanding of medical, administrative, ethical and legal requirements related to healthcare delivery and the privacy of protected health information.

• Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT)

  • • This technician focused credential is maintained through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and "recognizes individuals who ensure the quality and availability of medical records by verifying their completeness, accuracy, and proper entry into the computer systems". These individuals understand the ins and outs of daily operations surrounding medial record management, release of information (ROI), and medical coding and reimbursement.

• AHIMA Certificate of Membership

  • • This document confirms that I am an active member of the American Health Information management Association (AHIMA) and have maintained my RHIA certification. My membership is active and expires on April 2019.

Academic Diplomas and Certificates

• • MBA in Health Administration through Brandman University

• BS in Health Informatics and Health Information Management through the University of Washington

• AAS in Health Information Technology through Tacoma Community College