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Kyla Reimer is an instructor for the Diploma in Health Information Management (DHIM) at Ashton College. She has been a professional in the field for 17 years. She is currently CHIMA’s Interoperability & Terminology Standards Facilitator. We had the opportunity to ask her all about her career, her work at Ashton, the DHIM program, career opportunities, and advice for students and recent graduates.
I was sitting in my classes 20 years ago. My classmates would be talking about whether they wanted to work in acute care or at the cancer agency. While they were talking, I said to myself, you know what? I want to teach. So now, 17 years later and a lot of experience, I am able to teach and share a lot of my experience and knowledge.
The technology aspect. I enjoy working on the computer and love Excel, charting, and graphing. I love statistics and analysis, epidemiology and the study of diseases, what's trending, and in what areas we're seeing higher disease rates.
The courses range from software application, database training, and management to ethical classes, anatomy, pathophysiology, physiology, data record, and privacy management. We also look at the release of information and privacy obligations, among many other subjects. The program gives the students a clear picture of the whole chart process with all the data from when a patient registers at the hospital to 10-15 years later when the destruction period has been met on that data.
It is great that you can take it from anywhere in Canada, right from your home! I'm from Saskatchewan. Many of my students are from all over Canada, and comparing the healthcare system from province to province is a unique learning experience since factors like coverage and insurance can certainly vary. We also have a new, unique design model for teaching. We do one live class, two pre-recorded classes, and two lab classes per week. There is a lot of flexibility, which isn't always possible in college classes students have to attend in person. In this program, sitting down at 11 pm to watch those recordings is no problem. My goal as an instructor is to provide our students with a sense of community. I want to be able to support them in achieving their career goals and help them balance their education with their family and personal lives.
We're seeing more and more Health Information Management Practitioners seizing exciting employment opportunities, whether in private practice, the cancer agency, workers' compensation, mental health clinics, public health, or long-term care. Others are team members on various analytical projects and research studies and help with the implementation of the electronic health record.
If you have a passion for the medical field but might not want to provide hands-on patient care, this profession could certainly be what's right for you. It's a great combination of healthcare and technology all in one.
Interested in applying? Check out the Diploma in Health Information Management program webpage.
The information contained in this post is considered true and accurate as of the publication date. However, the accuracy of this information may be impacted by changes in circumstances that occur after the time of publication. Ashton College assumes no liability for any error or omissions in the information contained in this post or any other post in our blog.
