As revenue cycle management becomes part of a HIM professional’s skill portfolio, Hathorn’s advice for those interested in this area is simple: find your niche.

“Take your skills and look at a situation and bring something to it,” she says. “You need people skills, the ability to collaborate. The ability to bring people together and discuss an issue that everyone feels like they have a part of – that’s probably more important than understanding the finance.” (Zender 2009)

Explain how this relates to the changing role of the HIM professional in a health care facility. What do you believe are the most important skills as an HIM professional? Do you feel that collaboration and teamwork in the healthcare environment are becoming more critical to it’s success? In what ways do you see skill sets and collaboration of employees/departments ensuring the success of an organization? What could be the negative effects of a healthcare organization that lacks collaborative efforts?

1 page, approx 200 words