Abstract
Health Information Management (HIM) is vital to hospital operations. Its team members are the custodians of the patient’s medical record, ensure patient privacy, and are closely involved in the hospital’s revenue cycle. The purpose of this dissertation in practice was to investigate how HIM leaders describe leadership skills needed to be an effective leader in the HIM field. The study aimed to understand the skills needed to be considered effective. A qualitative case study analysis was conducted with 11 current HIM leaders in North Carolina. From this research, six themes were identified explaining the skills needed to be considered an effective leader. Four themes were directly related to the HIM leader in general. Those themes are understanding HIM, being self-aware, being a leader not a manager, and developing others. Two additional themes, being confident and exhibiting vulnerability, indicated skills needed by the female HIM leader. Through use of the identified themes, recommendations were made to begin a liaison position in NCHIMA to support the relationship between HIM and HIT programs and NCHIMA. The liaison position will also continue NCHIMA’s outreach program with current HIM professionals to help develop their leadership skills. With the help of its volunteers, NCHIMA will be able to assist future and current HIM professionals develop their leadership skills.|Keywords: Health Information Management, leadership, mentorship, female leadership