HIMAA Member Profile

Our member of the month for March is Kate Deighton who works at Central Coast Health in New South Wales.

Membership Category: Full Member

HIMAA Member since: 2020

What is your current role?

I currently work as a Health Information Manager at Gosford Hospital. I have been with Central Coast Local Health District for the last 12 years and during this time have been the District Clinical Coding Manager, Cancer Information Program Manager and more recently Acting Manager of the Health Information Services Department

What made you want to become a HIM?

I always had an interest in all things medical as well as an interest in business and management. When I found the Health Information Management degree at a school careers day I knew I had found the profession for me. I loved the fact the degree was so versatile and whilst many people become traditional HIMs after the degree, the transferability of our skills as HIMs is something we can use in many industries

What do enjoy most about being a Health Information Manager?

I love that no two days are the same in my role. My days are so varied and can range from staff management and HR issues to investigating release of information enquiries to scanning and record storage projects. I’m so lucky to work with a great group of people and this makes being a manager so enjoyable.

I’ve also been very fortunate to explore non -traditional HIM pathways during my 20 year career as a HIM and this is one of the things I enjoy about being a HIM. Our skills are so transferrable across many industries. During the early phase of my career I was a Lead Data Manager for a large global Pharmaceutical company. This role allowed me to manage global clinical trials using my HIM skillset whilst being given the opportunity to travel the world at the same time. The career opportunities really are endless being a HIM.

What advice do you have for anyone wanting to become a Health Information Manager?

My advice is to think about where your strong skillsets lie in order to determine which career path you want to go down as a HIM. The skills you learn as a HIM are so varied and can be used in many areas such as Data Management, Research, Management and Traditional HIM roles. Once you know where your strengths and interests are the opportunities are endless.

HIMAA Member Profile

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