Award Description: The Advocacy Award honors those who have exhibited long-standing, dedicated, and enthusiastic support of legislative and/or regulatory advocacy for the purpose of advancing the HI profession and health record practices.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are individuals or groups that are committed to supporting the HI profession by advancing AHIMA’s mission and vision through involvement in public policy/advocacy initiatives on behalf of AHIMA and/or an AHIMA component state association. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.  

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

• A minimum of three year’s involvement in advocacy initiatives that promote AHIMA’s mission and vision.
• Instrumental in positioning the HI profession as a thought leader in the healthcare industry as it relates to public policy.
• A minimum of three year’s support of and championing key advocacy and public policy initiatives at the federal, local, or state levels including legislative action, member/professional engagement in public policy initiatives or participation in federal, state, or local grassroots advocacy initiatives that support AHIMA’s mission and vision, with demonstrated positive outcome.
• Shares knowledge of and passion for advocacy with others through writing, speaking and/or consulting.
• Has played a contributing role in developing/growing awareness related to public policy related to HI and AHIMA members.
• Actively participates in volunteer activities that are dedicated to advancing public policy and/or other means of advocating for the HIM profession.
• Advocates on behalf of the HI profession within his other organization and component state association (CSA).

Award Description: The Mentor Award honors individuals or groups with long records of encouraging individuals to realize their full potential or have helped them find ways to achieve their best.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are those who have transformed our lives and launched us toward new horizons. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

• Demonstrated a record of motivating talented individuals to enter the HI profession.
• Encouraged new professionals to become involved in AHIMA activities at the state and local level and supported their efforts.
• Fostered enthusiasm for the profession.
• Provided clinical sites and supervision for multiple students designed to help them achieve professional competencies.
• Provided ongoing, long-term career guidance to one or more HI professionals.
• Supported the training process for new professionals through teaching, serving on panel presentations or advisory committees, and advising individual students or new professionals in the profession.
• Guided new and other professionals towards new opportunities.

Award Description: The Educator Award honors those who demonstrate excellence in preparing the next generation of professionals for their HI careers.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are individuals or a department of educators who are instructors in a formal HI administration or health information technology program that grants associate's, baccalaureate, or master’s degrees and who are involved in AHIMA activities at the state or national level. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

• Developed and implemented creative teaching tools and methods.
• Established/maintained high standards of excellence and high expectations of students.
• Demonstrated the awareness of the instructor’s impact as a role model.
• Committed oneself to student mentoring in the classroom and beyond.
• Contributed to the research base and/or community of student learners and demonstrate dedication to the classroom or laboratory-based teaching of the field.
• Contributed as a leader in HIM education.

Award Description: The Literary Legacy Award honors individuals or groups who have made a significant contribution to the knowledge base of the HI field by contributing to an insightful recent publication, building on the enduring tradition of the Edna K. Huffman Literary Award.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees or “teams,” are those who have authored books, book chapters, articles, monographs, or instructional guides that have gone through a formal peer review process and were published in some form (including electronic media) by a recognized professional or publisher within the last five to ten  years. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

• Authored and published books, chapters, articles, and/or guides.
• Presented new theoretical concepts or provided further development of concepts previously advanced by others.
• Provided tools to educate health information professionals or the general public.
• Provided high visibility to the HIM profession/to the healthcare community.

Award Description: The Student Award recognizes and encourages individuals who are the best of the emerging HI professionals being trained in CAHIIM-accredited or AHIMA-approved coding programs nationwide.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are individuals who are AHIMA student members at the time of the nomination. They are enrolled in a CAHIIM-accredited program or AHIMA-approved coding program and maintain a grade point equivalent of 3.5 out of 4.0, or higher. Nominees may have graduated by the time the award is given. Nominees must hold student or new graduate membership at the time the award is given. Nominee must be an AHIMA student member at the time of the nomination and must hold student or new graduate membership at the time the award is given.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

• Demonstrated leadership and commitment to the future of the HI profession through participation in HI related volunteer work.
• Demonstrated commitment to the future of the HI profession through active participation in local, state, and/or national AHIMA activities.

Award Description: The Distinguished Member Award is AHIMA’s highest honor. This award celebrates an HI professional with a long, exceptional history of HI contributions.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are HI professionals who have made significant contributions to the field through dedicated volunteer service, innovative professional practice, education, research, presentation, or publishing. Nominees must be AHIMA members at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

• Conducted significant original or applied research; authored, edited, or served on editorial boards for journals, books, monographs, and other publications that advance the HI profession.
• Advanced professional practice through development of new theory; active dissemination of knowledge about cutting edge practice innovations; or leadership in a specialty area.
• Presented at HI conferences and other educational events; is considered a respected instructor, teacher, or educator; testified at governmental hearings for AHIMA or other national healthcare associations.
• Volunteered as an officer, director, committee, or council chair for HI-related organizations.
• Positioned the HI profession as a leadership force in the healthcare and wellness industry.
• Provided inspiration, guidance, and opportunities for emerging leaders to participate in AHIMA’s volunteer structure and to build meaningful leadership experiences.
• Supported AHIMA’s mission, vision, strategy and key initiatives.

Award Description: The Emerging Leader Award honors HI professionals who have made great strides and contributions to the field and have been employed more than five years but less than 10 years, from the date of entry into the HI profession.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are regarded by their peers and colleagues as possessing outstanding talent, dedication, and leadership, and serve as a valuable asset to their organization, CSA, and/or the HI profession. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

• Exhibits expertise, passion, and ability to inspire others.
• Is well respected within the HI field.
• Demonstrates noteworthy professional achievement.
• Demonstrates commitment to excellence and leadership.
• Demonstrates personal traits such as integrity, professionalism, and creativity.
• Demonstrates involvement in volunteer activities at the local, state and/or national level.

Award Description: The Leadership Award honors individuals or groups who have provided outstanding service as a leader for a minimum of 10 years; demonstrated ongoing leadership competency with the association and the profession; adhered and advocated for the AHIMA Code of Ethics, and any other appropriate codes of conduct; valued honesty, integrity and transparency and work as team players/collaborators; been recognized as a qualified authority in the HI profession, and present a positive professional image for the association and the profession.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are individuals or groups who are members of the association with proven leadership abilities, and who have distinguished themselves in the profession as a recognized leader through dynamic leadership and strategy. They have also fostered creativity, innovation, and positive transformation in the work and professional volunteer environments. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

• Provided examples of leadership abilities and long-term benefits in the work and volunteer environments.
• Demonstrated skills in business management, critical thinking, team leadership, and the development of others.
• Displayed personal values, ethics, equity, and integrity.
• Showed open-mindedness and flexibility in decision making.
• Led others and established trust through consensus building, creating a climate of empowerment, and advancing inclusion.
• Transformed the workplace by motivating and coaching others.

Award Description: The Innovation Award honors those individuals, groups, or organizations that are focused on moving HI into the future of the industry. Previous recipients have promoted important advances in areas related to HI practice, quality data, patient safety, systems development, and any domain where visionary thinking has made a difference.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are individuals, groups, or organizations who have utilized breakthrough thinking and actions that have demonstrated the future of the profession. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

• Demonstrated ability of a forward-thinking leader in the profession.
• Implemented technology or systems that impacts the quality and safety of the delivery of healthcare within an organization, across multiple organizations, or states.
• Demonstrated results that have opened the door for others to make advances in HI practice.
• Introduced creative practice innovations through advances in technology with demonstrated results, development of more effective quality management measures, or new methods of promoting employee productivity and job satisfaction.

Award Description: The Rising Star Award honors up-and-coming HI professionals who have been employed for five or fewer years from the date of entry in the HI profession.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are individuals who have excelled in their workplace and in volunteer roles, exceeding expectations for someone relatively new in the HIM profession. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

• Challenged tradition, took risks, thought critically and led others.
• Displayed problem solving ability with the capacity to envision the "big picture" and made decisions accordingly.
• Demonstrated excellence in team management.
• Demonstrated commitment to the HI profession through active participation in local, state, and/or national AHIMA activities.