Award Descriptions

Distinguished Member Award

Award Description: The Distinguished Member Award is AHIMA’s highest award of honor. This award celebrates an individual with a long, exceptional history of HIM contributions. It is awarded to an outstanding individual whose record of contributions to the field over many years is truly exceptional.
Qualifications: Qualified individuals are HIM professionals who have made significant contributions to the HIM field through dedicated volunteer service, innovative professional practice, education, research, or publishing. These are just a few of the ways an individual qualifies.

Champion Award

Award Description: The Champion Award honors those whose long-term and enthusiastic support of AHIMA and the HIM profession has advanced AHIMA’s capacity to achieve its mission and/or advanced HIM practice.
Qualifications: Qualified nominees are individuals, groups, or corporations who have worked tirelessly to support the HIM profession by advancing AHIMA’s leadership position and/or who have developed or refined practice theory, demonstrated leadership, or introduced innovation and creativity to current practice. These are best characterized as individuals or organizations that go above and beyond in their quest to make the HIM profession thrive.

 e-HIM® Award 

Award Description: The e-HIM Award honors those individuals, groups, or organizations who have made important advances in areas related to e-HIM® – supporting the vision of health information as electronic, patient-centered, comprehensive, longitudinal, accessible and credible.
Qualifications: Qualified individuals are HIM professionals or organizations who have helped “push the envelope” in the transition to electronic health information management and have advanced the state-of-the-art through their work.

Educator Award

Award Description: The Educator Award honors those who demonstrate excellence in preparing the next generation of professionals for their HIM careers.
Qualifications: Qualified individuals or departments of educators/instructors who teach in a formal health information administration or health information technology program that grants associate, baccalaureate or masters degrees, and who are involved in AHIMA activities at the state or national level.

Legacy Award

Award Description: The Legacy Award honors a significant contribution to the knowledge base of the HIM field through an insightful recent publication, building on the enduring tradition of the Edna K. Huffman Literary Award.
Qualifications: Qualified individuals or “teams” are those who have authored a landmark book, book chapter, article, monograph, or instructional guide that was published in some form (including electronic media) by a recognized professional association or publisher within the last two years.

Mentor Award

Award Description: The Mentor Award honors individuals with long records of encouraging students or colleagues to realize their full potential who have helped others find ways to achieve their best.
Qualifications: Qualified individuals or “teams” are those rare professional colleagues and friends who touch our lives and launch us toward new horizons. Posthumous awards may be given.

Research Award

Award Description: The Research Award honors those who have made an outstanding contribution to HIM research.
Qualifications: HIM professionals or groups who exemplify unusual vision and leadership in understanding HIM philosophy and conduct, or support research demonstrating the application of these concepts to healthcare.

Rising Star Award

Award Description: The Rising Star Award recognizes and encourages the best of the fresh new talent being trained in health information administration or health information technology degree granting-program nationwide. It honors a gifted student or promising new professional who embodies great hope as we look to the future of the HIM profession.
Qualifications: Qualified individuals are a) students enrolled at the time of nomination in an approved HIA or HIT degree program, or who have graduated in the last three months; or b) HIM professionals who have been credentialed within the last seven years. Nominees must demonstrate significant potential for future leadership, innovation, creativity, and administrative capacity.