In this project, I selected to explore the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), one of the leading professional organizations in the field of health that focuses on ensuring effective management of medical records and health data needed to deliver to ensure that members of the public receive quality healthcare.

Founded in 1928, the aim of this organization was to improve the quality of health records, and over the years, it has contributed significantly by taking a leadership role in ensuring effective management of medical records and health data necessary to ensure that members of the public receive quality healthcare. AHIMA has grown to become the foremost association in health information management (HIM), serving many health care organizations throughout the world.

Currently, AHIMA serve more than 101,000 professionals in health information and 52 affiliated state associations. Over time, health professionals have come to recognize AHIMA as the premier source of "HIM knowledge," an esteemed authority for comprehensive professional education and training. I chose this organization because it has a long history as well as because it has considerable influence in the health care industry.

Considering that AHIMA provides health information services to virtually all states in the U.S., it means that it is an important organization that serves as an authority on health information management issues. Besides, I also thought it sensible to explore this organization because many health information management professionals from other parts of the world also rely on this organization for their information needs (The American Health Information Management Association, 2015).

Currently, the organization is making significant efforts to facilitate the implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) by promoting high and consistent standards as well as by taking a leading role in implementing the main initiatives in the health care industry. AHIMA members benefits a lot because the organization' accreditation of forward-looking academic programs and career advancement opportunities, including the opportunity to further their education enables them to acquire and maintain high standards as well as to acquire the relevant skills and knowledge needed to perform effectively.

The organization keeps its members posted on matters relating to health care through a wide range of resources that enable them to improve their skills, knowledge, and abilities. The organization is effective because it provides its members with text books, online education, credentials, e-alerts, live meetings, the HIM Body of Knowledge (BoK), the journal of AHIMA, and newsletters, including the opportunity to engage communities (The American Health Information Management Association, 2015).

More significantly, the organization plays an active role in advocating for the HIM Profession, which means that it plays the role of a thought leader in matters relating to HIM. In addition, AHIMA is among the four cooperating parties involved in working on the ICD-10 Coding Guidelines. This section of the paper will provide a comprehensive description of the organization, covering significant aspects such as physical settings of the facility, patient/client base, level of clinical activity, and organization structure.
Physical Settings and Patient/Client Base
Established in 1928, the AHIMA is located in Chicago, Illinois, but has numerous branches throughout the United States and other countries. Specifically, the organization has its offices at 233 N. Michigan Avenue on 21st Floor. This organization attends to a diverse population from different parts of the world and is committed to ensuring that the quality of health information management improves significantly in all health care institutions. AHIMA's client base is mainly professionals in the health care industry and the aim is to ensure that they get the opportunity to advance their education, to develop competency in leadership, to adhere to AHIMA Code of Ethics, to advocate for information management practice, as well as to promote interdisciplinary collaboration with organizations serving other professions. By targeting professionals in the health care industry, the organization hopes to promote the ethical use of quality health information in a bid to support health and wellness throughout the world (Thomas-Brogan, 2009). The organization encourages its client base to collaborate and cooperate in developing effective ways of improving the management of health information, which is also critical for the advancement of the careers of individual members.
It is also the aim of AHIMA to ensure that each member acquires relevant knowledge and develops appropriate skills necessary to handle electronic health records effectively, including the proper use of other automated technologies. AHIMA members play a critical role in health care because they have a significant influence on the quality of patient care and health information at virtually every stage in the health care delivery cycle. AHIMA members perform varied roles in the health care industry and work in a wide range of work settings, including physician offices, hospitals, managed care facilities, ambulatory care facilities, consulting firms, rehabilitation centers, long-term care facilities, colleges and universities, information system vendors, insurance providers, pharmaceutical companies, among other venues (Thomas-Brogan, 2009).
Level of Clinical Activity
AHIMA does not engage in clinical activities; rather, the organization aims to promote health informatics and health information management to communities with the aim of advancing professional standards and practices. Thus, AHIMA is not a hospital or a health care facility, but rather, an organization that strives to promote the use of high quality standards in health care practice so that members of the public may enjoy better health services and at the same time, to ensure that its members gain relevant and reliable knowledge and skills to perform well in the industry.

The organization also strives to equip its members with the necessary ethical skills to operate as per the required levels of competency and professionalism (Thomas-Brogan, 2009). Therefore, AHIMA is an organization that does not engage in clinical activities, but one that aims to set appropriate standards for professionals in the health care industry to use as benchmarks for gauging their performance and for motivating them to strive for the provision of best quality health care services. AHIMA has curricula initiatives at a global level, where it ensures to promote the use of best practices as well as to support the use of digital information at both national and international levels and that the proper foundational methods and concepts to facilitate these processes are in place.
Organization Structure
AHIMA has a Board of Directors which helps in the governance of the organization. Members of the organization elect a president-elect on an annual basis. The same happens for the board of directors. Each of the elected members has to help in the governance of the organization, developing effective strategies, as well as in the performance of fiduciary roles and in the maintenance of fiscal oversight. The Board of Directors at the organization usually has of 13 members including the chief executive officer (CEO),

who does not handle official roles. AHIMA also has the House of Delegates (HoD), which is a deliberative body consisting of delegates appointed or elected from the Board of Directors of the organization as well as from each of the 52 Component State Associations (CSA) (The American Health Information Management Association, 2015).

The delegates play a critical role in the management of the organization because they work as members of grassroots forum. A Speaker of the House chairs the HoD and the speaker is usually one of the officials of the organization elected by delegates.