Question

Craig would like to find a career in health informatics. He is trying to select the one that is right for him, based on his personal qualities.

One of his qualities is that he is really good at interacting with people. Ideally, Craig would like to oversee other staff in an information technology department of a hospital.

Given Craig’s qualities and goals, which health informatics career would be a good fit for him?

medical records clerk

health information administrator

cancer registrar

Answer 1

Best fit: health information administrator.

Why: A health information administrator (also called health information manager or HIM manager) is a leadership role that combines knowledge of health data, electronic health records and IT systems with supervising staff and setting departmental policies. Because Craig wants to oversee other staff in a hospital IT/information department and is strong at interacting with people, this managerial position suits him much better than the other two options.

Why not the others:
- Medical records clerk — entry-level, task-focused role (filing, scanning, basic data entry). Little supervision or strategic IT responsibility.
- Cancer registrar — specialized role collecting and managing cancer data; more technical and focused on registry work than on supervising an IT department.

Next steps if Craig is interested:
- Education: bachelor’s in health information management, health informatics, or related field (many leaders also have an MHA, MPH, or MS in informatics).
- Certification: RHIA (AHIMA) or RHIT for HIM credentials; consider project management (PMP) or clinical informatics certificates later.
- Experience: start in HIM or EHR implementation roles, take opportunities to lead projects or small teams.
- Skills to develop: EHR systems, privacy/HIPAA, coding & billing basics, data governance, communication and people-management.

If you want, I can list specific degree programs, certifications, or a 1–2 year career plan Craig could follow.