Adele Kroeger, a Health Informatics and Health Information Management post-baccalaureate certificate student at the University of Washington School of Public Health, was appointed to the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Student Advisory Committee (SAC). She will serve in this capacity for one year.

Kroeger would like the SAC to educate students about new roles in health information beyond traditional careers. She believes the field is in its infancy and has tremendous potential to help improve the overall health and well-being of the public.

“The more we study and track the population’s health care needs by aggregating patient data, the better position providers will be in to offer preventive solutions,” Kroeger says. “There are so many ways to use health data today, with the advancement of electronic health records and the ability to turn data into valuable information about patient outcomes and population health.”

AHIMA is the premier association of health information management professionals. The purpose of the SAC is to collaborate with AHIMA leadership, members and staff to create new resources and opportunities for students as they transition from coursework to careers.

Health information management is a second career for Kroeger. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Washington State University and an MBA from the University of Washington. She has worked for Boeing, IBM, AT&T and Sprint, in systems analysis and marketing. She also spent a few years as a stay-at-home mom. She plans to earn her RHIA (Registered Health Information Administrator) once she’s completed her second-year courses in HIHIM.