My path to HIM enlightenment has led me down many roads in both my career and education. Since I entered the field in 2004, I have been transformed from a timid new graduate to a confident HIM professional. My humble beginnings at a small, 22-bed hospital eventually led to a fast-paced and demanding position at a 1,200+ bed hospital. An associate degree in health information technology and bachelor's degree in social sciences led to a master's degree in health information informatics management. Some say I am ambitious. My response? I've found my niche. And, so will you.

HIM is an incredibly dynamic field. It is never static. Caught in an advancing tide of change, HIM responds to the evolution of medicine and technology. Furthermore, one needn't look far to see three promising changes on our horizon, which will consequently impact the state of our profession for years to come.

The first big change is the convergence of medical records and technology which create the EHR. A nationwide EHR will increase patient safety, help control runaway medical costs and provide secure, online access to health information regardless of a patient's location. The second promising change is the adoption of ICD-10-CM by October 2013. ICD-10-CM will allow the coder to capture very succinct diagnosis and procedures, where ICD-9-CM currently falls short. Third, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in February, which will offer incentives for hospitals to adopt EHRs, support health information exchanges (HIEs) as well as promote new, advanced privacy regulations.

What does this all mean? It means our future in the HIM profession is very promising. While jobs are scarce at the moment, this is just a temporary situation. Our economy will improve, and opportunities will open up for you with one condition: you will have to do your part by preparing for tomorrow.

If you are still in school, study hard and stay positive. If coding is your interest, you should know your anatomy and physiology inside and out. When ICD-10-CM is implemented, coders will find it's more specific and detailed than its earlier counterpart. Knowing your body parts and functions will serve you well now and help you tremendously down the road.

You can also prepare for the future by networking. Join the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) or the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). Get involved on the state and national level; volunteer--be proactive (instead of reactive) to the changing times.

When completing my HIT degree, I joined AHIMA and the California Health Information Association (CHIA). I sought mentors, you know, the trusted sage advisers who share food for the soul and offer encouragement and direction. As a consequence of a mentor/mentee relationship, my trusted mentor asked if I would like to speak on a panel at the 2005 AHIMA student academy in San Diego. But what could I say? Plenty, she said. San Diego thus introduced me to speaking in front of a very large crowd of eager students and professionals. This was huge! I had a blast (once I got past the butterflies)!

Volunteering is a very important facet of a student's education. No amount of money in the world can give you connections and experience like volunteering in a national or state HIM organizations. You learn, you network and then you learn some more. It is a win-win situation. Trust me!

Fast forward to present. I am in my final year of completing a master's degree at the College of St. Scholastica. In anticipating my visit to Duluth, MN, next week for summer classes and presentation of a Final Approved Project, I am in a fantastic place for reflection. My journey has been exciting and arduous (yes, sometimes painful). Despite all of the peaks and valleys, inspiration has found me. I see the promise of a bright and steady future in this profession now, and for many years to come. You couldn't be entering this profession at a more perfect time. Put on those sunglasses, because the future looks bright for HIM!

Crystal Clack is a coding specialist at California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco.