HIM is not always a popular career option, but by hook, crook or course catalog, some young professionals find their way to the field. And as the first generation emerging from the digital age, these fresh faces are throwing their technical prowess into the ring.

ADVANCE scoured exhibit halls, association Web sites and Facebook pages to find 30 HIM professionals who have yet to hit the big 3-0. They explained how they got into the industry, why they love it and what's in store for the future.  

While on the hunt, we found several enthusiastic administrators, coders and MTs, including some who just left their 20s behind. Check out their stories--and more on the 30 from our print edition--below.

Aisha Chaudhry
Liaison to the multi-national HIM curriculum committee
AHIMA
Chicago
Age: 22

How did you get involved in HIM, and what made you interested in the profession?
As a freshman at University of Illinois at Chicago, I was undecided but keen on a career in a management field. I picked up a course catalogue and was surprised to find HIM the most interesting. I was under the impression HIM was similar to health administration, but it's more than just managing health information; it was multifaceted to say the least.
What is one of your professional goals for the future?
One of my professional goals is to contribute to expanding HIM into a household name. People always inquire about my major and 99.9 percent of the time, the questioner is baffled by what HIM means. The field has broken away from its reputation of medical librarians, but I feel we still have a long way to go, and I hope to contribute in making HIM more renown. 
Where do you see the profession being in 10 years?
I see the profession cross-linking with informatics as well as establishing sites for EHR. Medical records are currently being integrated as hybrids and will eventually go fully electronic. The HIM profession will be at the forefront of this evolution. I also hope in 5 or 10 years the profession has facilitated more opportunities to expand our health information knowledge base, especially in nontraditional roles and disciplines.

Alaina M. Boncher, CPC
Certified medical coder
Prevea Health
Green Bay, WI
Age: 29

How did you get involved in HIM, and what made you interested in the profession?
I originally started in data entry and decided that coding would be more interesting and challenging. I mentioned this to my supervisor, and when an opening became available, I took it.
What is one of your professional goals for the future?
I would like to be a coding instructor; I would love to be able to help others learn and excel in the coding field. 
Where do you see the profession being in 10 years?
I see this profession expanding rapidly over the next 10 years. With the code changes for 2009 being the largest ever, I think every year will bring more changes and increase the demand for coding professionals.

Alaina Capanna
Systems analyst, client implementations (EHR)
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)
Pittsburgh
Age: 25

How did you get involved in HIM, and what made you interested in the profession?
I got involved in HIM after talking to my aunt who is a professor in the major. I could not figure out what I wanted to major in at college but knew I wanted to be involved in health care, computers and business, and HIM encompasses all three of those entities. I sat in some of UPMC's HIM classes, enjoyed the curriculum and decided to give it a try.
What do you love most about your job?
Every day is completely different; some days I am in the office, some days I am in meetings and some days I am onsite with the physicians.
What is one accomplishment you are most proud of so far?
I am most proud of the consulting experience I had with Misys Healthcare Solutions. I was able to implement more than 50 offices around the country with their EHR products my first 2 years post-graduate.

Aleah Martagon, RHIA
HIM consultant
Pyramid Healthcare Solutions
Age: 27

How did you get involved in HIM, and what made you interested in the profession?
I was always interested in working in the health care field, but had been a nursing assistant in high school and knew from that experience I would much rather have an office job. I found out about HIM during my first year of college and thought it would be the perfect choice for me.
What do you love most about your job?
I love traveling to different hospitals, experiencing a wide variety of HIM departments and meeting new people from different parts of the country. 
What is one of your professional goals for the future?
I am currently working on an MBA in health care management, so my goals include graduating from the program and eventually becoming an HIM department director.

Alicia Leininger
MT
Medware Inc.
Winter Springs, FL
Age: 28

How did you get involved in HIM, and what made you interested in the profession?
When I was pregnant with my daughter, I knew I was going to have to make a career change. A co-worker was going to school for medical transcription at the time, so I did some research. I attended a seminar, and that was all it took to know this was the perfect job and the perfect opportunity.
What do you love most about your job?
I love the challenge; I learn something new everyday. Not having to travel is definitely a close second, and I love that I am able to flex my time at work.
Where do you see the profession being in 10 years?
I will still be working in my office from home. I love my job and do not plan to ever switch careers. There are a lot of different avenues I could take within this field of work, so who knows exactly where it might take me.

Andrea Jaeckels, RHIA
HIS director
Cuyuna Regional Medical Center
Crosby, MN
Age: 25

How did you get involved in HIM, and what made you interested in the profession? 
During college I saw a poster to attend an HIM information session, and I knew it was perfect for me. It allowed me to be part of health care and understand clinical information without dealing with blood.
What is one accomplishment you are most proud of so far? 
I have two: building and implementing scanning in our facility and seeing the HIS staff flourish and take pride in their work. 
Where do you see the profession being in 10 years?
I see the profession going totally electronic! I hope we are all working digitally with minimal paper; HIM professionals will really mesh their IT and clinical skills.