My Providence Health Information Management internship provided comprehensive exposure to various departments under the broader HIM umbrella. This experience provided me with hands-on training in key areas like sorting, indexing, referrals, and release of information. I developed a well-rounded understanding of health information management practices, patient information processing, data organization, and compliance with organizational, state, and federal regulations. I was tasked with updating a release of information document on healthcare decision-making for minors. This document outlines policies and procedures for Providence Health System clinics to follow related to consent, release of information, and mandatory reporting. The content had not been updated since 2014, and many of the links to State of Washington information and codes were incorrect, or not in working order.

This internship experience gave me confidence in the education I acquired through the HIMT program. I have many years of experience in the clinical healthcare industry, but deciding to switch gears and go back to school for a second career was a risk that left me very apprehensive at times. I felt confident in my radiology career, so to come away from this experience feeling like I had another skill set and was able to prove that I am competent and knowledgeable in this field was invaluable.