Triumph Award Categories

Community Awards

Advocacy Award

  • Award Description: The Advocacy Award honors those who have exhibited long-standing and enthusiastic support of legislative and/or regulatory advocacy for the purpose of advancing the HIM profession and health record practices.

  • Qualifications: Qualified nominees are individuals or groups that have worked tirelessly to support the HIM profession by advancing AHIMA’s mission and vision through involvement in public policy/advocacy initiatives on behalf of AHIMA and/or an AHIMA component state association. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.  
  • Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:
    • A minimum of three year’s involvement in advocacy initiatives that promote AHIMA’s mission and vision.
    • Instrumental in positioning the HIM profession as a thought leader in the healthcare industry as it relates to public policy.
    • A minimum of three year’s support of and championing key advocacy and public policy initiatives at the federal, local or state levels including legislative action, member/professional engagement in public policy initiatives or participation in federal, state, or local grassroots advocacy initiatives that support AHIMA’s mission and vision, with demonstrated positive outcome.
    • Shares knowledge of and passion for advocacy with others through writing, speaking and/or consulting.
    • Has played a contributing role in developing/growing awareness related to public policy related to HIM and AHIMA members.
    • Actively participates in volunteer activities that are dedicated to advancing public policy and/or other means of advocating for the HIM profession.
    • Advocates on behalf of the HIM profession within his/her organization and component state association.

Mentor Award

Award Description: The Mentor Award honors individuals or groups with long records of encouraging individuals to realize their full potential, or have helped them find ways to achieve their best.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are those who have touched our lives and launched us toward new horizons. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

  • Demonstrated a record of motivating talented individuals to enter the HIM profession
  • Encouraged new professionals to become involved in AHIMA activities at the state and local level and supported their efforts
  • Fostered enthusiasm for the profession
  • Provided clinical sites and supervision for multiple students designed to help them achieve professional competencies
  • Provided ongoing, long-term career guidance to one or more HIM professionals 
  • Supported the training process for new professionals through teaching, serving on panel presentations or advisory committees, and advising individual students or new professionals in the profession
  • Guided new and other professionals towards new opportunities

HIM Development Awards

Educator Award

Award Description: The Educator Award honors those who demonstrate excellence in preparing the next generation of professionals for their HIM careers.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are individuals or a department of educators who are instructors that teach in a formal health information administration or health information technology program that grants associate's, baccalaureate, or master’s degrees and who are involved in AHIMA activities at the state or national level. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

  • Developed and implemented creative teaching tools and methods
  • Established/maintained high standards of excellence and high expectations of students
  • Demonstrated the awareness of the instructor’s impact as a role model
  • Committed oneself to student mentoring in the classroom and beyond
  • Contributed to the research base and/or community of student learners, and/or dedication to the classroom/laboratory-based teaching of the field
  • Contributed as a leader in HIM education.

Literary Legacy Award

Award Description: The Literary Legacy Award honors those individuals or groups who have made a significant contribution to the knowledge base of the HIM field through an insightful recent publication, building on the enduring tradition of the Edna K. Huffman Literary Award.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees or “teams,” are those who have authored books, book chapters, articles, monographs, or instructional guides that have gone through a formal peer review process and were published in some form (including electronic media) by a recognized professional or publisher within the last five (5) to ten (10) years. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

  • Authored and published books, chapters, articles, and/or guides
  • Presented new theoretical concepts or provided further development of concepts previously advanced by others
  • Provided tools to educate health information professionals or the general public
  • Provided high visibility to the HIM profession/to the healthcare community

Research Award

Award Description: The Research Award honors those  who have made an outstanding contribution to original and applied HIM (Health Information Management) research.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are those AHIMA Members/HIM professionals or groups who exemplify vision and leadership in understanding HIM philosophy and conduct and support research demonstrating the application of these concepts to healthcare, and presented or published the research, etc., findings in a peer review format (i.e., presentations, Journal, etc.) Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

  • Showed evidence of research that has advanced theory and significantly impacted health information, or related bodies of knowledge.  Research is defined as "the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. 
  • Performed as the Principal Investigator (PI) or co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) for the research projects submitted for consideration for this award.  If co-PI must show evidence that nominee has completed the majority of the work on the research as evidenced by the percent effort indicated on the grant (i.e., 55% or more).
  • Submitted research for consideration for this award has been published in a refereed journal or has manuscript(s) accepted for publication in an HIIM-related Journal or publication.

Leadership Awards

Distinguished Member Award

Award Description: The Distinguished Member Award is AHIMA’s highest honor. This award celebrates an individual with a long, exceptional history of HIM contributions and is awarded to an outstanding individual in the field.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are professionals in HIM who have made significant contributions to the field through dedicated volunteer service, innovative professional practice, education, research, presentation or publishing. Nominees must be AHIMA members at the time of nomination. Nominee must be an AHIMA members at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

  • Conducted significant original or applied research, authored, edited, or served on editorial boards for journals, books, monographs, and other publications that advance the HIM profession
  • Advanced professional practice through development of new theory; active dissemination of knowledge about cutting edge practice innovations; or leadership in a specialty area
  • Presented at HIM conferences and other educational events; considered a respected instructor, teacher or educator; testified at governmental hearings for AHIMA or other national healthcare associations
  • Volunteered as an officer, director, committee or council chair for HIM-related organizations
  • Positioned the HIM profession as a leadership force in the healthcare and wellness industry
  • Provided inspiration, guidance, and opportunities for emerging leaders to participate in AHIMA’s volunteer structure and to build meaningful leadership experiences
  • Supported AHIMA’s mission, vision, strategy and key initiatives

Emerging Leader Award

Award Description: The Emerging Leader Award honors those individuals who have made great strides and contributions to the HIM field, have been employed more than 5 years but less than 10 years, from the date of entry into the HIM profession.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are individuals who are regarded by their peers and colleagues as possessing outstanding talent, dedication, and leadership and serve as a valuable asset to their organization, Component State Association (CSA), and/or the HIM profession. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

  • Exhibits expertise, passion, and ability to inspire others
  • Is well respected within the HIM field
  • Demonstrates noteworthy professional achievement
  • Demonstrates commitment to excellence and leadership
  • Demonstrates personal traits such as integrity, professionalism, and creativity
  • Demonstrates involvement in volunteer activities at the local, state and/or national level

Leadership Award

Award Description: The Leadership Award honors those individuals or groups who have provided outstanding service as a leader for a minimum of 10 years; demonstrated on-going leadership competency with the association and the HIM profession; adhered and advocated for the AHIMA Code of Ethics, and any other appropriate codes of conduct; valued honesty, integrity and transparency and work as team players/collaborators; recognized as a qualified authority in the HIM profession, and present a positive professional image for the association and the profession.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are individuals or groups who are members of the Association with proven leadership abilities, and who have distinguished themselves in the profession as a recognized leader through visionary leadership and strategy fostered creativity, innovation, and positive transformation in the work and professional volunteer environments. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

  • Provided examples of leadership abilities and long-term benefits in the work and volunteer environments
  • Demonstrated skills in business management, critical thinking, team leadership, and the development of others
  • Displayed personal values, ethics, equity, and integrity
  • Showed open-mindedness and flexibility in decision making
  • Led others and established trust through consensus building, creating a climate of empowerment, and advancing inclusion
  • Transformed the workplace by motivating and coaching others

Innovation Award

Award Description: The Innovation Award honors those individuals, groups or organizations that are focused on moving HIM into the future of the healthcare and wellness industry. The Innovation Award honors persons or groups who have promoted important advances in areas related to HIM practice, quality data, patient safety, systems development, and any domain where visionary thinking has made a difference.

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are individuals, groups or organizations who have utilized breakthrough thinking and actions for HIM that have demonstrated the future of the profession. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

  • Demonstrated ability of a forward-thinking leader in the profession.
  • Implemented technology or systems that impacts the quality and safety of the delivery of healthcare within an organization, across multiple organizations, or states.
  • Demonstrated results that have opened the door for others to make advances in HIM practice.
  • Introduced creative practice innovations through advances in technology with demonstrated results, development of more effective quality management measures, or new methods of promoting employee productivity and job satisfaction.

Rising Star Award

Award Description: The Rising Star Award honors those individuals who are up and coming in the HIM field and have been employed for 5 years or less from the date of entry in the HIM profession. 

Qualifications: Qualified nominees are individuals who have excelled in their workplace and in volunteer roles, exceeding expectations for someone relatively new in the HIM profession. Nominee must be an AHIMA member at the time of nomination.

Guidelines: Nomination criteria for this award include the following:

  • Challenged tradition, took risks, thought critically and led others in these processes 
  • Displayed problem solving ability with the capacity to envision the "big picture" in health information management and to make decisions accordingly 
  • Demonstrated excellence in team management
  • Demonstrated commitment to the HIM profession through active participation in local, state and/or national AHIMA activities