The Medical Records Department at Ransom Memorial Hospital is also known as the Health Information Management Department because our primary goal is to manage health information to assure its availability and accessibility. We also manage functions such as accurate data collection, accurate coding for billing purposes and for statewide healthcare planning. We assure that all required documentation is present in the health records we maintain. We manage release of information to various requestors, including patients and physicians. We transcribe (type from physician dictation) reports for clinics, the hospital, imaging services and the healthcare record. We also manage the retention of medical records (which are maintained for ten years from the last date of service for adults, and longer for minors).

The Health Information Management Department is staffed by a combination of transcriptionists, coders and technicians who manage the hospital’s and patients’ records needs, birth certificates, record completion and retention. The Department Director is experienced in health information management and holds either Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), or Registered Health Information Technician credential. As the Ransom Memorial Hospital’s HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) Compliance and Privacy Officer, the Director is responsible for managing the hospital’s compliance with HIPAA and the protection of patients’ rights to privacy specifically designated by those regulations. Any person seeking someone to speak to about their privacy rights as a patient of Ransom Memorial Hospital should contact the Health Information Management (HIM)/Medical Records Department director or staff.

The Health Information Management/Medical Records Department looks forward to being a resource for all members of the community served by Ransom Memorial Hospital.