Employee Spotlight: Ericka Coplin, RHIA, CCS

Senior Manager of Education, Coding & Revenue Cycle Management at AHIMA

About Me

I have over 20 years of experience in Health Information Management, obtaining my associate degree from Stark State College and my bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati, where I was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success.

Throughout my career, I’ve held roles as a professional coder, outpatient and inpatient facility coder, contract coder, auditor, coding educator, and coding manager. During my time as a coding manager for an acute care hospital, I served on the Revenue Cycle Committee, worked on various projects, and provided education on chargemaster management and workflow processes.

I also volunteer with my component association in Ohio. I’ve served on the Awards and Scholarship Committee, participated as a panel member for the Revenue Cycle Committee at OHIMA25, and this year, I’m serving on the Education Committee. Additionally, I’m currently a mentor and presenter for the Ohio Health Information Management Association’s Virtual Intercollegiate Practicum Professional Practice Experience (OHIMA VIP PPE) module for Revenue Cycle, Coding, and Auditing.

My Role at AHIMA

As the Senior Manager of Education, Coding & Revenue Cycle at AHIMA, my role is to maintain and create coding and revenue cycle education, ensure our course content meets industry standards, and support the development of microcredentials.

Q&A with Ericka

What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities in health information today?

I think AI poses both the biggest challenge and opportunity for health information. For seasoned HI professionals, adjusting to the use of AI could be worrisome simply because the question lingers “will this replace my job?” However, I believe the use of AI will allow HI professionals to be more efficient in their roles and we will be able to utilize AI to abstract and review health data which will lead to new breakthroughs.

Looking ahead to 2025, what actions do you plan to take in your role at AHIMA to make the greatest impact on healthcare and patient care?

I’m excited to collaborate with other professionals here at AHIMA and explore additional educational opportunities and advancement for seasoned HI professionals and individuals that are new to the profession.

What advice would you give HI students and emerging professionals in 2025 to help them thrive and advance in the profession?

My biggest piece of advice for students and emerging professionals is to network, embrace the evolution of HI, and continue to learn and challenge yourself. Networking has introduced me to opportunities I never could have imagined and has allowed me to grow as a professional and ultimately led me to my role here at AHIMA.

In my 20-plus years of working in health information, I have seen a lot of evolution in the profession. New tools and resources are always being developed or improved to allow us to do our jobs more efficiently and to provide better outcomes for patients and healthcare organizations. We can’t be afraid to embrace evolution.

As a coding educator, I’ve told my students that learning doesn’t stop when they leave the classroom. There is always something to learn in health information, and by doing so, you are making yourself a more valuable asset to the profession.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the AHIMA community?

I’m very excited to have this opportunity to serve our community, and I look forward to learning more and sharing that knowledge with others.