Health Information professionals rarely interact directly with patients, yet their work influences nearly every patient encounter. From clinical documentation and coding to privacy, patient identity, and information governance, they help ensure that healthcare decisions are built on information that can be trusted. As Jennifer Mueller notes, the profession has traditionally worked "in the basement"—or, as she jokes, "the garden level"—even though trusted health information has always been foundational to quality healthcare.

In this episode of Beyond the Blueprint, Jennifer Mueller, Senior Vice President of Health Information, Career Advancement, and Academic Affairs at AHIMA, joins co-hosts Keith Washington and Kristin Baird for a conversation about the evolving role of Health Information professionals and the workforce behind one of healthcare's most essential functions. Jennifer discusses why healthcare leaders should think beyond the traditional view of Health Information as "the department that manages records" and recognize its growing role in information governance, data quality, interoperability, and preparing organizations for an AI-enabled future.

The conversation explores how AHIMA is helping prepare the next generation of Health Information professionals for a rapidly changing healthcare landscape while supporting today's workforce through education, credentials, and practical resources. Jennifer also shares why successful AI adoption begins with understanding the problem an organization is trying to solve, establishing thoughtful governance, and ensuring the quality and integrity of the information that powers every technology. As healthcare continues to evolve, trusted health information remains the foundation of quality healthcare.

• Why trusted health information remains the foundation of quality healthcare
• Looking beyond medical coding to the strategic role of Health Information
• Preparing healthcare organizations for AI through governance, not just technology
• Building workforce skills for an information environment shaped by AI
• Improving documentation, patient identity, and data quality before deploying AI
• Bringing Health Information professionals into leadership conversations earlier
• Why the future of AI depends on information that clinicians and patients can trust

00:00 | "We've Been in the Basement... or the Garden Level"
01:23 | Introducing Jennifer Mueller and AHIMA's Mission
04:36 | Advancing Trusted Health Information
07:14 | Health Information vs. Health IT: What's the Difference?
11:22 | AI Readiness Starts with Governance
14:38 | Will AI Replace Health Information Professionals?
16:58 | Why "Soft Skills" Are Becoming Power Skills
20:10 | Patient Portals, Identity, and Trusted Records
23:50 | Ambient AI, Coding, and the Human-in-the-Loop
25:49 | The Future of the Health Information Profession
27:50 | Looking Beyond "The Department That Manages Records"
29:06 | Why the Future of AI Depends on Trusted Health Information

Guest: Jennifer Mueller

Host: Kristin Baird - Baird Group
Co-host: Keith Washington - Companions in Courage Foundation
Sponsored by: Simplifi Medical
Audio/Video: Tim Jones - Health Nuts Media
Marketing: Josh Troop - Troop-Creative
Learn More at: www.beyond-blueprint.com