Founded in 1946, the House of Delegates (House) is a deliberative assembly comprising delegates elected or appointed from each of the 52 Component State Associations (CSA) and the AHIMA Board of Directors. As specified in the AHIMA Bylaws, delegates provide a member forum for membership and professional issues and establish and maintain professional standards of the membership. The House is chaired by the Speaker of the House, an AHIMA official elected by the delegates. The House’s work is critical to ensuring AHIMA remains the leading voice of health information.

Delegates work year round, operating on a July 1 through June 30 term to advocate for the profession and the members. These leaders help keep our profession strong and forward-thinking by contributing or recommending action on issues affecting the industry.

In 2012, the House implemented a new, forward-thinking approach to the operations and configuration of the House of Delegates. Consisting of House Leadership, the Envisioning Collaborative group, and the ad hoc Task Forces group, the House allows for agility and diverse input for strategic planning.

The House gathers input from the Envisioning Collaborative  to help the board forecast strategy. These leaders bring forward emerging issues and trends that can impact the profession. There is also the  House Leadership team consisting of one CSA delegate per state, who ensure effective House operations through alignment with strategy.

Along with subject matter experts from other relevant areas, delegates not on the House Leadership Team or the Envisioning Collaborative can join Task Forces. As issues come through the House Leadership pipeline and are vetted, delegates will be notified and assembled to address them.

The House offers a variety of activities for participation and cross-collaboration, such as vetting practice briefs for Practice Councils and joining workgroups with other volunteer groups. This approach gives the House more agility to address the issues facing our profession today, tomorrow, and in the future.