Each year the Pennsylvania Health Information Management Association (PHIMA) awards education scholarships to students who demonstrate academic achievement and commitment to the field of health information management in Pennsylvania.
2026 PHIMA Scholarship Recipients

Jennifer Braun
Jennifer Braun is a 47-year-old college student committed to advancing her career in the healthcare field through dedication, perseverance, and academic excellence. She recently earned her Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) credential after graduating with honors from DeVry University, an accomplishment that reflects her strong work ethic and determination to succeed.
Currently, Jennifer is continuing her education by pursuing her Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) certification to further expand her knowledge and skills in Health Information Management and medical coding. Returning to school later in life has required discipline, resilience, and the ability to balance multiple responsibilities, while also deepening her passion for learning and personal growth.
Jennifer’s goal is to build a meaningful career in healthcare where she can contribute to accuracy, efficiency, and quality patient care through precise medical coding and health information management. She is committed to lifelong learning and professional development and strives to demonstrate that it is never too late to pursue one’s goals.

Elisabeta Mullahi
Elisabeta Mullahi’s academic journey is defined by dedication, resilience and an unwavering commitment to excellence in healthcare field. She started her journey toward higher education at Community College of Philadelphia in 2014, where she quickly distinguished herself as an exceptional student.
In 2016 she earned her certificate in Medical Insurance Billing Proficiency Certificate. In her time at CCP she demonstrated a strong work ethic to succeed, and this showed up perfectly in Elisabeta’s exceptional GPA and an incredible placement on Dean’s List for her achievement in academic performance. Motivated by her passion in healthcare field Elisabeta continued her education at Peirce College from 2016 to 2018, focusing on Healthcare Information Technology. During this time, she further distinguished herself academically by earning a place on President’s List. Her excellence and ambition led to an amazing offer from Extensional Harvard University, an opportunity which she declined due to her personal and professional ties to Philadelphia. During that time, Elisabeta got another tremendous hands- on experience at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children where she let her brilliance leadership and commitment shine through by leading her to a promotion to manager in 2025.
Committed to continue growing Elisabeta returned to Peirce college in 2024 to further precede further education and strengthen her professional skills in Health Information Administration. Her journey reflects an excellent and powerful example to many other students who strive for success and who have a strong eagerness to learn and advance themselves in healthcare field.
The PHIMA Board is proud to support our future leaders as they continue on the path of success in the Health Information Management field.
PHIMA scholarship awards are funded by member donations through the raffle at the annual conference. We thank the membership and regional associations for their donations which raised the funds to award annual scholarship winners.

