PHIMA is proud to honor Karen Collins Gibson, MSA, RHIA, FAHIMA as its Distinguished Member for 2019.
Karen is a seasoned HIM professional and an experienced educator. Over her 45-year involvement in the HIM profession, she has been a Departmental Director at George Washington University Hospital in DC, a Product Manager for HIM vendor Shared Medical Systems but her passion has remained with education. Karen has been employed as a Senior Adjunct Lecturer at Delaware County Community College in the Allied Health and Nursing Division for over 20 years. In addition to her role at the Community College, Karen has served as Adjunct Faculty for Immaculata University, Gwynedd Mercy College and Temple University, teaching courses in a variety of HIM topics. In addition to teaching, Karen has been a student advisor and provided curriculum review. Karen was an instructor for Electronic Health Record education under a Health Information Professionals Grant and she currently serves on the Advisory Board for Rasmussen College. Through these teaching positions, Karen has impacted the profession in countless ways, including encouraging, developing and educating future HIM professionals.
Karen’s passion for education is reflected not only in her employment history but also in her volunteer contributions. Karen is currently the Chairperson for AHIMA’s Committee for the Certification of Health Informatics and Information Management (CCHIIM). In this national role, Karen has the opportunity to impact the future of HIM education. The Commission is benefitting from Karen’s leadership, intuition, and organization skills. Whether it is teaching in a formal capacity at academic institutions or sharing her knowledge with fellow HIM professionals, Karen is always quick to impart her wisdom. She takes all her roles seriously, with grace, and a great sense of humor.
At the local level, Karen was the SePHIMA representative to AHIMA’s Hill Day for 7 years and has served as Treasurer, Secretary and on numerous committees including Education and Advocacy over the course of her career. As a Hill Day participant, Karen has helped to share the importance of our profession beyond the healthcare arena.
On the state level, Karen has remained active over the 40+ years of her membership including serving terms as Treasurer, Director and Delegate. In addition, Karen has served on a number of committees including Advocacy, Program, Budget, and Education. Karen continues to be an active member at the annual Educator’s Forum and provides excellent communication back to the state from her role on CCHIIM. As PHIMA Director, Karen presided over student programs, expanding the student liaison program to involve students from across the state.
In 2013, Karen was recognized for her contributions and accomplishments in HIM through receiving the Fellow of the American Health Information Management Association designation. The Fellowship designation is awarded to a small number of HIM professionals to recognize “significant and sustained contribution to advancement of the Health Information Management (HIM) discipline through meritorious service, excellence in professional practice, excellence in HIM education, and advancement of the profession through innovation and knowledge sharing.” In addition, Delaware County Community College recognized Karen’s outstanding faculty contributions through the 2012 Educational Foundation Part-time Faculty Award.
Karen is a graduate of University of Pittsburgh and earned her Masters of Science in Administration, Training and Development from West Chester University.
We congratulate and thank Karen for her commitment and contributions to the HIM profession through her volunteer service and through her role as educator.