Joe Naretto, MHA, RHIA, CHPS
Senior Director, Health Information Management, Novant Health, Winston-Salem, NC
We asked Joe Naretto, MHA, RHIA, CHPS, to share his career journey in health information (HI) and describe his recent experience taking the Certified Health Privacy and Security (CHPS®) exam. Spoiler alert, Naretto passed with flying colors.
My career choice to get into healthcare in general happened when I was in high school. I suffered from a ruptured appendix that was related to a misread lab study by a physician at the time. They had misdiagnosed a classic case of appendicitis as an abdominal muscle strain and I ended up dealing with an emergency hospitalization as a result. I made the decision then and there that I wanted to work in healthcare and prevent issues like this from happening to anyone else.
As I began my undergraduate studies, I started as pre-med but very quickly realized that this was not the right fit for me. I learned that the capability to help people with their health extended beyond the clinical setting to the administrative side of healthcare. As I began researching a new path forward, I recognized that the best way to understand how a business is run is to understand business records—especially in an industry as complex as healthcare. I ended up taking a work-study position at a hospital’s HI management department during my sophomore year of undergrad, working as a file room clerk and chart analyst. After some time there, I formally switched my major to HI management and now find myself an experienced HI leader with over 20 years of experience.
My desire to pursue the CHPS certification is the direct result of my leadership journey at Novant Health. About 10 years ago, the release of information (ROI) team came under my leadership as the organization was centralizing this function for all 16 hospitals and 800 physician clinics. We had also just completed a rollout of Epic for most of our locations.
The longer I worked with and led our ROI function at scale for our organization, the more I realized the importance of considering the CHPS credential. Fast forward to the last few years and the advent of electronic personal health information (PHI), automation, artificial intelligence, and Information Blocking and Cures Act regulations. It was apparent that having this credential would not only serve me but the organization well as we navigate the intersection of technology, operational imperatives, regulatory pressure, and the ongoing need to protect the privacy and integrity of our patient information.
My decision to leverage AHIMA’s coursework was the best way to assess where I felt my knowledge was (based on my work experience) versus where I felt it needed to be to successfully pass the CHPS exam. The detail and nuance across HIPAA privacy and security standards are deep and wide—almost overwhelming—so I saw the coursework as key to expanding my knowledge. It also was a way for me to structure my exam preparation. The AHIMA coursework was fantastic and was a critical tool to augment my other exam prep efforts. I’m not sure I would have passed the test without it.
My learning style requires structure. I don’t do well in terms of learning if there isn’t a roadmap and some level of interactive materials to follow. I’m also an audio learner. If I hear something, I have a better chance of retaining it versus reading it over and over. Leveraging the coursework was helpful as it provided me with the structure I needed to best develop my own strategy.
The lecture content was a great way to move through the material and a good compass to direct my attention to areas where I had to dig in and focus on reference materials and to dive deeper into details on a particular subject. Courses were engaging and complemented the written materials in a way that allowed me to feel confident that I was growing my knowledge as I prepared for the exam. Lastly, having open access to the lectures beyond the two-week boot camp allowed me to relisten to content as needed.
I firmly believe that as the healthcare ecosystem continues to evolve into an increasingly variable patchwork of technologies, the importance of healthcare privacy and security expertise will also increase and become a necessity for all HI practitioners.
The CHPS experience equips HI professionals with the knowledge and confidence needed to have a seat at the table and contribute as decision-makers evaluate and implement technology handling PHI at scale. The expertise gained through the CHPS, in my view, opens doors for HI leaders to consider roles across all spectrums of the healthcare ecosystem—from traditional provider roles, technology vendors, privacy and security professionals, electronic health record companies, and beyond.