Danita Forgey

Adjunct Lecturer

E-mail

Phone

317-278-4636

Office

535 W. Michigan St.
IT 475
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3103

Curriculum Vitae

In my teaching philosophy statement, I hope to convey my commitment and growth as an academic. I have spent much of my professional career practicing in the field of health information administration. I started out as a part-time instructor in the Health Information Administration Program, and eventually moved into the full-time position of program director. During the time that I was a part-time instructor, I performed consulting work in the area of classification systems and healthcare reimbursement; these are also the subjects that I teach.

I have always felt that one of my strengths was in taking the subject matter, distilling it into the important points and determining the best way to convey that information to students. My practical experience in the field has helped me to establish what these important points are and the various ways that you can transmit these to people who are trying to learn them.

In my profession, you are expected to engage in life-long learning and to encourage other professionals in the field. This plays into one of my other teaching strengths, bringing along others. My ongoing experience in the field has helped me to give the students real-life examples and to prepare them for what they will find in the workplace. My interaction with students does not end when they leave the classroom; I am very willing to help them after they graduate and experience situations where they need guidance.

The courses that I teach are primarily lecture-based but the lectures are reinforced through exercises done in class and homework assignments that continue with the concepts covered in class. I also use problems that are supplied to me by professionals who are practicing in the field. My interaction with graduates of this program and other health information professionals makes this easier to do.

The subjects that I teach are undergoing constant change and it is important to me to have the latest information and to guide the students in finding these resources for themselves. It is incumbent on me to stay in touch with “real world” practices so that the students are prepared to go out into that real world and be practicing professionals.

I have gradually moved from part-time instructor to full-time educator. I have received a great deal of support from full-time faculty along the way who have encouraged me to join academia as a full-time vocation. The support I have received from graduates of the program has also been very gratifying and encouraging. My enthusiasm for teaching new professionals has increased with this encouragement.

Education

M.IS., Master of Information Science, School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN (2001)
B.S., Health Information Administration, School of Allied Health Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN (1981)

Certifications

RHIA, Registered Health Information Administrator, 1981, American Health Information Management Association
CCS, Certified Coding Specialist, 1994, American Health Information Management Association
CCS-P, Certified Coding Specialist, Physician-based, 1998, American Health Information Management Association

Biography

Danita Forgey is both an Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Informatics Health Information Administration Program. In addition to classroom instruction of HIA students, she oversees curriculum development and program evaluation. Danita received her B.S. in Medical Record Administration and her Master of Information Science from Indiana University.

In 1999, Danita received the Distinguished Member Award from the Indiana Health Information Management Association of which she is a member and past president. She is also a member of the American Health Information Management Association and holds a Certified Coding Specialist credential from that organization.

Prior to her academic career, Danita served in management roles in Health Information Management with IU Hospitals, Columbus Regional Hospital and the YPRO Corporation. She continues to work as a private consultant in the field.