A Day in the Life of a Record Analyst

In every healthcare system, professionals work behind the scenes to ensure patients receive coordinated, timely care. One of those roles is the Record Analyst. While patients don’t often see the work happening in the medical records department, it plays an important role in making sure providers have the information they need to make decisions about your care.

Meet Amber Heminsley, Record Analyst

Amber Heminsley, a record analyst at Perham Health, has spent more than four years helping manage and coordinate patient records. Her responsibilities include requesting records from other facilities, sending records when patients transfer care, and making sure documents are accurately stored in a patient’s electronic medical record.

What’s a typical day like?

Although healthcare systems utilize electronic medical records, paper documents and imaging, such as X-rays, still arrive regularly from clinics, hospitals, and providers who are not part of the Perham Health and Sanford systems. A large part of Amber’s job involves reviewing and scanning these documents into the correct patient chart. This includes everything from physician notes to surgical photos.

If a patient is transferring care or preparing for a specialist appointment, Amber ensures their records are sent securely and on time. She also helps obtain records from other healthcare facilities when patients have appointments at Perham Health and have been seen or had tests somewhere else.

“No day is ever the same. I do a variety of things,” Amber says. “I usually start my day picking up all of the scanning documents from the previous day and handling any requests that have come in from an outside facility. I request and obtain records from other facilities. Then I verify that everything has the proper patient label and is complete before it’s added to the patient’s chart.”

Accuracy and protecting patients’ privacy are essential. Records must be attached to the correct patient and placed in the right section of the chart so providers can easily find the information they need.

What got her interested in being a Record Analyst?

Before joining Perham Health, Amber worked in retail and billing.

“I was just looking for something different,” she says. “I saw the job posting, and it talked about being organized, self-motivated, and having good attention to detail. I thought that sounded like something I’d like to do.”

What kind of training is needed to be a Record Analyst?

She learned most of the job through hands-on training with an experienced coworker.

“I trained with my coworker who has done it for more than 20 years,” Amber says. “We went through the key points you need to look for and the things you really have to pay attention to.”

Best part of her job

“Knowing that I helped someone,” she says.

Recently, she spoke with a woman who urgently needed records because they were moving a family member into an assisted living facility the next day.

“She was very panicked and didn’t know what she needed to do,” Amber recalls. “I told her I do this all the time and I know exactly what they need.”

The caller did not have contact information for the facility, so Amber tracked down the appropriate person and coordinated sending the records.

“She was beyond thankful,” Amber says. “She had so much else going on, and she was just glad someone could help.”

What advice does she have for someone interested in being a Record Analyst?

Amber says the job is well-suited for people who enjoy organization and independent work.

“You really have to be self-motivated, have good time management, and have great attention to detail,” she says.

What she likes about working for Perham Health

For anyone considering a position at Perham Health, her advice is simple: “Just go for it. It’s a really great place to work. I love my job and I love my coworkers.”

While record analysts may not always be visible to patients, their work helps ensure providers have the full picture of a patient’s medical history, which can be essential for safe and effective care.

For Amber, knowing she helped someone move their care forward makes the work meaningful.

“At the end of the day,” she says, “it feels good knowing I did something beneficial for someone.”