Chester woman lauded by state group

The Illinois Health Information Management Association (IHIMA) named Chester's Donna Young its 2022 Distinguished Member.

Her dedication was recognized last month at the annual state conference in Champaign after being nominated by her peers. In 2021, Young was named the Distinguished Member by her colleagues in the Southern Illinois Health Information Management Association (SIHIMA).

Young has worked in the health information field for 43 years, beginning as a coder in 1979 in Chester Memorial Hospital's medical records department.

Over the years as the medical records world changed from paper to electronic, Young continued her education, racking up credentials and degrees to further her expertise. In that time she held positions at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital and Memorial Hospital in Carbondale. Currently, Young is the manager of the off-site Southern Illinois Healthcare Health Information Departments for Memorial Carbondale and St. Joseph.

Throughout her career, Young has been active in her regional, state and national associations. She has served as the past president of both SIHIMA and IHIMA, as well as on the national group's Information Governance Standards Task Force.

She has also contributed articles in the Journal of AHIMA and presented educational programs for national, state and regional associations.

Young acts as a clinical site supervisor for students, and also serves as a guest lecturer in health information programs at Southern Illinois community colleges.