MRO, a leader in secure, compliant and efficient exchange of Protected Health Information (PHI), today announced the addition of health information management (HIM) expert Rita Bowen, MA, RHIA, CHPS, SSGB, to its leadership as vice president, privacy, HIM policy and education. Bowen will ensure new and existing client HIM policies and procedures are at code and drive the development, implementation and maintenance of MRO’s privacy and training programs. Previously, Bowen served as senior vice president and privacy officer for HealthPort, Inc.

“Rita is well-known and respected within the healthcare industry for her HIM leadership and industry expertise, and we’re excited to have her on board at MRO,” said Steve Hynes, CEO for MRO. “She brings an excellent perspective that will aid MRO in ensuring the highest levels of quality assurance and compliance while managing and disclosing PHI.”

Bowen comes to MRO with more than 30 years’ industry experience, holding a variety of HIM director and consulting roles. She is an active member of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and has served as its president and board chair, as a member of the board of directors, and on the council on certification. She has been honored with AHIMA’s Triumph Award in the mentor category, and she is the recipient of the Distinguished Member Award from the Tennessee Health Information Management Association (THIMA).

Bowen is also an established author and speaker on HIM topics and has taught HIM studies at Chattanooga State and the University of Tennessee Memphis.

“Being from Chattanooga, Tenn., I think my city’s motto ‘the right size and the right attitude,’ perfectly describes how I view MRO,” said Bowen. “MRO is the right size, and it has the right attitude. Integrity is a key principle in HIM, as well as to me personally; and MRO is a company based in honesty, integrity and high ethical standards. I look forward to joining an amazing team of professionals offering industry-leading services and technologies for HIM and other healthcare professionals.”

MRO is the standing KLAS Category Leader for Release of Information (ROI) and has been cited for having the highest quality and overall best performance in the ROI space in the KLAS “HIM Services Performance 2015: Coding, Transcription, Release of Information” report.

About MRO

MRO empowers healthcare organizations with proven, enterprise-wide solutions for the secure, compliant and efficient exchange of Protected Health Information (PHI). These solutions include a suite of PHI disclosure management services comprised of release of information, government and commercial payer audit management and accounting of disclosures. MRO’s technology-driven services reduce the risk of improper disclosure of PHI, ensure unmatched accuracy and enhance turnaround times. MRO additionally supports its clients’ current and future initiatives, including interoperability, meaningful use and health information exchange. To learn more, visit www.mrocorp.com.