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Why Every HIM Professional Should Learn Excel — and the 5 Functions That Actually Get You Hired

If you work in HIM and don’t know Excel, you’re leaving interviews, money, and job offers on the table.

Excel isn’t just a spreadsheet tool — it’s the real-world language of HIM analytics, claims, coding audits, and revenue cycle reports. And no, you don’t need to be a “numbers person” to use it. You just need to learn how to use the right functions for the roles you want.


This blog will show you:

  • Why Excel matters in HIM (even for coders)

  • The top 5 Excel functions that HIM hiring managers expect

  • Free resources to learn each one today

  • How to put Excel on your resume the right way


Let’s get into it.


Why Excel Matters in Health Information

Hiring managers don’t just want people who “know HIM.” They want people who can:

  • Analyze claims

  • Identify errors

  • Clean data

  • Present trends

  • And track what’s working or costing money


Whether you're in coding, billing, risk adjustment, denials, or data quality — Excel is the system behind the system.


And if your resume says "Microsoft Office Suite" but you can't build a Pivot Table, you're getting skipped.


5 Excel Functions Every HIM Professional Should Learn


1. VLOOKUP / XLOOKUP

Use this to compare and match data across sheets. Example: Match CPT codes to modifiers or link MRNs to patient details.

✅ Why it matters: Most HIM departments track audits, claims, and rejections across multiple files. VLOOKUP makes you efficient — not manual.


2. COUNTIFS + SUMIFS

Use this to count or total things based on conditions. Example: “How many claims were denied with code CO-16 in July?”

✅ Why it matters: Every analyst, compliance, and audit role uses this to track performance, denials, or documentation issues.


3. Pivot Tables

Use this to summarize large datasets without formulas. Example: Show denial counts by payer, by provider, or by reason code.

✅ Why it matters: Pivot Tables are in almost every analyst job description. Even compliance officers use them to report trends.

Learn it here: ExcelJet - Pivot Table Basics


4. IF Statements

Use this to flag certain data based on rules. Example: Flag any claims with a balance over $500 as “High Priority.”

✅ Why it matters: Makes your spreadsheet dynamic — and proves you understand logic flow.


5. Data Cleaning Tools (Remove Duplicates, TRIM, Text-to-Columns)

Use this to fix messy files, normalize data, and prep for analysis.

✅ Why it matters: Every HIM professional gets messy data — especially in risk adjustment, coding audits, or vendor files.

📚 Learn it here: Excel Campus - Clean Data Fast


How to Add Excel to Your Resume (Correctly)

Don’t just say:

“Proficient in Microsoft Excel”

Say something like:

“Used VLOOKUP and COUNTIFS to analyze 1,000+ claims for denial trends and payer issues”
“Built Pivot Tables to summarize provider documentation errors across quarterly audits”

Use the actual function names + results = instant credibility.



Final Word

You don’t need a degree in data science to make money with Excel. You just need to know the 5 functions that HIM teams actually use.

Mastering Excel puts you ahead of 90% of job applicants — even if they have more experience. Because people who can code claims and analyze them? They get promoted.


Want to Learn Exactly What to Put on Your Resume to Show You Know Excel?


✅ I’ll audit your resume for weak tech language

✅ Rewrite your bullets to highlight system + strategy

✅ Show hiring managers you can do the work — not just say the words


Let’s turn your Excel skills into interviews, income, and upward moves.

 
 
 

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