Puerto Rico / Health information management programs

Best CAHIIM-accredited health information management programs in Puerto Rico, ranked (2026)

Puerto Rico has 1 CAHIIM-accredited HIM program, at the master's level. We score every program on our seven-factor methodology. The single UPR-MSC MS scores 83.5/100 and is the only CAHIIM HIM program in any US territory.

Taylor Rupe, founder of healthinformationmanagementprograms.com

by , founder & editor

updated

Puerto Rico
1

Programs ranked

83.5

Top score

$28K

PR median HIM wage

1,850

HIM jobs in PR

Key Takeaways

  • University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus MS in HIM is the only CAHIIM-accredited HIM program in Puerto Rico, and the only CAHIIM HIM program in any US territory. San Juan. Continuing CAHIIM, next review 2029-2030. Campus-based. Scores 83.5/100 on our seven-factor methodology.
  • UPR-MSC is Puerto Rico's flagship health sciences campus, co-located at Centro Médico with the UPR Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health, plus the UPR Hospital. Program director Dr. Amarilis Rivas holds EdD + RHIA.
  • The MS is the only CAHIIM degree at any level in PR: no in-territory AAS or BSHIM. PR students aiming at the RHIT or RHIA credential without leaving PR have to take an online CAHIIM program from the mainland US.
  • Median HIM salary in Puerto Rico is 27,990 per BLS OEWS May 2025. PR's wage distribution reflects the local economy and is meaningfully below the US mainland national median of 51,140. 90th pct 57,780. 1,850 working in this occupation.
  • Auxilio Mutuo is the largest private hospital in Puerto Rico (founded 1883). Hospital Pavía (multi-campus including Hato Rey and Santurce), HIMA San Pablo, Hospital del Maestro, and San Jorge Children's Hospital are the other major San Juan-area private systems.
  • The Centro Cardiovascular de Puerto Rico is the state heart center, and the UPR Hospital at Centro Médico is the academic teaching hospital. The Doctors Center Hospital chain operates multiple PR locations.
  • Salud HIE Puerto Rico is PR's health information exchange, administered by the PR Department of Health's Office of Health Informatics.
  • Puerto Rico does not license HIM staff. AHIMA credentials (RHIT, RHIA, CCS) function as the de facto standard. AHIMA offers Spanish-language testing resources. The Asociación de Profesionales de Información Médica de Puerto Rico is the local professional association.

How we ranked

Our ranking methodology in one paragraph.

Every program is CAHIIM-accredited. We score each one 0-10 on seven factors: CAHIIM accreditation maturity (25%), program director credentials (15%), degree-level pathways (15%), delivery flexibility (15%), employer pipeline (15%), cost-effectiveness (10%), institutional reputation (5%).

Read the full methodology →

Programs taking applications in Puerto Rico now

HIM, health informatics, and medical coding programs currently accepting students.

The CAHIIM program in Puerto Rico

The single CAHIIM-accredited HIM program in Puerto Rico.

RankInstitutionDegreeCityScoreCAHIIM
#1 University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus MS San Juan 83.5/100 Continuing
#1
83.5/100

Overall score

University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus

Best (only) CAHIIM MS in any US territory (UPR Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan)

MS San Juan, PR Campus Based CAHIIM Continuing Next Review 2029-2030

Why it ranks #1

University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus MS in HIM. The only CAHIIM-accredited HIM program in Puerto Rico, and the only CAHIIM HIM program in any US territory. Continuing CAHIIM, next review 2029-2030. Campus-based delivery at the UPR School of Health Professions in San Juan (Centro Médico). Program director Dr. Amarilis Rivas holds EdD + RHIA. UPR-MSC is Puerto Rico's flagship health sciences campus, co-located with the UPR Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health, and the UPR Hospital at Centro Médico. Strong reach into Auxilio Mutuo (the largest private hospital in PR, founded 1883), Hospital Pavía (multi-campus), HIMA San Pablo, Hospital del Maestro, San Jorge Children's Hospital, the Centro Cardiovascular de Puerto Rico (state heart center), Manatí Medical Center, and Doctors Center Hospital.

Program Director

Amarilis Rivas , Ed.D., RHIA

Address

HIM Program, School of Health Professions, Box 365067, San Juan, PR, 00936-5067

Contact

(787) 758-2525, Ext. 4509
amarilis.rivas@upr.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)10/10
Director credentials (15%)9/10
Pathways (15%)8/10
Delivery (15%)4/10
Employer pipeline (15%)9/10
Cost (10%)9/10
Reputation (5%)9/10
Overall83.5/100

Visit program at rcm1.rcm.upr.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

Best for…

Best Puerto Rico HIM pathways by category.

Best (only) in-territory MS in HIM

UPR Medical Sciences Campus

San Juan. Continuing CAHIIM. Campus-based at the UPR School of Health Professions. EdD + RHIA director. The only CAHIIM HIM program in any US territory.

Best academic medicine pipeline

UPR-MSC MS

UPR-MSC is co-located at Centro Médico with the UPR Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health, plus the UPR Hospital. The cleanest academic medicine ecosystem in PR.

Best Auxilio Mutuo pipeline

UPR-MSC MS

Auxilio Mutuo is the largest private hospital in PR (founded 1883). UPR-MSC graduates feed into Auxilio's HIM, coding, and informatics teams.

Best Hospital Pavía / HIMA San Pablo / private-system pipeline

UPR-MSC MS

Hospital Pavía (multi-campus), HIMA San Pablo, Hospital del Maestro, and San Jorge Children's are the major San Juan private systems. UPR-MSC is the credential of record for HIM leadership across this corridor.

Best Centro Cardiovascular / Doctors Center pipeline

UPR-MSC MS

The state Centro Cardiovascular de Puerto Rico is a specialty cardiac center; the Doctors Center Hospital chain operates multiple locations. UPR-MSC supplies HIM leadership.

Cheapest CAHIIM-accredited HIM program in PR

UPR-MSC (by default)

University of Puerto Rico resident tuition is among the lowest of any US public research university. Pell-eligible.

If you want an AAS or BSHIM in PR

Go online from the mainland US

No CAHIIM AAS or BSHIM in PR. PR students who can study in English typically take an online CAHIIM AAS or BSHIM from the mainland (Northeast Iowa CC, Weber State, WGU, Davenport, Rutgers, USC Upstate, etc.) and then ladder into the UPR-MSC MS.

For working PR healthcare professionals

UPR-MSC MS

The UPR-MSC MS is the natural next step for PR-based clinicians (medical records technicians, coders, RHIAs) or non-HIM healthcare professionals moving into HIM director, informatics, or compliance leadership.

Credentials

HIM credentials and certifications in Puerto Rico (RHIT, RHIA, CCS).

Puerto Rico does not license HIM staff. AHIMA credentials are the standard, and AHIMA offers Spanish-language exam preparation resources. The Asociación de Profesionales de Información Médica de Puerto Rico is the local professional association.

CredentialFull NameEducation RequiredTypical PR Role
RHITRegistered Health Information TechnicianCAHIIM AAS (no in-territory, online mainland needed)Records, ROI, coder at Auxilio Mutuo / Hospital Pavía / HIMA San Pablo / Hospital del Maestro
RHIARegistered Health Information AdministratorCAHIIM BSHIM (no in-territory, online mainland needed)HIM supervisor, privacy officer, compliance
CCSCertified Coding SpecialistRHIT/RHIA + coding experienceInpatient/outpatient coder, coding auditor

Salary data

Medical records specialist salary in Puerto Rico.

BLS OEWS May 2025 PR estimates for SOC 29-2072:

  • Median: $27,990 (US national: $51,140)
  • Mean: $34,060
  • 10th pct: $21,900 · 90th pct: $57,780
  • Territory-wide employment: 1,850

PR's HIM wage distribution reflects the local economy and is meaningfully below the US national distribution. The San Juan metro anchors the upper end (Auxilio Mutuo, Hospital Pavía, HIMA San Pablo, UPR Hospital, Centro Cardiovascular). Ponce, Mayagüez, and Arecibo pay near the PR median. Rural and small-municipality positions sit at the lower bound. Note that PR healthcare staff with mainland-US AHIMA credentials sometimes also work remotely for mainland employers, which can shift their compensation outside the local PR wage distribution.

Salary distribution

Medical records specialist salary in Puerto Rico vs. US national median (BLS OEWS May 2025).

$20K$30K$40K$50K$60K$70K$80K Puerto Rico MED $28K US National MED $51K

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Chart range shifted to $15K-$85K to fit PR's lower distribution.

Workforce

Puerto Rico health information management job market and top hospital employers.

Auxilio Mutuo. San Juan. The largest private hospital in Puerto Rico (founded 1883). Multi-specialty acute care.

Hospital Pavía. Multi-campus, including Pavía Hato Rey and Pavía Santurce. A major San Juan-area system. Also operates Hospital Pavía Arecibo and other locations.

HIMA San Pablo. Caguas-based system with multiple campuses across PR. HIMA San Pablo Caguas is the flagship.

Hospital del Maestro. San Juan. Hospital affiliated with the Asociación de Maestros de Puerto Rico (the PR teachers' association).

San Jorge Children's Hospital. San Juan. The dominant pediatric specialty hospital in PR.

Centro Cardiovascular de Puerto Rico y del Caribe. San Juan. The state cardiovascular specialty center (Centro Médico campus).

Doctors Center Hospital. Multi-location chain serving Bayamón, Manatí, San Juan, and others.

UPR Hospital (Centro Médico). The academic teaching hospital of the UPR Medical Sciences Campus, co-located with UPR-MSC.

Manatí Medical Center, Hospital Damas (Ponce), Hospital San Lucas (Ponce), Mayagüez Medical Center. Regional anchors across PR outside the San Juan metro.

Health information exchange

Salud HIE Puerto Rico.

Salud HIE Puerto Rico is Puerto Rico's health information exchange, administered by the PR Department of Health's Office of Health Informatics. It provides clinical messaging, longitudinal patient records, and ADT notifications across participating PR providers. Coverage spans the major private systems (Auxilio Mutuo, Hospital Pavía, HIMA San Pablo, Hospital del Maestro, San Jorge), the UPR Hospital and Centro Médico facilities, and Doctors Center Hospital.

Territorial regulation

Puerto Rico territorial laws affecting health information management.

  • Patient's Bill of Rights (Law No. 194 of 2000, as amended). Governs patient access to medical records and copying-fee rules.
  • Puerto Rico Health Insurance Code (Law 194-2011). PR-specific health insurance regulation framework. Layers on top of federal HIPAA.
  • Federal HIPAA applies in Puerto Rico the same as in the 50 states. Federal Title 45 CFR Part 164 (HIPAA Privacy + Security Rules) is the operative privacy floor.
  • Medical record retention. PR Department of Health hospital licensing regulations and the PR Civil Code's standard contract / professional-services retention rules govern. Adult records are commonly retained for at least 6 years (HIPAA minimum); minor records for longer.
  • Breach notification. PR follows federal HIPAA breach notification under 45 CFR §§ 164.400-414, and the PR Department of Justice has issued territorial breach guidance.
  • No territorial HIM licensure. AHIMA credentials (RHIT, RHIA, CCS) are the standard.

Sources

Sources and references.

  1. healthinformationmanagementprograms.com Methodology.
  2. CAHIIM Program Directory.
  3. BLS OEWS: May 2025 PR estimates.
  4. AHIMA Certification Exams (Spanish-language preparation resources available).
  5. Puerto Rico Department of Health: Salud HIE Puerto Rico, Office of Health Informatics.
  6. Puerto Rico Office of Legislative Services: Law No. 194 of 2000 (Patient's Bill of Rights), Law 194-2011 (PR Health Insurance Code).
  7. University of Puerto Rico: UPR-MSC tuition and admissions information.

FAQ

HIM programs in Puerto Rico: frequently asked questions.

What is the best CAHIIM-accredited HIM program in Puerto Rico?

University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus MS in HIM is the only CAHIIM-accredited HIM program in Puerto Rico, scoring 83.5/100 on our methodology. It is also the only CAHIIM HIM program in any US territory.

How many CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs are in PR?

1 active, at the master's level. No CAHIIM AAS or BSHIM in PR.

What is the average HIM salary in PR?

Median $27,990 per BLS OEWS May 2025. PR's distribution is meaningfully below the US national median of 51,140. 90th pct $57,780.

Does PR require a license to work in HIM?

No. AHIMA credentials (RHIT, RHIA, CCS) are the standard.

Which Puerto Rico hospitals hire the most HIM staff?

Auxilio Mutuo, Hospital Pavía (multi-campus), HIMA San Pablo, Hospital del Maestro, San Jorge Children's Hospital, Centro Cardiovascular de Puerto Rico, Doctors Center Hospital, UPR Hospital (Centro Médico), Manatí Medical Center, Hospital Damas (Ponce), Mayagüez Medical Center.

What is Salud HIE Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico's health information exchange, administered by the PR Department of Health's Office of Health Informatics.

Is the UPR-MSC MS offered in Spanish?

UPR-MSC operates in both Spanish and English, with course content typically delivered in Spanish given the PR healthcare workforce context. Contact the program directly to confirm current policies.

Can I get a HIM degree fully online in PR?

The UPR-MSC MS is campus-based, not online. For AAS or BSHIM, PR students who can study in English typically take an online CAHIIM program from the mainland US.