Health Information Management Technology Associate of Applied Science (HI13)

The Health Information Management Technology program is a sequence of courses designed to provide students with the technical knowledge and skills necessary to process, maintain, analyze, and report health information data according to legal, accreditation, licensure and certification standards for reimbursement, facility planning, marketing, risk management, utilization management, quality assessment and research. Program graduates will develop leadership skills necessary to serve in a functional supervisory role in various components of the health information system.

Employment Opportunities

Graduates of the Associate of Applied Science Degree Program in Health Information Management Technology are prepared for professional positions in hospitals, physicians’ offices, state and federal health care agencies, clinics, managed care organizations, behavioral health facilities, consulting and law firms, ambulatory care facilities, information system vendors, insurance companies, and long-term care facilities.

Accreditation/Approval

The Health Information Management Technology Associate of Applied Science program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). CAHIIM may be contacted at 233 N. Michigan Ave., 21st Floor, Chicago, IL 60601-5800, Phone 312.233.1100 or email: info@cahiim.org.

Licensure/Certification

Students completing the Associate of Applied Science degree in Health Information Management Technology will be eligible to take the American Health Information Technology National Examination for certification as a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT).

Admissions Criteria

  • Submit a completed application and application fee;
  • Be at least 16 years of age;
  • Submit official high school transcript or GED transcript;
  • Submit official college transcripts, if applicable;
  • Meet the following assessment requirements:
Test Reading Writing Numerical Algebra
Accuplacer 64 70 NA 57
Accuplacer (Next Gen) 236 249 NA 245
Compass 79 62 NA 37
SAT 17 17 NA 21
SAT 290 290 NA 380
ACT 16 14 NA 17
ASSET 42 41 39 42
PSAT 17 17 NA 21
GED NA 145 NA 145

Health Information Technology Curriculum

The curriculum for the Health Information Management Technology degree program is designed for the semester system. A student may enter the program any semester. To graduate, degree-seeking students must earn a minimum of 62 semester credit hours. The program requires a minimum of 1260 contact hours and generally takes 6 semesters to complete.

Program Courses

General Education Core (15 Credits)

Area I – Language Arts/Communication (3 Credits)

ENGL 1101Composition and Rhetoric

3

Area II – Social/Behavioral Sciences (3 Credits)

Select one
PSYC 1101Introductory Psychology

3

SOCI 1101Introduction to Sociology

3

Area III – Natural Sciences/Mathematics (3 Credits)

Select one
MATH 1101Mathematical Modeling

3

MATH 1103Quantitative Skills & Reasoning

3

MATH 1111College Algebra

3

Area IV – Humanities/Fine Art (3 Credits)

Select one
ARTS 1101Art Appreciation

3

ENGL 2110World Literature

3

ENGL 2130American Literature

3

HUMN 1101Introduction to Humanities

3

MUSC 1101Music Appreciation

3

Program-Specific Requirements (3 Credits)

General Core Elective

3

Occupational Courses (47 Credits)

ALHS 1090Medical Terminology for Allied Health Sciences

2

BIOL 2100Survey of the Human Body

5

Or

BIOL 2113Anatomy and Physiology I

3

BIOL 2113LAnatomy & Physiology Lab I

1

And

BIOL 2114Anatomy and Physiology II

3

BIOL 2114LAnatomy & Physiology Lab II

1

HIMT 1100Introduction to Health Information Technology

3

HIMT 1151Computer Applications in Healthcare

4

HIMT 1200Legal Aspects of Healthcare

3

HIMT 1250Health Record Content and Structure

2

HIMT 1360Introduction to Pathopharmacotherapy

3

HIMT 2150Healthcare Statistics

3

HIMT 2200Performance Improvement

3

HIMT 2300Healthcare Management

3

HIMT 2460Health Information Technology Practicum

3

HIMT 1400: ICD Basic

HIMT 1410: ICD Advanced Coding

HIMT 2400: CPT/HCPCS Coding

Revenue Cycle Specialization

HIMT 1400Coding & Classification - ICD Basic

4

HIMT 1410Coding & Classification - ICD Advanced

3

HIMT 2400Coding and Classification - CPT/HCPCS

3

HIMT 2410Revenue Cycle Management

3

NOTE: “C” or higher grade is required for all the above courses.

Program Costs

Tuition ($100 per credit hour): $6,100

Fees ($370 per semester): $2,220

Books/Supplies: $2,000

Uniform Costs: $50

Liability Insurance: $10 per fiscal year

Certification Exam: AHIMA Member $229/Non-member $299

Physical Exam: $150

TB Test: $40

Hepatitis B Series: $265

Criminal Background Check: $80

Drug Screening: $30

(Costs are estimates and are subject to change.)

Clinical Education

Number of Clinical Sites: 10

General Location of the Clinical Sites: Bulloch, Candler, Chatham, Evans, and Screven

Special Requirements of the Clinical Sites

  • A medical exam stating that the student is in good health. This must include documentation of TB skin testing, all required immunizations, and including Hepatitis B. Students who refuse the Hepatitis B vaccination series must sign a declination form and be aware that clinical sites may refuse to accept them. Forms will be provided by the instructor;
  • Facility Orientation;
  • Criminal Background Check;
  • Urine Drug Screen

Clinical Education Courses

The Health Information Management Technology practicum experience provides students an opportunity for in-depth application and reinforcement of principles and techniques in a health information department setting. The clinical practicum allows the student to be in a work situation at a professional level of technical application and requires observation, practice, and follow through.

The practicum requires that the student spend a minimum of 4 hours a week in a supervised work setting, for a total of 40 hours. If the student misses more than 4 hours, he/she will automatically be dropped from the course. Students are evaluated by the clinical site preceptor and the course instructor.

Clinical Assignments

Clinical times may range 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. However, some clinical sites may be scheduled to include shift work. Clinical sites are selected by the program coordinator. Students are responsible for having reliable transportation to the site.