Health Information Management, A.A.S.

Program Description

Designed for the dynamic field of health information management (HIM), this program integrates the disciplines of medicine, computer technology, and business management. Students who are interested in studying diseases and treatments but are not interested in hands-on patient care will find this a challenging career path. The graduate is prepared to perform technical and supervisory duties in organizing, analyzing, and generating health data for reimbursement, planning, quality improvement, research, and the legal issues surrounding the release of health information. Employment opportunities exist in a broad range of settings, such as hospitals, home health care, nursing homes, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), physicians’ offices, consulting, computer software companies, and government agencies. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), in cooperation with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Graduates are able to apply for the American Health Information Management Association’s national certifying examination for Registered Health Information Technicians (RHIT); passing this examination entitles the graduate to use the RHIT credential.

Graduates of the Health Information Management A.A.S. will be able to:

• Apply policies and procedures surrounding issues of access and disclosure of protected health information
• Apply legal concepts and principles to the practice of HIM
• Protect electronic health information through the application of confidentiality, privacy, security measures, policies, and procedures for internal and external use
• Analyze the documentation in the health record to ensure it supports the diagnosis and reflects the patient’s progress, clinical findings, and discharge status
• Apply diagnosis/procedure codes according to current guidelines
• Analyze current regulations and established guidelines in clinical classification systems
• Use basic descriptive, institutional, and healthcare statistics
• Use tools and techniques to monitor, report, and improve processes
• Use technology, including hardware and software, for data management in HIM
• Plan budgets using accounting methodologies
• Demonstrate effective communication skills related to HIM
• Maintain behaviors consistent with the professional Code of Ethics of the AHIMA

General Education Courses

The list of general education courses appears in the General Education List . Some programs recommend or require specific courses to fulfill general education requirements. Please check your program’s sequence of study for this information.

Program Requirements

• BIO-2050 Human Anatomy and Physiology I 4 Credits
• BIO-2060 Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4 Credits
• HIM-1500 Introduction to Health Information and Healthcare Systems 4 Credits
• HIM-1505 Healthcare Delivery Systems 2 Credits
• HIM-1510 Statistics for Health Professionals 2 Credits
• HIM-1530 Medical Terminology 3 Credits
• HIM-1540 Health Information Practicum I 1 Credit
• HIM-1550 Human Disease Processes and Pharmacology for Healthcare Professionals 4 Credits
• HIM-1581 Principles and Applications of ICD Coding 4 Credits
• HIM-1600 Principles and Applications of CPT 2 Credits
• HIM-2511 Healthcare Quality Improvement and Data Analysis 3 Credits
• HIM-2520 Principles and Applications of ICD Coding II 3 Credits
• HIM-2530 Health Information Management 4 Credits ***
• HIM-2560 Health Information Practicum II 1 Credit
• HIM-2580 Health Information Practicum III 1 Credit ***
• HIM-2590 RHIT Exam Prep 1 Credit
• HIM-2600 Medical Reimbursement and Billing 3 Credits

Sequence of Study - Health Information Management A.A.S.

Below are the required courses for your program arranged in a suggested sequence. Please note that the sequence does not include developmental coursework. See Academic Preparation  for the developmental course sequence if applicable to you.

Program Total: 65 Credits

¹ Refer to Course Descriptions , for eligibility requirements for BIO-2050 .

² Recommended prior to program admission. If not completed prior to program admission, must be taken concurrently with HIM-1500 , HIM-1581 , and HIM-1550 .

³ It is highly recommended that students complete HIM-1530  prior to entering the HIM Program.

Asterisk (*) denotes a general education course.

Double asterisk (**) denotes a course that is an institutional requirement.

Triple asterisk (***) denotes a course that satisfies the culminating experience requirement for A.A.S. programs.

Transferability

Credit earned at any public institution in the state shall be transferable to any other institution if the:

• Credit is from a college or university parallel course or program;
• Grades in the block of courses transferred average 2.00 or higher; and
• Acceptance of the credit is consistent with the policies of the receiving institution governing students following the same program. Refer to ARTSYS at artweb.usmd.edu and the receiving institution’s catalog to select transferable courses.

Need Help?

For help selecting an academic program or courses, consider using Career Coach, available at www.pgcc.edu/go/careercoach.