Health Information Technology

Award Description:

The Health Information Technology Associate of Science degree is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM). Graduates of the degree are eligible to sit for the national accreditation examination of the American Health Information Management Association, and upon passing this exam become credentialed as an RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician).

Award Notes:
Eligibility for enrollment is determined by a special admission procedure. Interested persons should review program information at http://www.sdmesa.edu/academics/schools-departments/allied-health/.
A grade of "C" or better must be maintained in all courses to continue in this restricted program. Course repetition in this program is not permitted unless student is granted readmission. This program is governed by the Allied Health Department Policies and Procedures.
Students must complete HEIT 214 and 215 within five years in order to receive the Health Information Technology Associate of Science degree.

 Program Description:

The Health Information Technology program offers various avenues for students interested in a career in the health information field. The program is designed to prepare students to work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, behavioral health facilities, government health agencies, long-term care facilities, and various health information industry vendors.

DIRECTED CLINICAL PRACTICE (DCP) REQUIREMENT

Most allied health students are required to successfully complete DCP, clinically-based courses held in health care facilities. These facilities may require background checks, including fingerprinting and drug screening, as a condition of placement at the clinic. Refusal to submit to a background check, or failure to meet clearance criteria established by the health care facility, may prevent placement in DCP courses and thus, it may not be possible to successfully complete the program. Health care facilities also require adherence to strict standards of conduct. Facilities may refuse educational access to any person who does not adhere to the facility's standards of safety, health and ethical behavior. This may be cause for removal from the program.

Students Learning Outcomes:
• Apply all required health care documentation policies and procedures that ensure the highest quality of healthcare delivery.
• Utilize the evolving information technology in the completion of health information management processes.
• Ensure compliance with all payment systems, such as Medicare, Medicaid, managed care, and other sources of reimbursement.
• Produce data required for healthcare quality improvement, utilization management, risk management and other related activities.
• Protect the privacy, confidentiality, and security of health information as well as promote legal and ethical standards of practice for health information professionals.

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Program Goals:
Students who complete a Health Information Technology certificate or degree will be prepared for a career in the health information field.

Program Emphasis:
The program curriculum prepares students to process and maintain the medical records of hospital and clinic patients in a manner consistent with medical, administrative, ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements of the health care system.

Career Options:
Upon successful completion of certificate or degree in the program, students may find employment in health information departments as a release of information specialist, document imaging specialist, entry-level coder, health information supervisor, clinical coding specialist, medical data analyst, data quality/integrity associate, clinical documentation specialist, cancer registry coordinator, or risk/compliance assistant.

Program revision to: 1) remove HEIT 135 (deactivation), 2) add HEIT 136 (new), and 3) revise HEIT 160 to HEIT 225 (increase from 2 to 3 units)with overall increase from 30.5 to 33.5 units to meet new accreditation standards. 

(Note that 2.5 units of DCP were removed from this degree last year.)