Health-Information-Management

Purpose

The Health Information Management (HIM) degree program is an CAHIIM  (Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education) accredited program that provides students the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills required to perform a variety of specialized duties in a non-clinical, allied health care settings. Graduates may seek positions as outpatient medical coders, health information specialists, revenue cycle specialist and medical office managers.

Upon successful completion, students will be able to:

  • Apply Diagnosis and Procedure codes according to current professional classification systems guidelines.
  • Identify complete health record according to organizational policies, external regulations and professional standards.
  • Analyze and interpret data and data sources for patient care (management, billing, reports, registries and other databases)
  • Use current concepts and government regulations to assign policies for data integrity and data exchange standards.
  • Apply healthcare legal terminology to identify the use of legal document, consents for treatment, retention and release of information, privacy and patient rights through use of Electronic Health Record (EHR) software.
  • Apply confidentiality, privacy and security measures and policies and procedures for internal and external of and exchange to protect electronic health information.
  • Use payment methodologies and systems such as capitation, Prospective Payment Systems, case mix and health insurance policies to evaluate the revenue cycle management process.
  • Obtain Certified Professional Coder Certification through AAPC (American Academy of Professional Coders).
  • Obtain Certified Revenue Cycle Representative Certification from Healthcare Finance Management Association.
  • Graduates of the Health Information Management program are eligible to sit for the national certification exam, Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) through AHIMA.

HIM graduates will be able to work at acute care hospitals, clinics, behavioral healthcare facilities, hospice, home care, healthcare government agencies, EHR vendors, insurance companies, and Managed Care Organizations

Students entering the HIM program must meet the college’s general admissions requirements, as well as program specific admission requirements. Program specific admission requirements include:

  • Completion of the Health Information Management Application for Admission packet, including a letter of intent and criminal background check and drug screening.
  • Students should have English and Mathematics skills assessed. Deficiencies in these areas may be corrected by completing the appropriate developmental studies courses.
  • Students may receive college credit for verified on-the-job experience.
  • Courses taken out of suggested sequence must have the approval of the program advisor.

The Health Information Management Program has clinical affiliation agreements with clinical agencies to ensure student safety and health information privacy and security. HIM students are required to complete a 40-hour internship for the Health Information Management program. Healthcare organizations have specific requirements for acceptance into internship and students must comply with these contractual requirements. Additionally,  students may be required to successfully complete an orientation program prior to participating in activities at any clinical facility. Clinical facilities may require a criminal background check and drug screen clearance as a condition for student placement. Immunizations must also be current and a COVID 19 and flu vaccine (or a valid exemption form) may be required.  General guidelines follow:

  • Clinical agencies reserve the right to dismiss a student from their agency at any time with due cause. This will be done with advance notice, except in an emergency
  • Published policies of the clinical agency must be followed. Each student must successfully complete an orientation program prior to participating in activities at any clinical facility.
  • Clinical facilities requires that all students have documentation of ability to perform the physical demands required in direct patient care activities.
  • Immunizations must be current. A flu vaccine may be required.
  • Students release clinical agencies, its agents and employees from any liability for personal injury or death, or damage to personal property arising from the use of the clinical agency’s facilities.
  • Proof of HIPAA Certification must be provided.
  • Clinical facilities require a criminal background check and drug screen clearance as a condition for student placement.

Health Information Management Program Metrics and Student Survey Results from 2020/2021

  • HIM Graduate Employment Rate – 100%
  • HIM Program Graduation Rate – 47%
  • HIM Program Completion Rate – 100%
  • RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician) Certification  Pass Rate – 80%

HIM Student Graduate Survey Results from 2021/2022

  • 99% of HIM program students said they were trained to use sound judgment and utilize critical thinking skill while functioning in healthcare/Health Information Management environment.
  • 97% of HIM students said the HIM program prepared then to assign correct ICD 10 CM, ICD 10 PCS and CPT codes using industry standard best practices.
  • 86% of HIM students passed the American Academy of Professional Coders, (AAPC) Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Exam.
  • 97% of HIM students said the program helped me to analyze HIPAA Privacy and Security scenarios and apply the appropriate measures for controlling Privacy and Security of protected health information.
  • 100 % of HIM graduates said the HIM program prepared them to communicate in my role as a Health Information Management Professional

The Health Information Management accreditor of Mountain Empire Community College is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for the Associate of Applied Science degree in Health Information Management has been reaffirmed through 2027.