Health Information Technology, A.A.S.

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As a Health Information Professional, you will work in a healthcare facility or a healthcare related business reviewing health records for completeness, abstracting pertinent data, entering pertinent data, locating and/or releasing health information, reviewing health records for medical necessity documentation, coding and classifying diagnoses and procedures, and being a team leader or frontline supervisor. With the requirement for electronic health records occurring in 2014, you will most likely be working in an electronic environment utilizing specific types of software such as EHR, abstraction systems, release of information systems, coding and classification systems, encoder/grouper software, and reimbursement systems.

Graduates of the Health Information Technology Associates Degree are prepared for entry-level positions requiring basic knowledge and understanding of human anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, health information documentation requirements, filing systems, release of information guidelines and rule, coding rules and regulations, and electronic health record. Graduates of this program are eligible to sit for the Registered Health Information Technician examination (RHIT) offered by the American Health Information Management Association (www.ahima.org).

Program Admission

Students must complete an admission process. The process detail can be found at the Helath Information Technology webpage. This process is separate from the admission process to the College and must be completed prior to enrolling into any of the program courses with the exception of HITT 1305 Basic Medical Terminology. Students must have completed all prerequisites and meet knowledge level requirements prior to being accepted into the program.

Background Check/Drug Screen

All students will be required to have a background check and drug screen completed and submitted no later than the semester prior to clinical rotation. Random drug screening can be requested at any time deemed necessary by a clinical site, clinical instructor, or faculty member of the program. Clinical sites reserve the right to request an additional criminal background check and/or drug screen prior to assignment to that site. Background check and drug screen are the responsibility of the student.  Further information regarding these can be found in the HIT Student handbook, which is provided to each student upon acceptance to the program.

Immunizations

Students must present evidence, upon requesting admission into the program, of having met the following immunization requirements:

·         Tetanus/Diptheria Toxoid (DT) - boosters within the last ten (10) years

·         Measles/Mumps/Rubella (MMR) - immunizations within last ten (10) years or evidence from primary care physician of having had the
          disease. Immune status is required if unsure of having any of these disease

·         Mantoux Test (TB) - within last two (2) years. If result is positive, must obtain a chest x-ray and provide documentation

·         Hepatitis A (both immunizations) - If ten (10) + years, booster shot or proof of immune status must be provided

·         Hepatitis B (series - all three (3) shots) or proof of immune status must be documented. If ten (10) + years documentation of booster
          must be provided.

·         Varicella (chicken pox) - proof of immunization or immune status

·         Bacterial meningitis

·         Additional immunizations may be required

Program Information

The AAS in Health Information Technology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) (www.cahiim.org).

Curricula is designed and sequenced in order for students to move from introductory to competency level, thus sequence of courses must be followed. Curricula can be completed on a part-time basis, especially those students who work more than twenty (20) hours per week. Working students must obtain approval from a faculty advisor prior to enrolling in more than six (6) credit hours.

Students must be aware that program courses include both a lecture component and a lab component which generally means more anticipated class time than the credit hour of the course. Example: HITT 1341has two (2) lecture hour components and four (4) lab hour components which equal to a total of six (6) hours anticipated class time per week. For every class time hour, students must include an additional 30-60 minutes for reading, completing homework, and preparing for class. In the example above, add three (3) additional hours to the six (6) hour class time, which equals a total of nine (9) hours per week devoted to the class.

Failure to successfully complete (grade C or better) any two (2) courses in the curricula, will result in the student being dropped from the program with no option to reapply.

Students must communicate with their assigned faculty advisor on a semester to semester basis prior to enrollment for subsequent semesters. Faculty advisors are assigned at the time of acceptance to the program.

Request for graduation must be submitted to the program director no later than the semester prior to the anticipated graduation date.

Registration and certification examinations are the responsibility of the student. Faculty advisors will assist in the registration and certification process as required by the certifying agency