Department of Health Information Technology

MEDICAL CODING - HOSPITAL BASED CERTIFICATE PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Established in 1966 the Health Information Technology Associate Degree Program includes a combination of medical knowledge and health information application courses designed to prepare the graduate for employment in any facility with healthcare information systems. A program graduate is eligible to take the certification exam for the credential RHIT(Registered Health Information Technician. This exam is offered through the American Health Information Management Association and is highly recommended. The Health Information Technology Program AAS Degree is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs(CAAHEP) in cooperation with the American Health Information Management Association's Council on Accreditation.

Responsibilities of an RHITmay include preparing, compiling, analyzing, evaluating, coding, storing, and retrieving information consistent with the medical, administrative, legal, accreditation, and regulatory requirements of a health care delivery system. Management and supervision of personnel and systems may be required of the Registered Health Information Technician. Employment is available in many types of facilities, including :

EMPLOYMENT - Good, Starting Salary $20,000 to $30,000 anually

Work in health information may require physical activities including filing and retrieval of patient records, transporting patient records, continuous computer data entry, and extended periods of sitting and/or standing. Limited lifting of hard copy patient charts.

Students can enroll on a part-time of full-time basis. Timeframe required to complete the program is dependent on enrollment status. Program advisement is highly recommended due to the sequence in which courses may be offered and taken. Some courses may be offered only once a year.