Health Information Technology Program
2018-2019
Career Education
This is a Career Education Program. Application is open for starting
August 1, 2019 at 12 p.m. anc closing on January 31, 2020 at 12 p.m.
APPLYING
Applicants must complete the following:
- Apply online to San Diego Mesa College. You will need your CSID# to complete the HEIT application.
- Complete the application packet for the Health Information Technology Program . You will need all of these documents to complete the online application.
- Submit an online application for Health Information Technology Program through the Allied Health Department.
- Request official transcripts be sent directly to the Special Admissions Office of San Diego Mesa College.
San Diego Mesa College
Special Admissions, I4-102
7250 Mesa College Drive
San Diego, CA 92111Note: If you have attended City, Mesa, or Miramar Colleges, you do not have to submit an official transcript. Your transcript will be obtained directly from the records office on your behalf.
Description
The Associate of Science Degree in Health Information Technology 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.
Note:
The Health Information Technology Associate of Science degree program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM). Graduates of the program are eligible to write the national accreditation examination of the American Health Information Management Association, and upon passing this exam become designated as an RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician).
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.
Interested persons should call the Special Programs Admissions Clerk in the Admission’s Office 619-388-2684.
| Award Type | Units |
|---|---|
| Certificate of Achievement: | |
| Coding Specialist | 25 |
| Associate of Science Degree: | |
| Health Information Technology | 33* |
| Bachelor of Science Degree: | |
| Health Information Management | 87** |
*and courses to meet graduation requirements, general education and electives as needed to meet the minimum of 60 units required for the degree.
**Plus lower division General Education Requirements and electives as needed to meet the lower division minimum of 60 units.
Directed Clinical Practice (DCP) REQUIREMENT
Students accepted into this program will be 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.
Goals
Students who complete the Health Information Technology Associate of Science Degree will be able to:
- 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.
Career Options
Upon successful completion of the Associate of Science Degree in Health Information Technology, 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.
Associate of Science Degree:
Health Information Technology
For graduation requirements see Requirements for the Associate Degree.
Electives as needed to meet minimum of 60 units required for the degree.
| Courses Required for the Major: | Units | |
| HEIT 110 | Introduction to Health Information | 4 |
| HEIT 130 | Basic Pharmacology | 1 |
| HEIT 135 | Computer Basics for Health Information | 1 |
| HEIT 140 | Fundamentals of Law for Health Information | 3 |
| HEIT 155 | Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Coding | 3 |
| HEIT 160 | Healthcare Reimbursement | 2 |
| HEIT 214 | ICD Coding I | 3 |
| HEIT 215 | ICD Coding II | 3 |
| HEIT 220 | Principles of Leadership | 2 |
| HEIT 256 | Statistics for Healthcare | 3 |
| HEIT 258 | Healthcare Quality Management | 3 |
| HEIT 266 | Directed Clinical Practice A | 2.5 |
| HEIT 267 | Directed Clinical Practice B | 2.5 |
| Total Units = 33 | ||
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science Degree: Health Information Management are required to complete one of the following general education options:
- The California State University General Education Breadth pattern
- The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum pattern
Electives as needed to meet minimum of 60 units required for the degree.
Bachelor of Science Degree:
Health Information Management
Description
At the March 16, 2015, California Community College Board of Governors meeting, the members voted unanimously to approve San Diego Mesa College’s Health Information Management (HIM) Bachelor of Science degree as one of the fifteen community college pilot programs to be offered in the state. The HIM program received Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) approval.
The Bachelor of Science degree in Health Information Management program provides accessible, high-quality industry-approved instruction designed to prepare students to work at a management level in a variety of healthcare settings including acute and subacute hospitals, outpatient clinics, government health agencies, and electronic health records industry vendors. The Health Information Management program is seeking accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM). Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification exam once the accreditation has been approved.
Student Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the HIM program will be able to:
- Apply the laws of patient record confidentiality, privacy, and compliance
- Use and design data, databases, and healthcare systems
- Demonstrate and apply knowledge of the principles of personnel management
- Develop a financial plan for a health information management department
- Demonstrate mastery of the principles of health information management
- Analyze healthcare data; assimilate data and information
Career Options
Graduates obtaining their Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) certification are qualified to be a Health Information Department Manager or Director, a Coding Manager, a Healthcare Systems Manager, a Data Analyst, a Quality or Compliance Coordinator, or a College/University Professor of Health Information Technology or Health Information Management.
| Lower Division Courses Required for the Degree: | Units | |
| HEIT 110 | Introduction to Health Information | 4 |
| HEIT 130 | Basic Pharmacology | 1 |
| HEIT 135 | Computer Basics for Health Information | 1 |
| HEIT 140 | Fundamentals of Law for Health Information | 1 |
| HEIT 155 | Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Coding | 3 |
| HEIT 160 | Healthcare Reimbursement | 2 |
| HEIT 214 | ICD Coding I | 3 |
| HEIT 215 | ICD Coding II | 3 |
| HEIT 220 | Principles of Leadership | 2 |
| HEIT 256 | Statistics for Healthcare | 3 |
| HEIT 258 | Healthcare Quality Management | 3 |
| HEIT 266 | Directed Clinical Practice A | 2.5 |
| HEIT 267 | Directed Clinical Practice B | 2.5 |
Upper Division General Education: In addition to the courses required in the major, students must complete one of the following general education options:
- The California State University General Education Breadth pattern
- The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum pattern
Upper Division Program Prerequisite
Registered health information technician (RHIT) national certification.
| Upper Division Courses Required for the Degree: | Units | |
| HIMS 405 | Foundations of Health Information Management | 4 |
| HIMS 408 | Ethics in Healthcare Administration | 3 |
| ENGL 401 | Advanced Writing for Healthcare Professionals | 3 |
| HIMS 410 | Healthcare Informatics | 4 |
| PSYC 401 | Organizational Psychology for the Healthcare Professional | 3 |
| HIMS 415 | Healthcare Analytics | 4 |
| HIMS 418 | Topics in Legal and Compliance Issues for Healthcare Professionals | 4 |
| HIMS 420 | Principles of Finance for Health Information Management | 3 |
| CISC 401 | Database Management and Design for the Healthcare Professional | 4 |
| HIMS 425 | Revenue Cycle Management | 3 |
| HIMS 430 | Human Resources Management in Healthcare | 4 |
| HIMS 435 | Project Management in the Healthcare Setting | 3 |
| HIMS 440 | Leadership and Strategic Management for Healthcare Professionals | 4 |
| HIMS 445 | Healthcare Information Systems Analysis and Design | 4 |
| HIMS 455 | Applied Research Project in Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIMS 460 | Advanced Directed Clinical Placement | 1 |
| Total Units = 87 | ||
Certificate of Achievement:
Coding Specialist
The Health Information Technology program offers two avenues for students interested in a career in the health information field. The Coding Specialist Certificate of Achievement 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.
Career Options
The Coding Specialist Certificate of Achievement is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills required for an entry-level position as a coder 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.
| Courses Required for the Major: | Units | |
| MEDA 55 | Fundamentals Human Anatomy and Physiology | 3 |
| MEDA 110 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| MEDA 115 | Pathophysiology | 3 |
| HEIT 110 | Introduction to Health Information | 4 |
| HEIT 130 | Basic Pharmacology | 1 |
| HEIT 214 | ICD Coding I | 3 |
| HEIT 215 | ICD Coding II | 3 |
| HEIT 155 | Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Coding | 3 |
| HEIT 160 | Healthcare Reimbursement | 2 |
| Total Units = 25 | ||