Health Information Technology, AAS

ASSOCIATE IN APPLIED ARTS AND SCIENCE DEGREE
Program code: AASHI
http://www.sc4.edu/hit/

The associate degree in Health Information Technology (HIT) prepares students to enter the Health Information Management profession. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will be prepared for employment in entry-level positions in a variety of health care settings, including acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, physician practices, rehabilitation centers, clinics, private consulting firms and veterinary medicine facilities. There also are many opportunities in non-traditional settings such as law firms, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies. Graduates may be employed in a variety of roles, including, but not limited to, coder, electronic health record specialist, decision support specialist, regulatory/compliance specialist and release of information specialist. This is a two-year program and includes both liberal arts and health information technology courses. However, a student may choose to complete any of the liberal arts courses prior to program admission.

This program includes two Professional Practice Externships (PPEs). One will be virtual and one will be on-site in a health care setting. Transportation to and from the on-site PPE is the sole responsibility of the student. Students will be required to dress in appropriate business or business casual attire as mandated by the PPE site.

Program Outcomes/Objectives:

When students complete this program, they will be able to:

1. Perform entry-level Health Information Technology duties.
2. Demonstrate effective communication skills with both internal and external Health Information Technology customers at all levels.
3. Demonstrate effective critical-thinking skills
4. Demonstrate compliant, ethical behavior necessary to perform Health Information Technology duties, as described by the American Health Information Management Association Code of Ethics and Standards of Ethical Coding.

PRE-ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

If you have previously attended college, you may already have a head start toward your degree. See an SC4 advisor for additional information.

1. Take COMPASS assessment testing or provide ACT testing results. If indicated by testing scores, students will be required to take developmental courses, including, but not limited to, ENG 050 , ENG 075 , RD 050  and MTH 075  . These developmental courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.
2. Attain appropriate placement by COMPASS assessment testing or ACT score into MTH 110   Intermediate Algebra. If testing at this level is not attained, students will be required to take MTH 102 . MTH 102   must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.
3. Complete BIO 271 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I  or BIO 272 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II  (for new students) with a grade of “C” or better.
   NOTE: If you previously have taken BIO 160 - Anatomy and Physiology for Health Care Professionals  and BIO 272 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II , they may be accepted in the place of BIO 271 . See an advisor for details.
4. Complete HE 102 - Medical Terminology   with a grade of “C” or better.
   NOTE: If you previously have taken OA 280 - Medical Terminology and Transcription or OA 280A - Medical Terminology , they may be accepted in the place of HE 102 . See program director for details.
5. Complete CIS 115 - Microcomputer Applications  with a grade of “C” or better.
6. Complete OA 101 - Personal Keyboarding on Microcomputers , OA 110 - Beginning Keyboarding  or OA 115 - Intermediate Keyboarding and Document Formatting  with a grade of “C” or better.

Biology classes (BIO 160 , BIO 271 , BIO 272 ), HE 102  and CIS 115  must be completed within five academic years of admission to the Health Information Technology program.(Students who completed BIO 272  within the last five academic years, but completed BIO 271  earlier than the last five academic years, will be considered as having met pre- application requirements. These students will not be required to repeat BIO 271 .)

Pre-application requirements must be completed and an Allied Health application to the Health Information Technology program must be received by June 30 for admission to program in fall semester.

This is not a competitive admission program, however, space is limited. Thirty seats will be available each fall semester. Seats will be filled on a first-qualified, first-served basis. Therefore, fulfillment of these requirements does not guarantee immediate admission to the program. Students may be waitlisted for the next available program start.

The Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations requires that all facilities verify information on criminal background for all persons working in the facility. This requirement ‘applies to staff, students and volunteers.’ As all students will be required to complete at least one on-site PPE with a facility, students will be required to undergo a criminal background check and fingerprinting, for which the student will incur the costs. If a student has a criminal felony record, they should contact the Health Information Technology program director, as this could affect completion of the program. Additionally, students will be required to undergo a physical, which may include drug screening, TB testing and vaccination verification. These expenses are the student’s responsibility.

APPLYING FOR ADMISSION

Persons seeking admission to the Health Information Technology program must do the following:

1. Submit to the SC4 Enrollment Services office:
   1. A completed Application for Admission to SC4, indicating Anticipated Allied Health (ANTAH) as the program of study.
   2. A completed Allied Health program application, indicating Health Information Technology as the intended program of study by June 30 of the application year for fall start.
   3. A copy of official college transcripts by June 30, if student has previously attended a college or university other than SC4.

ACCEPTANCE PROCEDURE

Students submitting qualified applications will be accepted to the program on a first-qualified, first-served basis, until all available seats are filled. Once all seats are filled, students will be placed on a waitlist for the next available program start.

PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS

Once admitted to the Health Information Technology program, the following expectations are to be met:

1. Students are expected to regularly attend all classes.
2. Students are expected to demonstrate professional behaviors as outlined in the Health Information Technology program policies. Failure to demonstrate these behaviors may result in a failing grade for a course, regardless of the degree of progress in other areas.
3. Students are required to maintain an 80% pass rate in all Health Information Technology core courses and a satisfactory grade in both of the required PPEs. Failure to meet these requirements will result in the student’s dismissal from the program.
4. Students are required to take courses in the order described in the model schedule provided in the catalog.
5. Students are permitted to repeat any Health Information Technology course one time. If program expectations are still not met, the student may be dismissed from the program.

ADVANCED DEGREES

Graduates completing this program are prepared to pursue a bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree in Health Information Management. Students interested in this career path should inform their academic advisor of this plan. There may be additional classes the student may wish to incorporate into his/her schedule in anticipation of educational advancement.