Health Information Management (HIM) professionals organize and manage health information data to ensure quality, accuracy, accessibility and security in both paper and electronic systems. HIM professionals are an important connection between doctors, patients, insurance providers, and other health care professionals.
The Anoka Technical College Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Health Information Technology (HIT) program prepares students for a career working in health care and settings where health information is utilized.
90% job placement
Program offered completely online with part-time options
Ways to help pay for college
Potential Jobs:
- Health Information Technician
- Health Information Specialist
- Medical Records Specialist
Salary Information:
Median Wage: $37.90
Top earners: $49.30
Information provided is for Minnesota. See current data at careerwise.minnstate.edu.
“I chose to attend Anoka Tech because I wanted to pursue a college degree to support myself and my family. I knew that I couldn’t continue as a single mom working as a server or in a retail job. I want my daughter to know she can do anything she puts her mind to. It’s important to me to set that example. I chose Health Information Technology because I really love the paperwork side of health care.”
"After a tremendous amount of research, Anoka Tech kept coming up as the best choice. One of the fundamental issues I faced was how was I going to pay for college. Anoka Tech's financial aid department was able to help me find several programs that have been beneficial to my family and has created an opportunity for me to focus on my degree."
Program Details
The Anoka Technical College Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Health Information Technology (HIT) is a 64-credit program that prepares students for a career working in health care and settings where health information is utilized. A student graduating with an HIT degree is well prepared to assume an entry-level position in this professional field.
Successful graduates are prepared to demonstrate:
- Essential professional and technical knowledge.
- Skills and competencies fundamental to the health information management profession.
- Effective written and oral communication skills.
- Problem solving, teamwork and critical thinking skills.
- Successful completion of the degree will allow the student to sit for the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) exam.
- Successful completion of the degree will allow the student to work in a hospital/healthcare setting beginning as an entry-level supervisor.
- Successful completion of the degree will allow the student to sit for a number of coding credentials, such as the CCA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CPC-H.
- Successful completion of the degree will allow the student to work in a hospital, clinic, public health facility, insurance company, or related facility.
- Successful completion of the degree will allow the student to deal with confidential patient information and work in the area of release of information.
- Successful completion of the degree will allow the student to transfer to a four-year degree program in Health Information Management.
- Successful completion of the degree will allow the student to further their career path by continuing their education in Tumor Registry.
The Health Information Management (HIM) professional is an important connection between doctors, patients, insurance providers and other health care professionals within the field. By maintaining, collecting and analyzing health information, the HIM professional makes an important behind the scenes contribution to the delivery of quality care. Besides working with cutting-edge technology, HIM professionals are experts in the field of patient health information and health records.
Successful completion of the degree will allow the student to:
- Further their career path by continuing their education in Tumor, Trauma, or other Registries.
- Verify health records completeness and accuracy and proper entry into computer systems.
- Utilize computer applications to assemble and analyze patient data.
- Code diagnoses and procedures for reimbursement and research.
- Compiling and maintaining registry data.
- Assure patient privacy and data security.
Wage information is available from the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
The Health Information Technology accreditor of Anoka Technical College is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College's accreditation for the associate degree in Health Information Technology has been reaffirmed through 2030.
All inquiries about the program's accreditation status should be directed by mail to CAHIIM, 200 East Randolph Street, Suite 5100, Chicago, IL 60601: by phone at (312) 235-3255; or by email at info@cahiim.org.
Student Achievement/Outcomes
| Year | Graduation Rate | Employment Rate | Exam Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 100% 13/13 |
100% 12/12 |
66.67% 6/9 |
Graduation Rate: The percentage of a school's first-time, first-year undergraduate students who complete the HIT program within 150% of the published time for the program.
Employment Rate: The percentage of graduates from the HIT program who are employed within one year of graduation. Information based on graduation survey results.
Exam Pass Rate: The percentage of students who tested and passed the RHIT certification exam as first-time test takers.
Minnesota Law requires that any person who provides services that involve direct contact with patients and residents at a health care facility licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health have a background study conducted by the state.
Some courses in this program may require a prerequisite. Please see course descriptions for more details.
MnTC General Education Requirements
This program requires completion of the following fifteen credits of general education from at least three goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC). Refer to the MnTC course list for elective courses:
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1106 | Principles of Biology (Goal 2&3) | 4 |
| INTS 1000 | Critical Thinking Applications for College (Goal 2) | 3 |
| MnTC General Education | English Courses (Goal 1) | 3 |
| MnTC Electives | 5 |
Program Sequence
| First Semester | 17 | |
|---|---|---|
| ADSC 1171 | Microsoft Excel |
2 |
| ADSC 1181 | Microsoft Access | 2 |
| HITM 1110 | Medical Terminology in Health Information | 3 |
| HITM 1130 | ICD-10-CM Coding | 3 |
| HITM 1221 | Introduction to Health Information Management |
3
|
| HLTH 1005 | Anatomy & Physiology | 4 |
| Second Semester | 15 | |
| BIOL 1106 | Principles of Biology | 4 |
| HITM 1230 | ICD-10-PCS Coding | 3 |
| HITM 1241 | CPT Coding | 3 |
| HLTH 1000 | Disease Conditions | 2 |
| INTS 1000 | Critical Thinking applications for College | 3 |
| Third Semester | 17 | |
| HITM 1200 | Billing and Reimbursement | 2 |
| HITM 1244 | Law and Ethics | 2 |
| HITM 1250 | Advanced Coding | 2 |
| HITM 2000 | Health Information and Statistics | 3 |
| MnTC | English transferable course (Goal 1) | 3 |
| MnTC Electives | 5 | |
| Fourth Semester | 15 | |
| HITM 1210 | Supervision of Health Information | 3 |
| HITM 1325 | Quality & Performance Improvement in Healthcare | 3 |
| HITM 2240 | Computerized Health Information | 3 |
| HITM 2245 | Health Care Statistic and Data Registries | 3 |
| HITM 2261 | Professional Practice Experience | 3 |
Students can choose to complete this program part-time. Part-time students will take longer to complete their program than students who follow the full-time sequence listed on the official program guide. Because every course may not be offered each semester, it is important for part-time students to reach out to their faculty advisors for help in planning their long-term, part-time course sequence.
First Semester Part-Time Course Options
-
- 6 credits: HITM 1221, HITM 1110
- 9 credits: HITM 1221, HITM 1110, INTS 1000*
*Students who have already completed the INTS 1000 requirement can take HTLH 1000 or HLTH 1005
Developmental Courses
Both Medical Coding Specialist and HIT AAS degree students are required to take a college-level English course. Students with Reading Comprehension ACCUPLACER scores below college-level should take the developmental Reading and English courses required by their placement bracket in their first or second semester. Students in the HIT AAS degree program need to take HITM 2000 which requires an Arithmetic ACCUPLACER score of 265 or higher. Students with lower scores should plan to take MATH 0801 Basic Math before HITM 2000.
All courses required for this program must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
Current Students
All courses required for this program must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) determined that completion of the Health Information Technology (HIT) program prepares a student to take the national licensure examination for AHIMA RHIT (Registered Health Information Technology) exam. Passage of the national exam is required for licensure in all 50 U.S. states and U.S. protectorates. Therefore, the HIT program meets educational requirements needed to obtain professional licensure in all 50 states and U.S. protectorates. The state board will evaluate each application in its entirety to make a final decision regarding professional licensure/certification. Additional requirements such as state-specific examinations, background checks, fees, additional training, experience and coursework, etc. may apply.
Our program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) which is a requirement for sitting for the certification exam. Our program prepares students for the AHIMA RHIT (Registered Health Information Technology) exam. Passing the RHIT exam leads to national certification which is recognized in all states. Therefore, we have determined that our programs meet the certification requirements for all states. www.ahima.org/certification-careers/certifications-overview
If you have additional questions related to being licensed in a different state or licensure in general, please contact, Georgina Sampson or Jody Sandberg.
Minnesota Law requires that any person who provides services that involve direct contact with patients and residents at a health care facility licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health have a background study conducted by the state.
Start Dates:
Fall semester: August
Spring semester: January
Upcoming Events:
Georgina Sampson
GSampson@anokatech.edu
Jody Sandberg
JSandberg@anokatech.edu
Enrollment Services
EnrollmentServices@anokatech.edu
763-576-7710
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