Program Description

The Program – Health Information Technology (HIT)

Two-year (5 semesters) full-time degree schedule; a mixture of core health information technology courses, medical, communications, and information technology; required professional practice experience provides professional development in the modern workplace; the program can be completed on a part-time basis. This degree program is online.

Quality information is essential to all aspects of today’s healthcare system. Health Information Management (HIM) is the body of knowledge and practice that ensures the availability of health information to facilitate real-time healthcare delivery and critical health-related decision-making for multiple purposes across diverse organizations, settings, and disciplines. HIM professionals play a critical role in maintaining, collecting, and analyzing the data that doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers rely on to deliver quality healthcare. They are experts in managing patient health information and medical records, administering computer information systems and coding the diagnosis and procedures for healthcare services provided to patients, and more. Health information management (HIM) professionals work in 40 different settings under 125 different job titles. They often serve in bridge roles, connecting clinical, operational, and administrative functions.

Important Information for Program

If you love computers and want to play a crucial role in health care, consider this ever-changing and growing field. Learn to test, troubleshoot, and install critical programs and support electronic medical records.

• Student Handbook
• Student Success Information

Certification

Marion Technical College’s (MTC) Health Information Technology program is designed to prepare students for this ever-changing and constantly growing field. Within the program, students will cover a wide range of topics including health information management, medical terminology, the electronic health record, computer applications, coding, healthcare statistics, healthcare reimbursement, continuous quality improvement, resource management, and legal issues. Students actively work with health information and receive hands-on experience with the newest technological innovations available.

The Health Information Technology associate degree program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).  Graduates of the MTC program qualify for accreditation in the health information management field by passing the national certification examination requirements of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

What you’ll learn

You’ll also have hands-on experience with the newest technological healthcare innovations and direct clinical experience in area healthcare facilities.

• Review health records and verify completeness, accuracy, and appropriateness of data and data sources according to requirements and standards.
• Code, classify, and index diagnoses and procedures for the purpose of reimbursement, standardization, retrieval, and statistical analysis.
• Actively apply the reimbursement policies and procedures in the use of clinical data, issues, and systems and perform data quality reviews to validate code assignments as well as the completion of the UB-04 and CMS-1500.
• Collect, compute, analyze, interpret, and present statistical data related to healthcare services, including quality management, utilization management, risk management, medical research, disease registries, clinical indices.
• Apply legal principles, policies, regulations, and standards for the control, use, and dissemination of healthcare information.
• Use software applications and technology in the completion of Health Information Management processes.
• Apply principles of supervision and leadership and the tools used to effectively manage human, financial, and physical resources.
• Recognize and problem solve situations within the healthcare environment.
• Participate in the planning, design, selection, implementation, integration, testing, evaluation, and support for EHRs.
• Use appropriate electronic or imaging technology for data/record storage.
• Query and generate reports to facilitate information retrieval using appropriate software.

Career Pathway

Health Information Technology Associate of Applied Science Degree

Career Opportunities

• Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
• Billing, Cost, and Rate Clerks
• Medical Secretaries
• Data Entry Keyers
• Insurance Claims Clerks
• Insurance Policy Processing Clerks

Key Employers

Health Information Technology Student Success

Application Process

Limited Enrollment

To apply for acceptance into the Health Information Technology program, your application file should contain the following:

1. MTC Application for Admission and nonrefundable application fee.
2. American College Test (ACT) scores with a minimum composite score of 18 or successful completion of college-level required program courses with a minimum accumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher.
3. Successful completion of the ACT or Basic Skills Assessment (Next Gen Accuplacer) in reading, writing, and mathematics.
4. Final high school transcript (or GED results) and college transcripts (if applicable).
5. A minimum 2.5 accumulative grade point average (GPA) in high school or college-level courses (whichever is most recent).
6. Completed Health Information Technology application.

If required, College Foundation courses are available to help you meet any specialized program admission requirements.

A complete listing of all requirements and policies/procedures for the program is available in the Health Information Technology Handbook.

Accreditation Information

The Health Information Management accreditor of Marion Technical College is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for an associate degree in Health Information Management has been reaffirmed through 2022. 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.

For More Information, Contact:

Admission Office
Marion Technical College
1467 Mt. Vernon Ave.
Marion, OH 43302
Email: enroll@mtc.edu
740.389.4636

Or you may contact:

Lisa Schofield, RHIT

The Margie White
Acting Director of Health
Information Technologies
740-386-4105
schofieldl@mtc.edu