Health Information Technology - HIIM.AS

Accreditation

The associate’s degree program of Health Information Management at Springfield Technical Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

Applying to this Program

The Health Information Technology program has special admission requirements and limited enrollment. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all admission requirements are met, and all documents and scores are submitted before the application deadlines for this program. Review of applications for admissions consideration will begin after March 31 for those seeking to enter the program in September and after November 30 for those seeking to enter the program in January. Only complete application files will be reviewed for admission.

Documents to be Submitted for a Complete File

• Springfield Technical Community College application for admission by April 30 for the fall semester or November 15 for the spring semester of the application year.
• Official high school transcript showing date of graduation (or a GED certificate).
• Official transcripts from all colleges or universities previously attended (if applicable)

Minimum Academic Requrements

• One year of high school algebra, or MAT-087  or higher in Math at STCC (or an equivalent course at another college) with a grade of “C” or above.
• Keyboarding proficiency of 30 words per minute
• A minimum grade point average of 2.0 based on a four-point system. The high school GPA will be used only if students have attempted fewer than 12 college credits. A GPA of 2.5 will be assigned if the student completed a GED rather than graduate from high school.

Strongly Recommended

• Completion of Medical Terminology (MED-100 ), with a grade of C or better or its equivalent.
• Completion of Computer Basics (CMP-106 ), with a grade of C or better, or its equivalent. 

Applying for Re-Admission to this Program

Students who leave this health program before completing it may apply for re-admission.  Students reapplying to the program must resubmit an application, all supporting documents and essay with updated official transcripts. Students will be eligible to receive up to a maximum of one re-admission. Click here  for information about the re-admission policy and process. 

Program Goals

This education and training enables the graduate to work in the healthcare field and perform the following functions:

1. Plan, direct, control and manage health information in various healthcare settings.
2. Compile, process and maintain medical records in a manner consistent with various administrative, legal, regulatory, or accreditation standards.
3. Ensure that patients’ healthcare information is complete, accurate, protected, and readily available to healthcare providers when needed.
4. Analyze medical information vital to quality medical care, using and understanding both traditional and electronic records.

Once you are accepted into the Program

A Professional Practice Experience (PPE) is required of all students in their final semester of the program.  Sites may vary in their requirements; however, students must be prepared to provide or perform the following requirements to be cleared to participate in a PPE.

• All health requirements must be met for both Commonwealth of Massachusetts and individual PPE site (where you go for hands on experience)
• A Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and Sex Offender Record Information (SORI) or a National seven-year background check including all aliases will be performed prior to PPE assignment.  These checks will be performed prior to being assigned to a site.  A site may perform a second background check through their facility.
• Sites may require a drug test.
• PPE activities will be scheduled according to the site and program needs. That means your site may be outside of Springfield, including but not limited to Western or Central Massachusetts or Northern Connecticut and in some special circumstances, out of Massachusetts. The actual hours of the experience will be during the day and mutually agreed upon between the site and the facility coordinator. The cost of traveling to a site is your responsibility.
• Sites have the right to refuse your participation if you have not met all their requirements, including but not limited to immunizations, background checks, flu vaccinations, PPD, non-smoking status and drug testing.
• Malpractice insurance may be required at your cost and will be arranged with the College.
• Sites will have a dress code typically business casual, they may have additional requirements like having to use their identification badge.
• Visible body piercings and tattoos are generally not allowed at sites.

Program Outcomes

Graduation Rate = Students that completed the program within the reporting period.
Job Placement = HIM employment within 180 days of graduation for those actively seeking an HIM position within the reporting period.
RHIT Exam Pass Rate = Students that took the RHIT exam within the reporting period.
 

(HIIM.AS) Curriculum

Department Personnel