Health Information Technology
Health Information Technology Program at Fisher College
Are you interested in a health care profession that does not involve direct patient care? Are you fascinated with technology? A career in Health Information Technology (HIT) may be just what you are looking for. HIT places students where the expanding arena of health care meets the cutting edge of technology. This fast-paced, ever-changing, exciting profession allows students to be a key member of the healthcare team that delivers the highest quality patient care.
Visit Health Information Careers
Your all-in-one resource on careers in the Health Information Technology field:
Students enrolled in the HIT Program at Fisher learn to organize, analyze, evaluate, compile, compute, and code health data, and receive hands-on training with state-of-the-art software applications. A strong foundation is provided in filing systems and record indexes, storage and retrieval of paper and electronic medical records, and legal issues governing privacy, security, and confidentiality of personal health information.
The Fisher College HIT program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). Graduates who meet requirements of the accredited program are eligible to take the national qualifying examination for certification as a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
To learn more about the health information profession visit HEALTHINFORMATIONCAREERS.COM.
2010-11
Graduate Satisfaction Rate: 100%
Employer Satisfaction Rate: 100%
| Credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| CM105 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| CS101 | Computer Applications* | 3 |
| EN101 | English I | 3 |
| EN102 | English II | 3 |
| HT101 | Introduction to Health Information Technology | 3 |
| HT102 | Data Analysis, Statistics & Quality Improvement | 3 |
| HT190 | Supervised Professional Practice I | 3 |
| HT203 | Computer Applications in Health Information Management | 3 |
| HT211 | Basic ICD-9-CM Coding | 3 |
| HT212 | Basic CPT Coding | 3 |
| HT213 | Advanced Medical Coding | 3 |
| HT231 | Management of Health Information Departments | 3 |
| HT251 | Healthcare Reimbursement Methodologies | 3 |
| HT290 | Supervised Professional Practice II | 3 |
| LA121 | Law and Ethics of Health Care | 3 |
| MA106 | Elementary Algebra** | 3 |
| ME201 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| PS101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| SC130 | Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology | 4 |
| SC141 | Introduction to the Study of Disease | 3 |
| SC220 | Essentials of Pharmacology | 1 |
| Humanities Elective | 3 | |
| Social Science Elective | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 68 | |
| * CS 125 or CS 108 may be substituted for CS 101 with the approval of the Program Director. | ||
| ** A higher level of math (MA107, MA109, MA110, or MA121) may be substituted; MA121 is recommended. Minimum credits for graduation--68. |
||
Graduate Competencies
Potential Careers and Earnings
Employment of medical records and health information technicians is expected to increase by 18% through 2016 - faster than average for all occupations.*
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition
Industries:
- Hospitals
- Outpatient Clinics and Health Centers
- Managed Care Organizations
- Behavioral Health Facilities
- Long-term Care and Rehabilitation Facilities
- Physician Practices
- Software Companies
- Insurance Companies
- Consulting Firms
- Law Firms
- Government Health Agencies
- Pharmaceutical Companies
Occupations:
- Supervisor, Manager, Assistant Director, Director of Health Information Management Department
- Clinical Coding Specialist
- Electronic Health Records Specialist
- Software Developer
- Consultant
- Office Manager
Earnings:
Salaries vary depending on location and job title. For more information, please visit the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Jobs Reported by Alumni:
- Supervisor, Health Information Management
- Operations Manager, Health Information Services
- Director of Privacy and Compliance
- Health Information Supervisor/Privacy Officer
- Clinical Coding Specialist
- Electronic Documentation Specialist
- Claim Trust Analyst
Supervised Professional Practice Experience (Internship)
Students are placed physically or virtually in a diverse variety of HIM settings at healthcare sites under the supervision of a credentialed HIM professional and a Fisher HIM faculty member. The student learns firsthand about the healthcare organization and the HIM professional's role in that organization. This course provides valuable job experience, networking opportunities and guides students to succeed in their future careers.
Valerie McCleary, MS, RHIA
Valerie McCleary is the Director of Health Information Management Programs at Fisher College. She has spent over 20 years in the HIM field. Prior to working at Fisher College she was Director of HIM Programs at St. Petersburg College, previously taught there as an adjunct, and was on the initial curriculum development committee. She has worked at a County Health Department as the HIM Manager, Consultant and Privacy Officer. Her hospital experiences include those at for profit and non-profit hospitals, directing, supervising and coding. Her home health experiences involved setting up an HIM department with transcription and services and serving as the Supervisor of Medical Records. Her Tumor Registry experience involved documenting and coding cancer cases and performing follow up.
Valerie received the FHIMA Mentor award in 2010 and the Inspire award by the Largo Chamber of Commerce in 2009. She was the recipient of two Prudential Financial Davis awards. She was a panelist speaker at The First Clinical and Preventive Practice Management Summit at Jacksonville, FL in 2007. Valerie has been a long term member of the American HIM Association, the Florida HIM Association, the Gulf Coast HIM Association, the Health Information Systems Society and the American Medical Informatics Association. She served on the St. Petersburg College Advisory Board including several years as the chair. She chaired the Florida Department of Health's HIM Special Interest Group. She served as a Florida HIM Association Bridge the Gap mentor.
"Throughout my career I have taught and mentored many people in HIM practices and policies. Teaching and directing has always come naturally to me. I am very excited to continue my educational experiences in HIM at Fisher College and share my knowledge with those seeking a career in HIM. Healthcare is changing rapidly due to technological advances. There are many more HIM career paths today to explore than ever!"
Industry Publications:
- Journal of AHIMA
- For the Record
- Advance for Health Information Professionals
International HIM Organizations
- American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
(See also the Component State Association of AHIMA by selecting "About AHIMA" and then "CSA/State Associations" from the pull-down menu). - Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)
52 State HIM Associations (includes Puerto Rico and District of Columbia)
- MaHIMA – Massachusetts Health Information Management Association
- NYHIMA- New York HIM Association
- FHIMA- Florida HIM Association
- MHIMA- Michigan HIM Association
Regional HIM Associations
- GCHIMA- Gulf Coast HIM Association (Florida)
HIM conferences
- International- HIMSS
- National - AHIMA
- State- New England HIMA Annual Conference
- Regional – GCHIMA Annual Symposium, GCHIMA meetings with educational speakers.
The Health Information field has many publications that provide news and information:
For the Record
AHIMA (see website for button on publications) http://ahima.org/
JAHIMA- Journal of the American HIM Association
Perspectives in HIM
Student Connection (e-newsletter)
AHIMA Advantage (and e-alerts)
AHIMA Resources
ICD-TEN
Foundation Matters (Scholarships)
CodeWrite
Certification Connection (obtaining credentials)
HIMSS (see website listing the publications) http://www.himss.org/ASP/PublicationsHome.asp
JHIM- Journal of Healthcare Information Management
HIMSS Insider (monthly newsletter)
HIMSS Weekly Insider
HIMSS News
HIMSS Conference Proceedings
Clinical Informatics Insights
Health IT Policy Update
HIELights
Government Health IT News
Health IT News
On Line Communities
AHIMA Communities of Practice: Nine communities for students.