Health Information Coding Specialty Concentration
Michelle Boller, Director

Health information coders play a vital role in the connection between health care providers, patients and insurance companies. In this position, no matter the facility, you will need to read patient charts to determine medical history, including diagnoses and treatments given. Students must develop an understanding of anatomy, medical terminology and disease processes.  This provides them with the necessary tools to determine correct codes and sequences, a required skill in this position.  .

From clinics to hospitals to physicians’ offices, health information coders use medical codes to document patient diagnoses and treatments. Specifically, their duties include:

• Reading and analyzing patient records
• Determining the correct codes for patient records
• Using codes to bill insurance providers
• Interacting with physicians and assistants to ensure accuracy
• Keeping track of patient data over multiple visits
• Managing detailed, specifically-coded information
• Maintaining patient confidentiality and information security

Graduates may seek employment in clinics, hospitals, insurance companies, and opportunities to work at home. An Associates of Applied Science degree is awarded upon completion of the program. Students are encouraged and eligible to sit for certification exams offered by AAPC or AHIMA to earn the following credentials: Certified Coding Associate (CCA), Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), and/or Certified Professional Coder (CPC). 

Certificate of Completion - Health Information Technology

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Summary

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete one of the following tracks:
Computing Track		12
Health Professional Track		18

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Computing Track

Note: This certificate requires both the courses listed below and the successful completion of a degree in a computing-related field, i.e. Information Technology.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete all of the following courses:
AHMS 144	Medical Terminology	3
AHMS 156	Medical Billing Fundamentals	3
HIT 101	Intro to Healthcare Informatic	3
HIT 265	Electronic Health Records	3
Total Hours		12

Minimum Required Grade: C-

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Health Professions Track

Note: This certificate requires the courses below in addition to the successful completion of a degree in a clinical health profession-related field, i.e. nursing.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete all of the following courses:
CSCI 172	Intro to Computer Modeling	3
CSCI 240	Databases and SQL	3
HIT 101	Intro to Healthcare Informatic	3
HIT 265	Electronic Health Records	3
ITS 150	CCNA 1: Exploration	3
ITS 210	Network OS - Desktop	3
Total Hours		18

Minimum Required Grade: C-