Health Information Management

Degrees/certificates at a glance

Associate in Applied Science - Health Information Management

Program Length

6 quarters

Start Quarter

Fall, Winter

Location

Online Learning
SCC - Colville Center
SCC - Inchelium Center
SCC - Newport Center
SCC - Republic Center
Spokane Community College

Financial Aid Eligible

Yes. Read more about Financial Aid.

Associate in Applied Science - Health Information Management

If a career working with technology in the fast-growing health care field sounds interesting, health information management could be just the profession for you. In this accredited program, you will prepare to use computer technologies to securely collect, code, maintain and analyze patient health information, understand and apply rules and regulations to keep protected health information safe, and work with clinicians to improve health information practices that will ultimately impact delivery of patient care.

In addition to gaining technical skills, you will learn medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, disease processes, and health care policies and regulations. You will also have the opportunity to practice the profession in a hands-on clinical setting.

Upon successful completion of the program, you will be eligible to take a nationally recognized exam to become a registered health information technician (RHIT). Health Information Management (HIM) is a very diverse field with opportunities in coding, reimbursement, research, management, quality improvement, data statistics, analytics, informatics, privacy, compliance, documentation improvement and much more. Health Information Management professionals enjoy a variety of career opportunities in hospitals, nursing facilities, group practice clinics, mental health facilities, health insurance agencies, prison systems and many other settings. Experienced HIM professionals can have opportunities to work from home as well.

Identify, analyze and apply concepts, policies and procedures in the areas of classifications systems, health record content and documentation, data governance, data management and data sources.
Identify and apply legal concepts surrounding health records including data privacy, confidentiality, and security. Apply policies and procedures surrounding issues of access and disclosure of protected health information.
Explain, use and apply processes and technology used for healthcare data analytics and decision support, strategic planning, health care statistics, research methods, consumer informatics, health information exchange, information integrity and data quality.
Apply policies and procedures for the use of data required in healthcare reimbursement and evaluate revenue cycle management processes.
Operate and evaluate various electronic health record (EHR) systems.
Identify, analyze and apply concepts surrounding healthcare compliance and regulatory standards including medical coding, fraud surveillance and clinical documentation improvement.
Understand and apply skills in leadership including leadership roles, change management, work design and process improvement, human resource management, training and development, organizational management, financial management, project management, vendor/contract management and enterprise management while complying with ethical standards of practice.

Breaking Ground on Your Pathway

Plan Your Courses

Meet with our counselors to customize this plan just for you. You can also search the quarterly schedule for class days and times.

Placement

Math placement is not required for this program.
English placement is not required for this program.

The mission of the Health Information Management (HIM) program at Spokane Community College is to prepare students to be self-motivated, critically thinking, and problem-solving learners and future HIM professionals. HIM students will be offered the education and skills necessary to prepare them to work in all areas of the HIM profession. HIM students will understand the importance of contributing to and being ethical members of the profession, while meeting the needs of an ever-changing profession. Students will be encouraged to become lifelong learners to prepare themselves for the continued growth and evolution of the HIM profession. This mission statement is located in the HIM Handbook and is posted in every class in the program.

This AAS degree program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (www.cahiim.org) and prepares students for employment in maintaining and processing health information in hospitals, nursing facilities, ambulatory care clinics and health insurance agencies. Training in a realistic work environment include managing computer databases, coding and abstracting clinical data, quality control management of information, health-related legal principles and policies, and knowledge of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and HITECH Act regulations. Upon completion of the program, students are eligible to take the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification exam offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

A 2.5 grade is required for all HIM prefix courses and a 2.0 grade or better must be maintained in all other courses required for a degree. All HIM courses must be completed within five years.

There are options for advanced degrees in Health Information Management. Contact the program director for more information.

Prerequisite/Admission Requirements:

High School diploma or GED certificate

Program Map for

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Total Program Credits: 90

Program Courses

First Quarter

Course ID

Course Title

Credits

HIM 103

HIM Theory and Practice

HIM 104

Medical Terminology & Anatomy for Coding Classification & Abstraction I 1

HIM 160

Computer Application in HIM

Total Credits

Second Quarter

Course ID

Course Title

Credits

BT 272

Business Correspondence 5

HIM 105

Legal Concepts in Health

HIM 106

Medical Terminology & Anatomy for Coding Classification & Abstraction II 2

HIM 162

Electronic Health Records

SURG 105

Blood-borne Pathogens and HIV/AIDS 4

Total Credits

Third Quarter

Course ID

Course Title

Credits

HED 129

Pathophysiology

HIM 209

Health Data Analysis and Display

HIM 212

Acute Care Coding

Total Credits

Fourth Quarter

Course ID

Course Title

Credits

HIM 167

Current Issues in HIM

HIM 203

Clinical Preparation

HIM 214

Ambulatory Care Coding

HIM 217

Introduction to Applied Statistical Analysis for Healthcare 3

Total Credits

Fifth Quarter

Course ID

Course Title

Credits

HIM 211

Quality Improvement 4

HIM 215

ICD-10 Procedural Coding

HIM 222

Data Analytics

PHARM145

Pharmacology

Total Credits

Sixth Quarter

Course ID

Course Title

Credits

HIM 213

Clinical Practice

HIM 216

Reimbursement Strategies for HIM Professionals

HIM 240

HIM Clinical Seminar

Total Credits

1	HIM 104 may be substituted with BIOL& 241. HIM 104 does not count towards the Associate in Arts degree science requirement and does not satisfy requirements of any allied health program.
2	HIM 106 may be substituted with BIOL& 242. HIM 106 does not count towards the Associate in Arts degree science requirement and does not satisfy requirements of any allied health program.
3	HIM 217 may be substituted with MATH& 146 or BUS 217. This course does not count towards the Associate in Arts degree math requirement and may be subject to college policy for accepting credits with transferring to a bachelor's and/or master's level program.
4	This related education requirement may be met by any course or combination of courses approved by the instructional dean.
5	BT 272 may be substituted with ENGL& 235 or BT 274. ENGL& 235 has a prerequisite requirement.

Estimated costs for completing this program

WA Resident

Non-Resident

International

Tuition

$ 9,870

$ 12,768

$ 22,565

Books

$ 2,786

Course Fees

$ 177

Institutional Fees

$ 672

$ 3,195

Total Costs

$ 13,505

$ 16,403

$ 28,723

Costs for completing a degree or certificate can vary. For more information about costs, visit our How Much Does it Cost? page.

Ciara Bland
Administrative Assistant 2
Ciara.Bland@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8243
Brayden Raab
Office Manager
Brayden.Raab@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8882

Jillian Condon
Health Informat Management
B.S., Seattle University; RHIA
Jillian.Condon@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-7497

Bio

Jill Condon joined the faculty of the health information management program in the Spring of 2017 and teaches many of the HIM courses offered. Prior to that, Mrs. Condon enjoyed a 33-year career in the healthcare industry, ranging from managing a single hospital HIM department to responsibility for large multi-state health systems HIM and revenue cycle functions. Her experience in leadership, revenue cycle, health care quality and reimbursement, and all aspects of health information management allows Mrs. Condon to bring a wealth of knowledge to the online classroom. She received her bachelor’s degree in health information from Seattle University.
Barbara Flock
Health Informat Management
A.A.S., Spokane Community College; B.A.S., Tacoma Community College: R.H.I.A., C.P.H.Q.
Barbara.Flock@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-7413

Bio

Program Coordinator
Barbara Flock graduated from Spokane Community College in June 1995 with an AAS in HIM. She finished a B.A.S. in Health Information Management at Tacoma Community College in 2019. She worked in the healthcare industry for over 23 years before returning to SCC full time in 2015 to share her experience and knowledge with upcoming HIM professionals. Barbara’s industry experience is largely focused around clinical applications in ambulatory care. She served as a health records clerk at a large multi-physician medical group in the area while in school, then moved to a supervisory role for the HIM department. Barbara moved to quality improvement and served as the QI director the clinic. She served in a leadership role for programs involved with clinical content and analytics, electronic health record implementation, master patient index implementation, meaningful use, corporate training, patient satisfaction, provider relations, project management, Medicare risk adjustment and health coach programs. She taught as an adjunct professor at SCC for approximately 10 years while working in industry and served as faculty in the area of clinical information systems for the Washington State Department of Health Collaborative Breakthrough Series. She is passionate about the HIM profession and considers it an honor to share her experiences with students in the program.
Tim Trottier
Instructor
Tim.Trottier@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-7430

Accreditation

The Health Information Management program accreditor of Spokane Community College is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for Associate degree in Health Information Management has been reaffirmed through 2025. All inquiries about the program’s accreditation status should be directed by mail to CAHIIM, 200 E. Randolph St., Suite 5100, Chicago, Illinois, 60601; by phone at 312-235-3255; or by email at info@cahiim.org. Upon graduation with a degree, students will be eligible to apply to write the national qualifying examination of the American Health Information Management Association (www.ahima.org) for certification as a registered health information technician (RHIT). Learn more about the health information profession at www.hicareeers.com.

Online and Real-World Learning

The program is 100 percent online with flexible classes and full-time and part-time options. There is a requirement for a three week or 90 hours clinical rotation(s) at a health care facility during the last quarter of the program. You must pass a federal background check and may be asked to take a drug test at you own expense before going on clinical rotation.

Percentage of Students Working in the Healthcare Field within 1 year of Graduation

Year Earned	Percentage
2020-21	81%
2021-22	81%
2022-23	82%

Graduation Rate % Completed within 150% Time by Year Awarded

Year Earned	Completion
2020-21	86%
2021-22	90%
2022-23	100%

RHIT Exam Pass Rate

Year Earned	Completion
2020-21	86%
2021-22	91%
2022-23	89%

Student Retention Rate

First Year in Program	1st to 2nd Yr. Retention
2020-21	72%
2021-22	75%
2022-23	74%

Transfer Opportunities for Health Information Management graduates

Spokane Community College has negotiated transfer agreements for our HIM graduates to further their education at four-year institutions. All bachelor level programs are offered online, and each specify requirements for entry.

Students must receive advising specific to the institution they would like to transfer, and this is provided by HIM faculty at SCC and by advisors from receiving programs. Students are encouraged to reach out as early as possible in their program at SCC to ensure they are adequately prepared for transfer.

Please visit our Contact Us page or the transfer page in Canvas for additional information and contact information for our faculty.