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students interested in one of volunteer state community colleges health sciences programs must follow the a.s. in health sciences curriculum. you must contact an advisor in your preferred area of emphasis to identify appropriate general education and elective courses for admission into your selected program. for more information about specific program deadlines and requirements, please refer to the program's information packet.
health information management (him) professionals are trained in information management technology applications and understand the workflow in any healthcare organization. they are vital to the daily operations management of health information and electronic health records. him professionals ensure a patient’s health information and record are complete, accurate and protected. him professionals work in a variety of settings and job titles. they may be employed in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, office based physician practices, home health agencies, mental health facilities, managed care companies, and public health agencies. they may also be employed in any organization that uses patient data or health information, such as pharmaceutical companies, law and insurance firms, and health product vendors. health information management professionals:
- ensure the quality of medical records by verifying their completeness, accuracy, and proper entry into computer systems.
- use computer applications to assemble and analyze patient data for the purpose of improving patient care or controlling costs.
- often specialize in coding diagnoses and procedures in patient records for reimbursement and research. an additional role for rhits is cancer registrars - compiling and maintaining data on cancer patients.
- other duties may include maintaining and using a variety of health information indexes; special registries and storage retrieval systems; inputting and retrieving electronic health data; controlling the use and release of health information, and compiling various administrative and health statistics.
to fulfill these responsibilities, health information management professionals must develop a broad range of clinical and technological skills.
the health information management program at volunteer state community college is a two year associate of applied science degree. the him degree is offered as a hybrid program, all of the him courses are online, except for the professional practice experience courses in which the student is assigned to a site in order to blend what is learned in class with practice in real world him applications. general education courses may be taken on ground or online.
the health information management accreditor of volunteer state community college at the gallatin campus is the commission on accreditation for health informatics and information management education (cahiim). the college’s accreditation for associate of applied science degree in health information management has been reaffirmed through 2029-2030.
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
successful him graduates are eligible to sit for the ahima rhit (registered health information technician) certification examination. the rhit credential is recognized nationwide as proof of proficiency in health information management.
accreditation
the health information management program at the gallatin campus is accredited by:
commission on accreditation for health informatics and information management education (cahiim)
233 n michigan ave., 21st floor
chicago, il 60601-5800
(312) 233-1548
cahiim.org
him program outcomes
him program graduate survey outcome
| time period | graduate satisfaction rate |
|---|---|
| 2017-2018 | 100% |
| 2016-2017 | 92% |
| 2015-2016 | 88% |
him program employer satisfaction survey outcomes
| time period | employer satisfaction rate |
|---|---|
| 2017-2018 | 75% |
| 2016-2017 | 100% |
| 2015-2016 | 67% |
rhit certification exam outcomes
| time period | ahima national mean | vscc him program |
|---|---|---|
| pass rate | pass rate | |
| 2017-2018 | 74% | 86% |
| 2016-2017 | 69% | 44% |
| 2015-2016 | 68% | 70% |
program completion rates (four-year history)
| 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | 2015-2016 | 2016-2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
# students admitted |
20 | 22 | 19 | 14 |
| # and % completed | 20 | 100% | 21 | 95% | 16 | 84% | *13 | 95% |
*anticipated summer, 2017
enrollment requirements
admission to the him program is limited to 25 students. applicants must successfully complete all 26 hours of general education and prerequisite courses required for the associate of applied science degree in health information management curriculum. a grade of “c” or better in all courses is required to be considered for the program. a cumulative gpa of 2.5 or better is required along with a screening interview. applicants must request an him program application from the him program director by january 24, please contact valerie d. bowling via email, valerie.bowling@volstate.edu for additional information on how to apply for the him program. after formal acceptance into the him program, three consecutive semesters of study are required for graduation. for more information refer to the health sciences associate of applied science degrees
all students graduating with a degree from vscc are required to take the educational testing service proficiency profile (etsp). more information can be found at //www.wsgiga.com/testing/services.php.
