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Health Information Management AAS

Associate in Applied Science Code 5192

Program Contacts:
QC Campus
Betsy Morthland, 309-796-5285, morthlandb@bhc.edu

Check with an adviser about the possible availability of certain curricula at the East Campus. Completion of the degree is currently available only at the Quad-Cities Campus.

Health information technology is one of the 20 fastest growing occupations in the U.S. As a medical billing and coding professional, you stand at the crossroads of health care and technology and make an important contribution to the delivery of quality health care.

The curriculum for this associate’s degree includes coursework in three certificate areas of medical transcription, billing, and coding. A student with a certificate in one of the above areas may transfer all the coursework toward this Health Information Management (HIM) degree.

The HIM professional is a medical language specialist who interprets and transcribes dictation by physicians and other health care professionals and works with the health care team. This team of professionals protects patient and client information in accordance with the HIPAA regulations.

The HIM professional has a thorough knowledge of medical office procedures including health insurance filing, coding, and regulations. The graduate is prepared to use health information to document patient care and facilitate delivery of health care services. The student will be aware of all standards and requirements that apply to the medical record, as well as the legal significance of the patient file.

As a skilled medical information professional, one is an expert on patient data that doctors, nurses, and other providers rely on to perform their jobs – a needed link in the extended health care team.

With hands-on skill classes of medical transcription and medical coding, immersing one’s self in beginning medical terminology to advanced terminology to pharmacology terminology, the student attains the education necessary to perform well on the job. The HIM internship provides a mentor who will guide the on-the-job learning that is necessary. Hospitals, clinics, medical facilities, insurance offices, physician’s office teams are just a few places that these internships can be attained.

College certificates in physician-based medical coding, hospital-based medical coding, health insurance billing, and clinical trials research are being offered at more and more colleges. Nationwide-accepted certifications for coding, transcribing, and billing are offered through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), Certified Professional Coder’s (CPC) board exam, or the American Health Information Management Association’s Certified Coding Associate (CCA) board exam.

Required courses for this program include: »

BA 170 Fundamentals of Accounting I
3 cr. hrs.; 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Basic principles, procedures, and methods of accounting. Provides accounting theory and practice as applied to proprietorships and partnerships. Stresses use of accounting data in business decisions. With BA 180, is designed for two-year career program students desiring to enter business occupations, not for transfer to a four-year college.

BA 171 Fundamentals of Accounting Lab I
1 cr. hr.; 0 lecture hours; 2 lab hours per week.
Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in or previous completion of BA 170.
Uses computers to provide students with experience in data entry and computerized financial reporting on topics related to BA 170. Also uses the computer as an individual learning resource. Exercises, worksheets, and computerized practice problems are completed by the student. Not for transfer to a four-year college.

BE 100 Work Environment Orientation
2 cr. hrs.; 2 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
This course is intended to introduce the facts, skills, strengths, and career goals necessary for success in the business education curricula.

BE 141 Computerized Keyboarding I
3 cr. hrs.; 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Keyboard mastery and document formatting using a current word processing software package.

BE 143 Keyboarding Speed & Accuracy
2 cr. hrs.; 2 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
For students who wish to increase keyboarding speed and improve accuracy.

BE 145A Information Processing I
1 cr. hr.; 1 lecture hour; 0 lab hours per week.
Students learn word processing software most commonly found in area offices.

BE 145B Information Processing II
1 cr. hr.; 1 lecture hour; 0 lab hours per week.
Students learn word processing software most commonly found in area offices.

BE 180 Business Communications
4 cr. hrs.; 4 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Prerequisite: See assessment and placement guide.
Techniques of effective written communications for business. This will include psychology of communicating with customer service emphasis, focus on international communications, and accuracy and conciseness needed for in-house e-mail.

BIOL 150 Medical Terminology
3 cr. hrs.; 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Prerequisite: 83 or above on COMPASS reading test or REA 098 “C” or better.
This course presents the principles of medical word construction through identification of root words, prefixes, suffices, combining forms, and methods of building medical terms. Emphasis is placed on correct medical word spelling, pronunciation, and definition, while introducing terminology specific to various body systems. The course is intended to prepare students to classify medical information for use in medical coding, billing, and reporting.

COMM 105 Essentials of English
3 cr. hrs.; 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Prerequisite: See Assessment and Orientation
Reviews grammar, punctuation, usage and sentence structure and organizational principles of writing through a variety of tasks. COMM 105 is a required course in several career curricula.

HIM 148 Beginning Medical Transcription
4 cr. hrs.; 4 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Prerequisite: BE 141 or equivalent skill.
Introduction to transcription of medical reports.

HIM 156 Introduction to Health Insurance
3 cr. hrs.; 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Introduce students to health insurance industry; present step-by-step procedures for generating, processing, and submitting health insurance claims to commercial, private, and governmental health insurance programs.

HIM 200 Advanced Medical Terminology
3 cr. hrs.; 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Prerequisite: BIOL 150 “C” or better.
Building a strong medical vocabulary, emphasis on extensive medical specialties anatomy, diagnostic and treatment procedures, progress of student from word recognition to usage in medical reports.

HIM 249 Management of Health Info
3 cr. hrs.; 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Create an understanding of management principles as they apply to various health information management settings. The student will see the health information manager job as that of a broker-including data capture, analysis, integration, and information dissemination in the health information area. Each major management function is addressed: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.

HIM 250 Advanced Medical Transcription
4 cr. hrs.; 4 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Prerequisites: BIOL 150, HIM 148, and BE 141 “C” or better.
Machine transcription of medical reports. Emphasis on punctuation, spelling, and proofreading.

HIM 251 Medical Office Procedures
3 cr. hrs.; 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Prerequisite: BE 141 or equivalent.
Administration of the medical office; insurance, professional and business records.

HIM 252 Pharmacology Terminology
3 cr. hrs.; 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Emphasis is on spelling, abbreviations, pronunciation, drug names and references and bodily effects of drugs. Drug classifications.

HIM 254 Law Liability and Medical Ethics
3 cr. hrs.; 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
A careful examination of health legislation and health policy implementation. Student will become aware of legal aspects of handling information and ethics involved in management of medical information. Case studies will be used to provide problem solving.

HIM 255 Medical Manager Software
3 cr. hrs.; 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Administration of the medical office with use of “Medical Manager” practice management software. Hands-on computer experience with Medical Manager software. Students will gain knowledge and understanding of how accounts receivable, billing, collections and reporting are electronically performed.

HIM 257 Procedure and Diagnosis Coding I
3 cr. hrs.; 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Prerequisite: BIOL 150 or concurrent enrollment.
Coding (CPT-4) (ICD-9/10) is the translation of diagnoses, procedures, services, and supplies into numeric/ alphanumeric components for statistical reporting and reimbursement.

HIM 258 Procedures & Diagnosis Coding II
3 cr. hrs.; 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Prerequisites: BIOL 150 “C” or better, HIM 257 “C” or above, or instructor consent.
Advanced coding (CPT-4) (ICD-9/10) including surgical, in-patient, out-patient, multiple diagnoses, and procedures.

HIM 261 Seminar
1 cr. hr.; 1 lecture hour; 0 lab hours per week.
Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in HIM 265.
Discussion of internship activities, challenges, team opportunities and problems.

HIM 265 Internship
3 cr. hrs.; 0 lecture hours; 40 lab hours per week.
Prerequisites: Instructor consent and concurrent enrollment in HIM 261.
Supervised field program, providing work experience in offices for students enrolled in Health Information Management.

PN 110 Basic Anatomy and Physiology
3 cr. hrs.; 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.
Basic concepts of human anatomy and physiology.

Course of Study Outline – Suggested Courses (Credit Hours)
First Semester
BE 100 — Work Environment Orientation (2)
BE 141 — Computerized Keyboarding I (3)
HIM 156 — Introduction to Health Insurance (3)
BIOL 150 — Medical Terminology (3)
PN 110 — Basic Anatomy & Physiology (3)
COMM 105 — Essentials of English (3)

Second Semester
BE 145 A&B — Information Processing I, II (2)
HIM 148 — Beginning Medical Transcription (4)
HIM 200 — Advanced Medical Terminology (3)
HIM 251 — Medical Office Procedures (3)
HIM 255 — Medical Manager (3)

Third Semester
BA 170 — Fundamentals of Accounting (3)
BA 171 — Fundamentals of Accounting Lab (1)
HIM 250 — Advanced Medical Transcription (4)
HIM 252 — Pharmacology Terminology (3)
HIM 254 — Law, Liability, and Medical Ethics (3)
HIM 257 — Procedure and Diagnosis Coding I (3)

Fourth Semester
BE 180 — Business Communications (4)
HIM 249 — Management of Health Information (3)
HIM 258 — Procedure and Diagnosis Coding II (3)
HIM 261 — Seminar (1)
HIM 265 — Internship (3)
BE 143 — Keyboard Speed & Accuracy (2)

Minimum total hours required for degree (65)