Albany State University

Associate - Associate of Science in Health Information Technology

Program Description

Health Information Technology

Are you searching for the formula to success? Consider combining these ingredients for a career with tremendous potential-healthcare and information technology.

The Health Information Management (HIM) field places you right where the expanding arena of healthcare meets the cutting edge of technology. As an HIM professional, you are the expert on patient data that doctors, nurses, and other providers rely on to perform their jobs. By maintaining, collecting, and analyzing health information, your work makes an important contribution to the delivery of quality care.

HIM professionals are highly trained in the latest information management technology applications and understand the workflow in any healthcare provider organization from large hospital systems to the private physician practice. They are vital to the daily operations management of health information and electronic health records (EHRs). They ensure a patient’s health information and records are complete, accurate, and protected.

Based on your skills, education, and interests, positions that may be available to you are:

• Medical Staff Services
• Supervisor
• Health Data Analyst
• Quality Improvement Analyst
• Insurance Claims Analyst
• Records Technician
• Clinical Coding Specialist
• Physician Practice Manager
• Patient Information Coordinator
• Medical Paralegal

Registered Health Information Technicians are employed by hospitals, clinics, health maintenance organizations, insurance companies, law firms, physicians, mental healthcare facilities, health data organizations, nursing homes, consulting firms, and information system vendors.

Graduates of Albany State University’s Health Information Technology Program are eligible to write the national certification examination given by the American Health Information Management Association to become Registered Health Information Technicians.

The Health Information Technology Program at Albany State University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education in association with the American Health Information Management Association.

Please Note:

The courses to be completed for the degree will vary based on the student’s preferred area of study which is referred to as the “pathway” for the career program of choice.

All career programs have a selective admissions process. This means that a seat in any program is awarded only to the top applicants. Simply meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to a program.

Upon admission to the institution, you will be given a dual major. The primary major will be listed as an Associate of Science in the Health Science Advising Pathway and the secondary major will be the career program of choice.  You will then begin working on any pre-requisites required for your career program of choice and when complete, you will then submit an application to the career program director you have chosen in hopes for a seat in that particular program.

If you are selected, we will drop the dual major and the Associate of Science in the Health Science Advising Pathway will be removed. You will then be a major in the program for which you were accepted.  If you are not selected, you will have some options to consider such as:

• You can still continue with the Associate of Science in the Health Science Advising Pathway. This is an Associate Degree in core curriculum and allows you to continue your education and pursue a Bachelor Degree

• You can change your major to a Bachelor Degree in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in Health Care Management – this is a fully online program.  Depending on your previous education and/or experience this will help you prepare for a career as a health administrator through the study of leadership issues specific to the healthcare industry. Health administrators may find employment in various areas including hospitals, long term care facilities, medical practices, outpatient centers, government agencies, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and many more

• You can apply for your program of choice during the next round of applications for that career program

• Depending on the pre-requisites, you might be eligible to apply to another career program if you are interested in another career program

Program Code: 0370

Program Advisors & Online Specialists

Additional Program Admission Requirements

This program begins once a year in the fall semester. Applications are accepted January 1 to May 31 for consideration.

Admission Requirements:

To be considered for admission to the Health Information Technology program, the Albany State University  student must:

1. Be admitted to Albany State University.
2. Complete all required Learning Support courses.
3. Complete all pre-requisite courses with a “C” or better.
4. Have a minimum GPA of 2.5.
5. Complete and submit an application for admission to the program to the Program Director by May 31.

Additional Requirements:

1. Students with 2 unsuccessful attempts in program course are ineligible for program re-admission. Withdrawing from an HITE course is considered an unsuccessful attempt. A course grade of “D” or “F” is considered an unsuccessful attempt.
2. High speed internet connection is highly recommended for optimal use of AHIMA’s Virtual Lab applications.
3. Professional liability insurance is required. The cost of this insurance is approximately $17.50 per year.
4. Because of the nature of the profession, the student is required to sign and abide by a statement that the student will honor the confidential nature of health/medical records. A charge of breach of confidentiality will be treated according to the procedures outlined in the Student Handbook, "Code of Conduct.”
5. Student membership in the American Health Information Management Association is recommended. The cost of student membership is $35 per year.
6. A student may be denied permission to continue in the program if, in the opinion of the faculty, the Dean of Health Sciences, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the student does not demonstrate the necessary qualifications for a health information technician.
7. To satisfactorily complete the curriculum and to develop the skills required of an entry level health information technician, the student must demonstrate:
   1. Visual Acuity (with or without corrective lenses): to read paper, microfilm, and electronic documents.
   2. Physical Ability: to process reports and records, to operate equipment necessary for record keeping (for example, manually operated filing equipment, printers, microfilm reader/printers, computer keyboard), and to move about in space limited by compacted filing.
   3. Manual Dexterity: to perform the fine motor functions necessary to document analysis of records (i.e., must use pens, pencils, and manage papers), and to operate electronic equipment (i.e., computers, word processors).
   4. Hearing (with or without aids): to hear the spoken voice in order to be able to respond verbally.
8. The student must abide by the policies and procedures of the Health Information Technology Program as defined by the Program Handbook.

For additional Health Science Division policies that apply to this program, please refer to Academic Regulations, Section R-T.

Albany State University recommends the following course track for transfer students. If you would like to use a different track, please contact your Online Support Specialist.

This program is designed to prepare graduates to pursue a job in this field or related fields. Although career and professional development services are available to students and graduates, finding a job is the individual responsibility of the student. We do not guarantee that any student will be placed in any particular job, or at all.