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Securing your Future While Protecting Patient Data

Â鶹Éç’s online Health Information Management Associate Degree Program (HIM) is designed to provide the knowledge and skills to enable the graduate to manage patient’s medical data and by making it available for the healthcare provider.  Health information management professionals affect the quality of patient information and patient care at each point of patient interaction. They are focused on the technical side of managing health information, working with electronic records, and software programs. Students will also participate in an externship, which offers further opportunities to apply learned skills and competencies. (See if there is an existing externship site in your local area.)

Graduation from this program allows students the option to move onto the Medical and Health Services Management bachelor’s degree.

Your Learning Experience

Students in the Health Information Management associate degree program will earn a comprehensive study in health records and software related to the field. Focus will be on:

• Current state, federal, institutional, and accreditation agency guidelines for health record content and privacy. This includes topics in courses focusing on procedures and infrastructure in a health care organization, security issues that can occur in healthcare management systems, and confidentiality procedures. Along with this, students will learn how to handle personal patient information with empathy and professionalism.
• A background in computer software and technology relevant to Health Information Management. This can include, but is not limited to, the Microsoft Office applications, spreadsheet applications, as well as current coding procedures and systems.
• Medical terminology, anatomy, pharmacology, and other medical information pertinent to the career field. Some of the main components will be Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) following current guidelines, accurate medical codes, and medical diagnoses codes.
• Critical thinking and management skills to improve the quality of patient care at every aspect. Students will see this in classes by learning change management, effective communication skills with both patients and other healthcare professionals, process improvement, human resources management and training, and consistent development to improve patient care.

In addition to the program outcomes listed, students will have the opportunity to take the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification exam offered through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

Stackable Degree Programs

With ANU’s progressive learning format, you can immediately use your education to join other programs. Students can begin in our Medical Billing and Coding diploma program, to your Health Information Management associate degree, to your Medical and Health Services Management bachelor’s degree program.

Where can your degree take you?

• Medical technician coder
• Health information operations supervisor
• Healthcare data analyst
• Health information technician
• Clinical documentation specialist

Student Achievement – Salem, Virginia

• Graduation Rate: 67%*
• Employment Rate: 71.4%**
• Retention Rate: 52.5%**

* These results represent annual report data submitted to DEAC for the 2022 calendar year.

**These results represent students who attended during the 2022 calendar year.

Programmatic Accreditation

*The HIM accreditor of Â鶹Éç (Online) 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 2028. 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.

*The HIM accreditor of Â鶹Éç – Louisville 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 2029. 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.

Check out our “Not-What-You-Would-Expect” Guide to Healthcare Administration to learn more about this high-demand field.