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Health Information Technology
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Health Information Technology Program Application Information
Health Information Technology Application Dates and Health Science Application Login
Health Information Technology Workshop Dates
Build Your Future as a Health Information Technician
Health information technology involves the study of the principles and practices of acquiring, analyzing, and securing digital and paper-based health and medical information vital to providing quality patient care. Health informatics, health information management, and health information technology incorporate the disciplines of medicine, management, finance, information technology, and law into one exciting and dynamic curriculum working to transform the delivery of health care. Because of this unique mixture, program graduates are in control and can choose from a variety of work settings across an array of health care environments.
The Health Information Management/Health Informatics accreditor of Cypress College is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for Associates of Science degree in Health Information Technology has been reaffirmed through the end of 2021 (reaccreditation survey planned for August 2021). 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.
Graduation and pass rates for the program last year are as follows:
- Graduation Rate: 82%
- Employment rate: 86%
- Registered Health Information Technology national exam rate: 100%
Health information professionals care for patients by managing their medical data. They ensure that a patient’s health information is complete, accurate, and protected, yet readily available for healthcare providers when needed. There are three professional and academic areas of health information that you can learn: Health Information Management, Health Information Technology, and Health Informatics. At the associate degree level, Cypress College offers both specialty tracks in our curriculum which include Data Management and Revenue Management.
Health Information Management
Health information management (HIM) is the practice of acquiring, analyzing, and protecting digital and traditional medical information vital to providing quality patient care.
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Health Information Technology
Health information technology (Health IT) refers to the framework used to manage health information, and the exchange of health information in a digital format.
Health Informatics
Health Informatics (HI) is a science that defines how health information is captured, transmitted, and utilized.
Health information management professionals work in a variety of different settings and job titles. They often serve in roles to connect clinical, operational, and administrative functions. These professionals affect the quality of patient information and patient care at each point in the healthcare delivery cycle. Having skilled HIM professionals on staff ensures an organization has the right information available when and where it is needed while maintaining the highest standards of data integrity, confidentiality, and security.
Health Information Coding
Health information coding is the heart of both healthcare reimbursement and clinical analysis. This crucial aspect of health information management requires a highly trained and accurate professional who can assign numerical codes to diagnoses, symptoms, and procedures using the current diagnostic coding and procedure classification systems which include ICD-10-CM, ICD 10-PCS, and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT). Most third-party payers, including the federal government and private insurers, require submission of diagnoses and procedure codes for the hospital and/or physician billing process. Diagnoses and procedures codes are needed for comparing and tracking diseases, clinical research, statistical reporting, market data, policymaking, and planning.
Health Information Technology
Professionals who work in health IT (information technology) focus on the technical side of managing health information, using software and hardware to manage and store patient data. Health IT professionals usually have Information Technology backgrounds and provide support for electronic health records and other systems that HIM professionals use to secure health information.
The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). Graduates of the HIT Associates Program are eligible to take the national examination leading to certification as a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT).
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Upon completion of one of these programs, students will be awarded an associate in science degree.
- The program can be completed in two years.
- The program is $46 per unit for California residents, not including books, fees, and supplies. Units vary by course, but the average is three units per course. The unit cost for the certificate and associate in science degree will vary depending upon the number of prerequisites needed. Most students also qualify for some form of financial aid.
Faculty
- Denise Vo
- Doreen Villasenor, B.A., M.A.
- Patti Spitler, RHIA, FABC, B.S.
Degrees & Certificates
Prerequisites & Requirements
Program Mapper: View course options for this program, below.
Associate in Science in Health Information Technology = 74-77 units (2 years, after prerequisites)
- Eligibility for admission to Cypress College.
- Completion of ENGL 100C with a grade of “C” or better or transcript showing course in progress,
- Completion of CIS 111C Computer Information Systems with a grade of “C” or better or transcript showing course in progress,
- Completion of HS 145C Survey of Medical Terminology with a grade of “C” or better or transcript showing course in progress,
- Eligibility for MATH 120C Introduction to Probability and Statistics or transcript showing appropriate Math course in progress, and
- Completion of BIO 210C Anatomy and Physiology with a grade of “C” or better or transcript showing course in progress.
For additional information, see: http://news.cypresscollege.edu/Documents/health-science/Health_Info_Tech_2017.pdf
Please consider attending an information workshop about Cypress College Health Science Programs. The Health Science Workshop Schedule and Reservations link is here: http://news.cypresscollege.edu/Documents/health-science/Health-Science-Workshop-Series.pdf
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