• Bachelor’s Degree    

  Professional Courses

  Course Number	Course Title	Credits
  HITS 110	Health Data Content and Structure	3
  HITS 220	Coding and Classification Systems	3
  HITS 230	Reimbursement Methodologies	3
  HITS 300	Health Data Systems and Technology	3
  HCMT 330	Privacy & Protection: Law/Regulation in HC	3
  CMIT 130	Intro to Networking and Security	3
  CMIT 135	Introduction to Computer Systems	3
  NETW 240	Computer and Network Security	3
  CMIT 200	Relational Database Design & SQL	3
  CMIT 310	Enterprise Database Systems	3
  SDEV 230	Information Systems Analysis & Design	3
  MGMT 260	Project Management	3
  HITS 4XX	Capstone in Healthcare IT	3
  	Professional Course Credits:	39

  General Education Courses

  Course Number	Course Title	Credits
  MATH 180	Statistics	3
  COMM 130 OR	Interpersonal Communication
  COMM 270	Intercultural Communication	3
  ENGL 315	Writing in the Workplace	3
  WRIT 231	Technical Writing	3
  PHIL 340	Ethics in the Professions	3
  	General electives (Arts, Hum, Soc Sci, Math, Sci, Hist)	6
  	General Education Course Credits:	21
  	Total Credits:	60

Upon completion, a graduate with an A.S. Degree in Health Informatics should be able to:

• Utilize health data and health databases.
• Maintain processes, policies and procedures to assure the accuracy and integrity of health data.
• Assure that documentation in health record supports the diagnosis, progress, and clinical findings.
• Utilize and verify clinical vocabularies and terminologies used in the organization's health information systems.
• Utilize and monitor abbreviation usage in the organization's health information system.
• Recognize and use organization-wide health record documentation guidelines.
• Maintain organizational compliance with healthcare information regulations and standards (such as documentation, retention, and reporting).
• Apply current laws related to health information initiatives at the facility level.
• Utilize electronic applications and processes for clinical classification and coding.
• Validate coding accuracy using clinical information found in the health record.
• Utilize diagnosis and procedure codes.
• Ensure accuracy of clinical data required in reimbursement systems and prospective payment systems (PPS) in healthcare delivery.
• Demonstrate the role of coding in an organization's revenue cycle.
• Utilize appropriate processes for compliance and reporting (such as National Correct Coding Initiative; Local Medical Review Policies [LMRP]; Medicare Code Editor [MCE]; Resource Based Relative Value Scale [RBRVS]; Outpatient Code Editor [OCE]).
• Utilize relevant health information databases
• Recognize the role of accurate coding in assuring appropriate quality management, utilization management, risk management, and other patient care related studies.
• Identify ways to contribute to facility-wide quality management and performance improvement programs.
• Adhere to legal and regulatory healthcare privacy and confidentiality requirements, and take part in privacy and confidentiality training programs.
• Use technology applications to collect, store, analyze, and report data.
• Utilize end-user hardware and software applications to enhance health information documentation.

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Upon completion, a graduate with a B.S. Degree in Health Informatics should be able to:

• Maintain processes, policies and procedures to assure the accuracy and integrity of health data.
• Manage, plan, design, monitor health data, data sets, and databases.
• Assure that documentation in the health record supports the diagnosis and reflects the progress, clinical findings and discharge status.
• Monitor, verify, and interpret clinical vocabularies and terminologies used in the organization's health information systems, including abbreviation usage diagnosis and procedure codes.
• Ensure compliance with organization-wide health record documentation guidelines.
• Apply current laws, accreditation, licensure and certification standards related to health information initiatives at the national, state, local and facility levels to ensure organizational compliance.
• Manage electronic applications for clinical classification and coding and validate accuracy using clinical information found in the health record.
• Manage the use of clinical data required in reimbursement systems and prospective payment systems (PPS) in healthcare delivery.
• Manage processes for compliance and reporting (such as National Correct Coding Initiative; Local Medical Review Policies [LMRP]; Medicare Code Editor [MCE]; Resource Based Relative Value Scale [RBRVS]; Outpatient Code Editor [OCE]).
• Produce data for quality management, utilization management, risk management, and other patient care related studies in order to manage facility-wide quality management and performance improvement programs.
• Provide data for healthcare decision-making -- coordinate data collection, collect data, support in interpreting data, report information.
• Respond to the information needs of internal and external customers throughout the continuum of healthcare services.
• Support the implementation of legal and regulatory requirements related to the health information infrastructure regarding healthcare privacy and confidentiality issues, so as to help manage access, disclosure, and use of personal health information.
• Enhance health data collection, storage, analysis and reporting of information including end-user hardware and software applications.
• Meet organizational needs and achieve interoperability of healthcare information systems through database architecture management.
• Apply data/record storage principles and techniques, including query and report from databases, using data mining techniques, design and generate routine and custom reports.
• Monitor and enforce security measures to safeguard Protected Health Information (PHI), and protect data integrity and validity using software or hardware technology.
• Support human resource functions: compliance with employment laws, training and continuing education systems, benchmarks, job analyses and descriptions, motivation programs.
• Ensure efficient workflow and achieve project goals through process engineering and project management techniques.
• Ensure compliance with relevant HIT service regulations and accreditation standards.
• Help to recognize HIT best practices and enact strategic and operational plans for utilization of these practices.

“I researched online programs and Champlain was definitely the best. The final deal maker was the counselors. They were attentive, knowledgeable and eager to help. The instructors are terrific and I’ve enjoyed the virtual camaraderie with my classmates.”

Alisa A.
New Mexico

“I know my online students better than I ever knew my classroom students. I give every student a lot of attention. When they’re getting started, I make sure they’re comfortable and confident in using the tools we provide. And they always know I’m available to help them.”

John Lavallee
Professor, Information Technology

Nationally this is a very high growth career area. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics employment of medical records and health information technicians is expected to grow 20% by 2018, a much faster rate of growth than average for all occupations. The ever-changing nature of health information technology, specifically the federal mandate of electronic medical records, has created a demand for highly trained professionals who can lead through this new landscape. Technicians that demonstrate a strong understanding of the unique technology and computer software as well as the regulations and best practices in the field will be in particularly high demand