Health Information Management, A.A.S.

Degree: Associate of Applied Science
Major: Health Information Management
Department:  Health Information Management

For more information, visit the Health Information Management webpage or contact the Health Sciences division at 615-230-3330.

The Health Information Management program is a two year associate of applied science degree designed to prepare individuals to manage and code the medical information obtained in the medical records, organize the coded information for reimbursement purposes, abstract other data to meet administrative and governmental requirements, manage medical and legal inquiries for medical information calculate healthier statistics, perform data analytics, manage medical and legal inquires for medical information,  calculate health care statistics, perform data analytics, manage the HIM department operational and human resource functions. Graduates of this program will be prepared for a variety of positions in the health information services market. The program is designed to offer a wide variety of learning experiences including classroom and online instruction, use of computers and software designed for Health Information Management, and directed clinical practice in various medical settings. The Health Information Management program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

In order to be eligible for admission into the HIM program, students must successfully complete all of the general education courses as outlined below, as well as the following core course requirements, HIMT 1301, AHC 115 and INFS 1010 with a grade of “C” or higher. Students pursuing this degree are not eligible to take the Computer Competency Exam (CCE) to fulfill the INFS 1010 requirement.  A cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better is required along with a screening interview.  Students interested in screening for official acceptance into the HIM program must contact the HIM Program Director and request an HIM application packet in January. Interviews are conducted in March.  After formal acceptance into the program, three consecutive semesters of study are required for graduation. The VSCC HIM Program includes the Data Management (DM) specialty track competencies and the Revenue Management (RM) specialty track competencies. For more information refer to the Health Sciences Associate of Applied Science Degrees section in the catalog.  For more information on how to apply to this program, contact the HIM Program Director.

The Medical Coding Technical Certificate is embedded within the Associate of Applied Science in Health Information Management.  Courses in the certificate may be used to award this degree.

All students graduating with a degree from VSCC are required to take the E-Proficiency Profile (EPP) to meet graduation requirements. More information can be found on the Graduation Exit Exam webpage.

Program​ Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the graduate will have developed the skills, knowledge, and abilities to accomplish the following:

1. Evaluate policies, regulations, and standards to the management of Health Information Management as they relate to data structure, content, and information governance.
2. Apply privacy and security strategies throughout the health information life cycle as they relate to information protection, access, use, disclosure, privacy, and security.
3. Manage standards and data for exchange of health information as they relate to informatics, analytics, and data use.
4. Evaluate revenue cycle processes and methodologies as they relate to revenue cycle management.
5. Apply legal processes in health information management as they relate to health law and compliance.
6. Assess management and leadership including multiple populations and ethical standards of practice as they relate to organizational management and leadership.
7. Apply knowledge of pathophysiology, pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, computer concepts and computer applications as they relate to health information management.

CIP Code: (31) 51.0707.00