Health Information Technology Program

The ACC Health Information Technology program is designed to teach you how to use technology to collect, analyze, monitor, maintain and report health data. These functions include, among other duties, processing requests for the release of personal health information, the coding of clinical information and processing and using health data for clinical quality management. It also provides instruction in billing and reimbursement and compliance while protecting patient privacy.

Through a combination of general education, computer literacy and specialized health information technology courses, you will develop a range of skills relevant to the roles and responsibilities of a health information technologist, including:

• Processing requests for the release of personal health information
• the coding of clinical information
• processing and using health data for clinical quality management
• billing and reimbursement and compliance while protecting patient privacy
• and many other important responsibilities

Graduates of this program may pursue entry-level positions involving health information technology in a variety of health care settings. Completion of the program is acknowledged by the awarding of an Associate of Occupational Science degree.

The focus is on your success!
The goal of our program is to help you graduate with the confidence and qualifications to begin your career as a health information technologist.*

*ACC cannot guarantee employment.

Health Information Technologists work with physicians, nurses and other health care providers in a variety of professional settings. After completing ACC's career-focused Associate of Occupational Science degree, you can expect to qualify for entry-level positions and be ready to interview for employment at:

• Government Agencies
• General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
• Nursing Care Facilities
• Outpatient Care Centers
• Offices of Physicians
• Insurance Companies

A few interesting statistics* about health information technology careers:

• Employment of medical records and health information technicians is expected to grow by 21 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the national average for all occupations.
• Additional records, coupled with widespread use of electronic health records by all types of healthcare providers, should lead to an increased need for technicians to organize and manage the associated information in all areas of the healthcare industry.
• Medical records and health information technicians must be able to use coding and classification software and the EHR system that their healthcare organization or physician practice has adopted.

A few places where graduates from various ACC programs have been hired:

Many area employers are very familiar with the quality of ACC's health care training programs and our school's track record for preparing confident, qualified professionals for rewarding careers. Our graduates have been hired by:

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-records-and-health-information-technicians.htm

This program is divided into eight 10-week quarters and is a blended schedule consisting of courses taken on campus and online. In addition to general education courses, core courses in ACC's Health Information Technology program include:

• Health Care Delivery Systems – In this course, the focus is on providing you with an understanding of the Integrated Delivery System (IDS) within health care organizations. You will also be introduced to the decision making structure and organization, as well as how to provide support for the different decision makers in the health care organization, including executives, managers, supervisors and clinicians.
• Electronic Health Records – One of the most unifying practices of modern health care delivery is centered around the development of the electronic medical record. This course offers a broad foundation in health care models and legal policy perspectives, multiple user information requirements and strategies for mounting and managing organizational initiatives regarding the electronic medical record.
• Pharmacology Principles – This course is designed to teach you the basic principles of pharmacology. You will also learn the classification, names, uses and important technical considerations for the most commonly dispensed drugs before and during surgery. Anesthetic agents and techniques in anesthesia will also be discussed.
• Health Care Data Sets – This course is a study of the health care code sets, clinical terminologies and classification systems encountered in today's health care environment. Special attention will be paid to issues surrounding the latest advances in health care data management, health care informatics and the electronic health record.
• Compliance and Reimbursement Methodologies – The course also addresses a variety of health care reimbursement methodologies with a focus on Medicare prospective payment systems. The history of fraud and abuse and corporate compliance in health care is also discussed. You will receive hands-on practice in preparing claims using the Electronic Health Record (EHR) program and case simulation process.
• Health Information Systems – This course provides an overview of the fundamentals of information systems, identifies the major types of information system applications used in health care, describes how information systems are used for managerial and clinical support, addresses information security and explores the evolution of the electronic health record.

Once you have completed your ACC training and earned your associate degree, you'll be ready to pursue exciting career opportunities. As an entry-level health information technologist, your day-to-day responsibilities* may include:

• Maintaining patients' medical and treatment histories
• Using various classification systems to code and categorize patient information for insurance reimbursement purposes
• Reviewing patient records for timeliness, completeness, accuracy and appropriateness of health data.
• Tracking patient outcomes for quality assessment
• Using classification software to assign clinical codes for reimbursement and data analysis.
• Electronically recording data for collection, storage, analysis, retrieval and reporting
• Protecting patients' health information for confidentiality, authorized access for treatment and data security.
• Working regularly with physicians and other healthcare professionals to clarify diagnoses or to get additional information to make sure records are complete and accurate

You'll be on your way!
As you begin your career as a health information technologist, the ongoing development of your skills can create increased opportunities for advancement. Even after you are employed, ACC's Career Services team will remain committed to providing you with the resources, support and personalized assistance you need to keep your career on the fast track.