Health Information Management

Requirements of Admission to Program

Associate Degree in health or business (or 90 college level credits)

General Education - Credit Hours: (30 Required)

COMMUNICATION: 5 credits

• ENGL& 101 English Composition I

HUMANITIES: 5 credits - recommend to choose from the following

• CMST 110 Multicultural Communication
• CMST& 210 Interpersonal Communication
• CMST 320 Professional and Organizational Communication

SOCIAL SCIENCE: 5 credits – recommend to choose from the following

• PSYC& 100 General Psychology
• PSYC& 220 Abnormal Psychology
• PSYC 360 Health Psychology
• SOC 262 Race and Ethnic Relations

NATURAL SCIENCE: 10 credits

• BIO&175 Human Anatomy & Physiology
• HIT 160 Pathophysiology/Pharmacology

QUANTITATIVE SKILLS: 5 credits

• MATH 136 Inferential Statistics
  or
• MATH& 146 Introduction to Statistics

Upper Division General Education - Credit Hours: (15 Required)

• ENGL 301 Written Communication in the Workforce
• PHIL 320  Ethical Decision Making
• PSYC 301 Fundamentals of Research for Healthcare

HIM BAS Core Requirements - Credit Hours: (63 Required)

• LS 301          Research Skills for Healthcare (2)
• HIM 301       Foundations in Health Information (5)
• HIM 315       Health Law (3)
• HIM 320       Information Protection (3)
• HIM 325       Health Data Structure & Quality (5)
• HIIM 330      Classifications & Coding (5)
• HIM 335       Organizational Management in Healthcare (5)
• HIM 415       Foundations in Data Use (5)
• HIM 425       Information Governance (5)
• HIM 435       Revenue Cycle Management (5)
• HIM 445       Analytics and Data Use (5)
• HIM 465       Health Complaince (5)
• HIM 475       Leadership in Healthcare (5)
• HIM 485       Capstone/Internship (5)
  

College Level Elective Courses - Credit Hours: (72 Required)

Can include any college level course. Students will work with advisors to choose appropriate classes based on their previous education and work experience. Topics should include the following:

• CU 103         Excel I (3)
• CU 203         Excel II (3)
• HIT 105        Comprehensive Medical Terminology (5)
• HIT 179        Ethical Issues in Health Information (1)
• HIM 295       Computer Concepts in HIM (2)
• HIM 299       Independent Study in Health Information (6)

 

Total: 180 credits

What is the cost of the program?

The following cost estimate is based on a full time student who needs to complete 90 Credits (60 upper division HIM credits + 30 lower division general education). 15 quarterly credits x 6 quarters

Students are encouraged to review the official Tuition Rate/Student Approved Mandatory Fees information posted by Tacoma Community College. The following table reflects approximate tuition rates for a full-time resident student.

 

Break Down of Costs*
Tuition/Fees ($2260.30 per quarter)	$13561.80
Student approved mandatory fees ($187.50 per quarter)	$1125.00
Books and Supplies* ($300 per quarter)	$1800.00
Student HIM Course Fees	$654.50
AHIMA student membership ($49 per year for non-credentialed students) or AHIMA professional membership ($135 per year for credentialed students)	$98.00 or $270.00
Certified Background Check	$65.00
Clinical Placements Northwest (CPNW)	$75.00
Drug Screen	$45.00-$85.00
Proof of Immunizations	varies
RHIA Credential Examination fee	$229.00 with AHIMA membership
Total	$15,733.30 - $17,636.30

*All costs are approximate

Students are responsible for miscellaneous registration fees, purchasing any required textbooks, and are required to hold an active membership to the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

Check out the Types of Aid available for you at TCC. BAS students qualify for all aid types.

Program Effectiveness Outcomes

• Program Evaluation Survey: 100% of respondents would recommend program to a friend

• Graduation Rate: 100%

 

Upon successful completion of the Health Information Management Bachelor of Applied Science program, students will be able to:

1. Evaluate and manage strategies, policies, and procedures surrounding health record content, data management & integrity, information governance, and clinical classification systems. (*CC 1)
2. Recommend systems to ensure the protection of health information, including privacy and security strategies, retention standards, and regulatory compliance. (*CC 2)
3. Analyze and Interpret data and implement technology used in informatics, to include analytics, health care statistics, research methodologies, database management, and health information exchange. (*CC 3)
4. Manage the revenue life cycle through reimbursement processes that ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, coding guidelines and payment systems. (*CC 4)
5. Interpret policies and procedures for compliance with local, state and federal laws to include HIPAA, accreditation, licensing and certification, fraud surveillance, quality improvement and risk management. (*CC 5)
6. Evaluate and integrate culturally responsive and diverse practices, policies and procedures that support successful leadership in the areas of change management, work design, process improvement, human resource management, training and development, strategic and organizational management, financial management, project management, vendor/contract management, and enterprise information management. (*CC 6)

All Program Level Outcomes also align with TCC’s Degree Learning Outcomes. TCC has six measurable outcomes that all degree recipients are expected to meet.

• Core of Knowledge (COK): Demonstrate a basic knowledge of each of the distribution areas (Written Communication, Humanities, Quantitative Skills, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences), or, as applicable, specific professional/technical content, and program-level content and apply this knowledge to academic endeavors.
• Communication (COM): Listen, speak, read, and write effectively and use nonverbal and technological means to make connections between self and others.
• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving (CRT): Compare, analyze, and evaluate information and ideas to solve problems.
• Information & Information Technology (IIT): Locate, evaluate, retrieve, and ethically use relevant and current information of appropriate authority for academic or, as applicable, specific professional/technical applications.
• Intercultural Collaboration & Diversity (ICD): Demonstrate successful application of an interdependent, diverse, and multicultural worldview through collaborative engagement.
• Responsibility & Ethics (RES): Demonstrate an understanding of what constitutes responsible and ethical behavior toward individuals, the community, and the environment.

Please note that your schedule will depend on your educational background and how many general education courses you need to be complete. 

Prior to Starting Cohort Classes

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
HIM 290	Introduction to Medical Coding	5
HIM 295	Computer Concepts for HIM	2
HIM 299	Independent Study in HIM	2 to 6
General Elective/Distribution	College level course 100+ OR Distribution course	5
Year One FALL QTR (15 credits)
HIM 301	Fundamentals in Health Information	5
ENGL 301	Written Communication in the Workforce	5
HIM 315	Health Law	3
LS 301	Research Skills for Healthcare	2
Year One WINTER QTR (13 credits)
PHIL 320	Ethical Decision Making	5
HIM 320	Information Protection	3
HIM 325	Health Data Structure & Quality	5
Year One SPRING QTR (15 credits)
PSYC 301	Fundamentals of Research for Healthcare	5
HIM 330	Classifications & Coding	5
HIM 335	Organizational Management in Healthcare	5

 Year Two FALL QTR (15 credits)

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
HIM 415	Foundations of Data, Data Analytics and Data Visulization	5
HIM 425	Information Governance	5
HIM 435	Revenue Cycle Management	5
Year Two WINTER QTR (15 credits)
HIM 445	Applied Data, Data Analytics and Data Visualization	5
HIM 465	Health Compliance	5
General Elective/Distribution	College level course 100+ OR Distribution course	5
Year Two SPRING QTR (15 credits)
HIM 475	Leadership in Healthcare	5
HIM 485	Capstone/Internship	5
General Elective/Distribution	College level course 100+ OR Distribution course	5

Curriculum Time Limits

While we do realize it may be necessary for some students to attend school at a part-time rate, it is vital that students complete all HIM courses within five years to ensure that the curriculum they complete is as up-to-date as possible. A student may petition their HIM faculty advisor for a waiver of this requirement.

What does a Health Information Management Professional Do?

Health information (HI) professionals are highly trained in the latest information management technology applications. They understand the workflow process in healthcare provider organizations, from large hospital systems to private physician practices, and are vital to the daily operations management of health information and electronic health records (EHRs). They ensure a patient’s health information is complete, accurate, and protected.

HI professionals have an extraordinary impact. They are the link between clinicians, administrators, technology designers, operations, and information technology professionals.

These professionals affect the quality of patient information and patient care at every touch point in the healthcare delivery cycle. HI professionals work on the classification of diseases and treatments to ensure they are standardized for clinical, financial, and legal uses in healthcare. HI professionals care for patients by caring for their medical data and are responsible for the quality, integrity, security, and protection of patients’ health information.  (AHIMA, 2020)

Average Salary by Job Family

The following average salaries were reported in a 2019 AHIMA survey.  These are national averages and may not be reflective of your specific region.

Revenue Cycle Management/Coding and Billing  $66,370

• Revenue Cycle Manager or Director
• Revenue Cycle Auditor
• Coding Professional

Operations/Administration $81,950

• Director or Manager of Health Information Management
• Project Manager
• Release of Information
• Quality Improvement Management

Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) $84,300

• Clinical Documentation Manager or Specialist
• Director of CDI
• Clinical Data Coordinator

Compliance/Risk Management $89,230

• Quality Improvement Analyst
• Compliance Auditor
• Privacy Officer
• Information Security Management
• Director of Risk Management

Informatics/Data Analytics $83,490

• Clinical Informatics Coordinator
• Data Integrity Analyst
• Director of Clinical Informatics
• Research and Development Scientist

IT and Infrastructure $98,180

• Implementation Support Specialist
• Data Quality Manager
• System Analyst
• Data Architect
• Chief Technology Officer

There are several Master’s degree-level paths that graduates of the HIM BAS program have upon completion.

WGU offers Master’s degrees in multiple fields. They accept all Washington BAS degree graduates via a statewide transfer (articulation) agreement.

Pacific Lutheran University has a transfer agreement for all TCC BAS degrees to be accepted into all their Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Finance, Master of Science in Marketing Analytics degrees offered through their School of Business.

University of Washington-Tacoma’s Milgard School of Business (MSB) program accepts all TCC’s applied bachelor’s degrees into their Master of Science in Business Analytics.

In addition to the official transfer partnerships listed above, we have had HIM BAS graduates go on to other institutions - here are a few examples:

• Seattle University
  - School of Law
  - Legal Studies in Compliance & Risk Managment

• College of St. Scholastics
  - Health Informatics

• West Coast University
  - Master of Public Health

• Walden University
  - Social Worker in Healthcare

WGU MEMORANDOM OF UNDERSTANDING (PDF)

TCC TO PLU

UW TACOMA MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING