Health Information Technology, A.A.S.

After successfully completing this program, you will have the ability to:

• Use data management skills to verify health records are accurate, reliable, comprehensive and compliant.
• Apply legal regulations for the management, control, and disclosure of protected health information.
• Evaluate, select, serve as a resource for implementation, and utilize applicable information systems.
• Identify reimbursement systems by health care setting, describing their structural design and evaluate revenue cycle management processes.
• Analyze policies and procedures related to health information management to ensure medical, legal and ethical compliance.
• Provide leadership and management skills to the organization when working with human, financial and physical resources.

View the Degree Requirements to find out which courses and credits you'll need to earn your degree.

Explore the Program Map to see how you can complete your degree.

The applicant pool for programs in the School of Health Sciences is very competitive. An application does not mean acceptance into the Health Sciences program. Applicants are required to meet with a School of Health Sciences advisor before they apply to a program and may be required to attend an orientation for the Allied Health-related programs. All application correspondence from the School of Health Sciences will be through your TCC email.

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Health information technology is the comprehensive management of electronic health records, including patient medical histories and billing information such as hospital entry and consent forms, medical charts, and X-rays.

As a health information technologist, you work to improve healthcare quality, prevent medical errors, decrease paperwork, reduce healthcare costs, and increase administrative effectiveness.

Working in healthcare information technology also entails securing the exchange of documents and information between medical authorities, consumers, insurers, government officials, and other personnel.

Career options for TCC Health Information Technology graduates include:

• Coding and Reimbursement Specialist
• Clinical Data Specialist
• Patient Information Coordinator
• Data Quality Manager
• Document and Repository Manager
• Health Information Manager

Our program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education. After graduation, you are eligible to apply to take the national qualifying examination for certification as a Registered Health Information Technician.

The following essential skills address the motor/sensory skills, communication, cognitive, behavioral/emotional, and professional conduct essential to the Health Information Technology Program (HITC) at TCC. 

Students must meet these essential skills in order to be admitted and/or retained in the Health Information Technology Program.

Students with disabilities who wish to request reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act must follow the college's procedure for requesting accommodations. While this process can be started at any time, reasonable accommodations may not be implemented retroactively; therefore, being timely in requesting reasonable accommodations is very important. To learn more about the process for establishing reasonable accommodations please contact the TCC Metro Campus Education Access Center (EAC) at eac@tulsacc.edu or call 918-595-7115 (voice). Deaf and hard of hearing students may text message 918-809-1864 (text).

The essential skills necessary to acquire or demonstrate competence in the health information management profession and needed for successful admission and continuance towards the A.A.S. degree in Health Information Technology or the Coding & Reimbursement Specialist Certificate at TCC include, but are not limited to, the following abilities:

A. Motor/Sensory Skills

1. Ability to remain continuously on task for several hours while sitting, bending, and/or
   reaching, moving and standing.
2. Physical strength to lift and/or carry a maximum weight of 25lbs.
3. Physical ability to maintain repetitive motions.
4. Full manual dexterity including the functioning of both arms, both wrists, both hands and fingers.
5. Possess gross and fine motor skills sufficient to maintain both paper and electronic health records.
6. Possess gross and fine motor skills allowing for the utilization of computers and
   keyboarding.
7. Normal or corrected visual acuity.
8. Normal or correctable hearing in at least one ear.
9. Sufficient olfactory senses for maintaining environmental safety.

B. Communication Skills

1. Effective professional interaction with others (i.e., students, faculty, staff, patients, patient’s family, physicians, health care professionals and other professionals) in both oral and written English, as well as non-verbal communication.
2. Demonstrate sensitivity, confidentiality and respect when interacting with other (i.e.,
   students, faculty, staff, patients, patient’s family, physicians, health care professionals and other professionals.)
3. Read and comprehend written English as found in textbooks, technical and professional materials, policies and procedures, health record documentation and correspondence.
4. Express ideas and feelings clearly.
5. Demonstrate a willingness and ability to give and receive constructive feedback maturely.
6. Accurately transfer gathered data into a paper and/or electronic health records.

C. Cognitive

1. Comprehend, reason, integrate, analyze, evaluate, synthesize and problem.
2. Demonstrate critical thinking skills in the classroom and clinical setting.
3. Computer literacy.
4. Work independently.
5. Respond appropriately to emergencies.

D. Behavioral/Emotional

1. Implement measures to maintain one’s own physical and mental health, and emotional stability.
2. Demonstrate emotional health required for the utilization of intellectual abilities and exercise of good judgment, with prompt completion of all responsibilities.
3. Maintain professionalism and the ability to respond appropriately under all circumstances including highly stressful situations.
4. Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability to function in a rapidly changing work environment or to respond to workflow needs.
5. Able and willing to self-evaluate and change behavior when it interferes with productive individual and/or team relationships.

E. Professional Conduct

1. Reason morally and practice honest and ethical behavior and maintain accountability.
2. Adhere to delineated ethical standards of professional conduct.
3. Knowledge of and compliance with applicable state and federal legislation, accrediting agency standards, etc.
4. Possess the following attributes: integrity, honesty, detail oriented, accurate, accountable, organized, dependable, responsible, tolerant, and adaptable.
5. Respect for individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds, social, emotional, cultural, intellectual, religion and/or sexual orientation.
6. Maintain a professional appearance.
7. Commitment to learning during the educational program and for continuing education activities.
8. Effective use of time and resources.

The Health Information Technology Program accreditor of TCC is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for the Associate in Applied Science degree in Health Information Technology has been reaffirmed through 2030.

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.

The HIT program at Tulsa Community College has a 75% registry exam pass rate for the time period 8/1/2021-7/31/2022. Responses from the 2022 student surveys revealed 100% of the respondents were satisfied with the quality of education received. The program graduation rate was 80%. The employment rate was 88%.

Additional information regarding the accreditation process, certification, and/or the health information management profession may be accessed at the following websites:

• Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education
• American Health Information Management Association