Health Information Technology

The Health Information Technology program accreditor of McDowell Technical Community College is the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The college's accreditation for the Associate Degree in Applied Science in Health Information Technology has been reaffirmed through 2028-2029. 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

Connect with an admissions specialist by phone 828-652-0622, 828-659-0444 or by email admissions@go.mcdowelltech.edu

Connect with the Health Sciences onboarding advisor, Belinda Foster by phone at 828-652-0611 or by email bmfoster07@go.mcdowelltech.edu

Connect with the Program Director, Valerie Dobson by phone at 828-652-0699 or by email vbdobson13@go.mcdowelltech.edu

The Health Information Technology curriculum provides individuals with the knowledge and skills to process, analyze, abstract, compile, maintain, manage and report health information.

Students will supervise departmental functions; classify, code, and index diagnoses and procedures; coordinate information for cost control, quality management, statistics, marketing, and planning; monitor governmental and non-governmental standards; facilitate research; and design system controls to monitor patient information security.

Graduates of this program may be eligible to write the national certification examination to become a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT). Employment Opportunities include hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes, health insurance organizations, outpatient clinics, physician offices, hospice, and mental health facilities.

With the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) required experience, graduates of the coding diploma and coding certificate programs of study may be eligible to write the "CCS" (Certified Coding Specialist) and/or the "CCS-P" (Certified Coding Specialist-Physician based) master level coding specialist examinations. Employment opportunities without one of these coding certifications are limited to entry-level positions. Therefore, students are encouraged to continue their education and complete the degree to receive the full benefits of this growing healthcare field.

All programs of study are offered in a hybrid model with the exception of three professional practice experience courses which are completed at assigned healthcare agencies.

Health Information Technology Program Student Achievement, Outcomes & Performance Data

	2019-2020	2020-2021	2021-2022
Graduation Rate	21.43%	100%	--
Attrition Rate	7.14%	--	--
Progression Rate	71.43%	--	--
Job Placement Rate*	66.67%	--	--
RHIT Certification Exam Pass Rate	100%	0%	--

	2016 - 2017	2017-2018	2018-2019
Graduation Rate	44.44%	31.58	13.33%
Attrition Rate	16.67%	21.05%	13.33%
Progression Rate	38.89%	47.37%	73.33%
Job Placement Rate*	87.5%	66.7%	100%
RHIT Certification Exam Pass Rate	100%	100%	66.7%**

**2018-2019 RHIT Certification Exam Pass Rate (3 test takers, 2 passed and one

graduate sat for RHIT exam more than 6 months following graduation date)

Reporting Period 8/1/2019 - 7/31/2020	Full-time	Part-Time	Total
Students	9	5	14
Graduates	3	0	3
Attrition	0	1	0
Progression	6	4	10
Graduate Employment	2	0	2

Reporting Period 8/1/2018 - 7/31/2019	Full-time	Part-Time	Total
Students	4	11	15
Graduates	2	0	2
Attrition	0	2	2
Progression	2	9	11
Graduate Employment	2	0	2

Reporting Period 8/1/2017 - 7/31/2018	Full-time	Part-Time	Total
Students	13	6	19
Graduates	6	0	6
Attrition	2	2	4
Progression	5	4	4
Graduate Employment	4	0	4

Reporting Period 8/1/2016-7/31/2017	Full-time	Part-Time	Total
Students	15	3	18
Graduates	8	0	8
Attrition	3	0	3
Progression	4	3	7
Graduate Employment	8	0	0