Health Information Technology
Welcome
The Health Information Technology program (also known as Medical Records Technology) is designed to prepare the graduate to perform technical duties vital to health information departments in any health care facility. The health information technician is responsible for many aspects of preparing, analyzing, and preserving health information needed by the patient, the health care facility, and the public. Duties include reviewing medical records for completeness and accuracy and translating disease names and procedures into the appropriate coding symbols. Health information technicians are also responsible for maintaining and reporting patient data used for reimbursement, for quality of care studies, for research, and for compilation of statistics for the health care organization. Supervising day-to-day operation of a health information department, maintaining the work flow of health information within the organization, and maintaining confidentiality of patient information are also a part of the total work picture for the health information technician.
With a degree in Health Information Technology you will be able to work in a variety of healthcare settings including hospitals, physician clinics, mental health, long-term care, and other health related agencies.
The Health Information Technology program at MCC is a two-year Associate Degree program and is a part of the Health Science Division. The program is fully accredited by The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) in cooperation with the Council on Accreditation of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Graduates of the program are eligible to apply to write the national qualifying examination for certification as a Registered Health Information Technician.
Application Process
Application Deadline: April 1st of each year
Applicants will be notified of status within 30 days of the deadline date.
Application Process:
- Apply for admission to MCC.
- Submit completed application to the Office of Admissions.
- Submit appropriate transcripts to the Office of Admissions.
- First-time college students must submit official high school transcripts or GED scores.
- Persons who attended college elsewhere, submit official transcripts of all college work.
- Apply for admission to the Health Information Technology Program.
- Submit HITT program application to the Health Information Technology Program Director.
- Persons who have attended college elsewhere must submit an additional copy of college transcripts (may be unofficial copy) to the Office of Admissions, ATTENTION: Health Careers Admission.
- Submit ACT scores to the Office of Admission if fewer than 12 semester hours of college-level work have been completed.
- Submit updated transcripts to the HITT program director as additional courses are completed. Failure to submit updated transcripts may cause an applicant to be considered ineligible for the program.
- Contact the program Director (254-299-8233) or Health Careers Division secretary (254-299-8568) to schedule an information/advising session with the Program Director.
If developmental courses are needed for TSI requirements, it is recommended that such courses be completed before enrolling in the first Fall semester of the program.
Admission Criteria
Admission Requirements
Program Prerequisite: keyboarding skills
Minimum Requirements:
- ACT composite score of 17 if taken after October 1989 or 14 if taken before 1989, or
- Completion of 12 semester hours of college-level courses with a GPA of 2.0 or higher
All applicants will be reviewed and prioritized according to established admission criteria which includes a competitive GPA in course from the HITT degree plan or ACT composite scores.
Typically students must score higher than the minimum requirements to be accepted. Applicants are admitted to the program in order of priority until the enrollment limit has been filled. MEETING THE CRITERIA DOES NOT GUARANTEE ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM. Decisions are made by the Health Information Technology Admissions Committee.
Class Size
The number of students accepted each year is determined by the availability of clinical sites. Generally, the maximum number of students admitted each year is 25.
McLennan Community College dos not discriminate on the basis of sex, disability, race, creed or religion, color, age, or national origin.
Curriculum
Program Prerequisite: keyboarding skills.
Consists of 11 academic courses and 14 HITT courses. Academic courses may be taken prior to admission to the program.
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Academic Courses
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Health Information Technology Courses
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Choose one: VNSG 1420 Anatomy & Physiology for Allied
Health OR
HITT Courses |
HITT 1211 Computers in Health Care HITT 1255 Health Care Statistics HITT 1260 Clinical-Health Information Technology/Tech. HITT 1301 Health Data Content & Structure HITT 1345 Health Care Delivery Systems HITT 1353 Legal & Ethical Aspects of Health Information HITT 1441 Coding & Classification Systems HITT 2149 RHIT Competency Review HITT 2260 Clinical -Health Information Technology/Tech HITT 2261 Clinical-Health Information Technology/Tech. HITT 2331 Medical Terminology - Advanced HITT 2339 Health Information Organization & Supervision HITT 2343 Quality Assessment Performance Improvement HITT 2435 Coding & Reimbursement Methodologies |
| To enroll in HITT courses, the student must be admitted to the Health Information Technology Program. |
Degree Planning:
For individual degree planning, call for an appointment with the HIT Program Director at 254-299-8233 or contact her by e-mail at lweber@mclennan.edu
Copies of the Degree Plan are available in the Applied Science Building, Room 208.
Clinical Practice
As a part of the Health Information Technology curriculum, students must complete a number of hours in supervised clinical practice in different Central Texas hospitals and other health care facilities. These hours will be obtained over three semesters of course work. Students must be able to travel to the assigned clinical sites and transportation expenses are the student's responsibility. The program currently utilizes clinical sites within a 60-mile radius of Waco.
Professional liability insurance is required of all students prior to beginning the first Clinical Practice rotation. The insurance is purchased through the college when the student registers for HITT 1260, HITT 2260 and HITT 2261. Students are encouraged to have personal health insurance.
Students must provide documentation of a current physical examination and current immunizations prior to beginning the first Clinical Practice in the summer following the first year. Expenses associated with obtaining a physical examination and immunizations are the student's responsibility.
Coding Specialist Certificate
Medical coding is one of the fastest growing areas of health information technology. Coding specialists work in hospitals, health agencies, medical clinics, and other facilities and process data for patient care, research and reimbursement purposes. Students who complete this one-year certificate program, may take a national exam to earn the Certified Coding Associate credential.
Medical Transcription Certificate
The Medical Transcription curriculum prepares individuals to become medical language specialists who interpret and transcribe dictation from physicians and other healthcare professionals in order to document patient care and to facilitate delivery of healthcare services. Students will gain knowledge of medical terminology, human disease processes, pharmacology, diagnostic studies, documentation requirements and surgical procedures.
Cost & Financial Aid
Because various costs may change without prior notice, applicants are encouraged to contact the program director for current information.
Scholarships, grants, loans, and work opportunities are available. Submit financial aid applications for:
Fall........................by June 1
Spring....................by November 1
Summer terms..........by May 1
For questions related to financial aid, contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance at 254-299-8698.
For More Information
Please contact Lesley Weber, Program Director, at Applied Science 208, (254)299-8233 or email lweber@mclennan.edu for more information.